Community Oriented Nonprofits and Neighborhood Poverty

This study examines the spatial pattern of community-oriented nonprofit organizations in the 100 largest metropolitan areas. It finds that: (1) the densities of these nonprofits typically increase with neighborhood poverty rates; (2) they are much more prevalent in metros in the northeast, mid-west and along the pacific coast, than in the sunbelt; and (3) their numbers have been growing rapidly everywhere, particularly so in places where their densities were lower in the past. The authors conclude that the findings warrant further research on how variations in the density and mix of nonprofits in a neighborhood may influence neighborhood improvement.