Expanding the Governance Construct: Functions and Contributions of Nonprofit Advisory Groups

Abstract

Despite continuing interest in nonprofit governance issues, little debate has occurred about the identity of participants in governance other than trustees and executive staff. This article finds, however, that advisory groups are also a critical instrument of governance in many public benefit organizations with government grants or contracts. Advisory group members perform numerous primary organizational activities, link nonprofits to key stakeholder groups in the environment, and strengthen ties of cooperation and shared purpose with other community actors. They supplement governance activities carried out by nonprofit boards of directors. In addition, some groups establish new ties to various elites; others connect or reconnect nonprofits to grassroots community constituencies. Nonprofit governance theory should take into account the functions and contributions to governance of advisory groups.