Civic group membership down 47 percent in 3 years

A recent study published by IU researchers found a decline in the number of members in civic organizations such as veterans groups and fraternal organizations.\nThese groups reported a 47 percent decline in membership between 1999 and 2002, according to the Oct. 19 study. \nKirsten Grønbjerg, a professor of nonprofit management in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the chair of philanthropy at the Center on Philanthropy at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, developed the project six years ago. \nThe research was conducted as part of the collaborative project, Indiana Nonprofits: Scope and Community Dimensions. The project's main objective was to offer a complete and extensive database of the nonprofit sector of Indiana in order to gain a thorough understanding of it, Grønbjerg said.\nPrior to the survey, little reliable information was available for local civic organizations. The only statistics available were based on nationwide organizations.\nKerry Brock, graduate student and research assistant for the Indiana Nonprofits Project, focused on this aspect of the research over the duration of the study. \n"I was involved with updating the overall database of Indiana nonprofits, which included getting rid of defunct organizations from the database, as well as adding new organizations," she said. \nThe study also found civic organizations were working with fewer resources, less funding and smaller management staffs as a result of decreased membership.\nFifty-four percent of membership organizations reported finding new members was a major challenge. \nGrønbjerg said the study is not only an effort to highlight the contributions nonprofit organizations make to society but also an opportunity for these organizations to learn more about other nonprofits and \ncollaborate as a result. \nA key aspect of the study is its thoroughness, Grønbjerg said. With a team of field associates, project assistants and staff, she completed the study in three years. The study lasted so long because it compiled the most extensive database of nonprofit organizations in any region of the United States.\nResearchers continue to analyze the information found in the study to further the database. Patricia Borntrager, a graduate student and research assistant to Grønbjerg, continues her work on the study. \n"I am presently working on a series of regional reports that use the same survey data but focuses on specific regions of Indiana and basically summarizes the size and scope of nonprofits in that region and identifies any ways that they are unique from other regions," she said.\nGrønbjerg hopes this study provides enough information to take action against the decline of these types of organizations.\n"I hope that community leaders and policymakers will take all this into account and help these organizations become stronger and more vibrant actors in the local communities," she said. \nBut Grønbjerg said since the study was published so recently, it is too soon to examine the impact of the decreased membership in civic groups.\nMore information on this study can be found at www.indiana.edu/~nonprof.