In a new article in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly titled "Who determines where the sun shines: Nonprofit sector stakeholders and the IRS Form 990 redesign," Juniper Katz and coauthors analyze IRS Form 990 in relation to stakeholder input. For nonprofits in the U.S., IRS Form 990 serves as a crucial accountability tool. Not only does this form help ensure compliance and transparency, but it also provides valuable insight into nonprofit management, finances, and governance. In the article, Katz and her coauthors find that (a) the submitters of public comments provide a comprehensive view of the nonprofit sector’s diverse set of stakeholders and (b) the public comments highlight substantive self-identified priorities for the sector that can serve as a guide to future research. Key takeaways from the piece include the need to consider for-profit and trade association influence in nonprofit policy formation, to recognize selective transparency in reporting requirements, and to understand how stakeholder interests shape regulatory outcomes.
Read the full article at Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.