The Distribution of Urban Voluntary Resources: An Exploratory Analysis

Abstract

The role of voluntary sector service provision in local communities has been largely overlooked, but is increasingly critical to the quality of urban life. This paper provides an exploratory analysis of questions about the distribution of voluntary activity within metropolitan regions and the determinants of voluntary service provision levels. A variety of hypotheses concerning the distribution of voluntary resources in the social welfare and community services (SWCS) sector are tested utilizing data on nonprofit organizations and local jurisdictions within the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Results indicate that cities within this region with relatively abundant SWCS resources tend to be older inner-ring working-class suburbs, in contrast to the significantly reduced scale of SWCS activities found in outlying affluent communities, industrial enclaves, and cities with large minority and service-dependent populations.