The Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) and Independent Sector are excited to invite you to submit proposals to the 11th Annual Nonprofit Public Policy Symposium. Proposals will be accepted through April 29, 2022.
The symposium will be convened virtually on October 14, 2022 and is designed to bring together academics and nonprofit practitioners to explore key questions and issues related to public policy affecting nonprofits and philanthropy. We will consider what additional research is needed to create better policies to sustain more vital institutions, meet social needs, and support civil society in the years to come.
This year, the theme of the symposium is “Nonprofits 9 to 5: What a Way to Make a Living” and will focus on the nonprofit sector workforce and nonprofits – including foundations – as employers. Dolly Parton’s classic song “9 to 5” is named after an advocacy organization created to give voice to women in the workforce who felt invisible. Similarly, despite the impressive size and impact of the nonprofit workforce, we are most often invisible to policymakers without significant advocacy by the sector.
The sector needs to better understand our own human capital needs and trends. Parton’s song often is described as an “anthem for the overworked and underpaid,” sentiments frequently echoed among nonprofit employees. Like the song, nonprofit workers have a shared sense of pride, but also shared grievances and the desire for systemic change. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the demographics of the nonprofit workforce with potential disparities observed in rehiring, pay, and promotion, among women and particularly among women of color.
Proposals should address research findings or practice-informed perspectives on nonprofits as employers, the needs of nonprofit workers, and how the sector collectively can use public policy to foster a more equitable workforce in the future. Practitioners and academics are encouraged to submit proposals by April 29, 2022. Learn more about past symposiums.
