Public-Nonprofit Partnership: Realizing the New Public Service

Jennifer K. Alexander, Cleveland State University
Renée Nank

Abstract

This longitudinal study tracks the generation of trust between a public agency and nine community-based nonprofits (CBNs) over a 10-year period. The evolution from active distrust to trust was demonstrated by the generation of ideological consensus and domain consensus achieved through sharing information, integrated responsibilities and authority, and collaborative decision making. Results indicate that public-nonprofit partnerships create a locus for the practice of the New Public Service. CBNs offer public administrators a bridge into disenfranchised communities and a point of engagement where partners join public agency resources and expertise with tacit knowledge of community through a trusted institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Administration & Society is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)