Nonprofit Ethics and Accountability: Synthesizing Research on Nonprofit Regulation Programs

Abstract

The growth in size, assets and influence of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in recent years has brought scrutiny from the public, donors, government officials, the media and funders. The many dimensions of ethical behavior and accountability in NPOs have been examined by numerous scholars. This study synthesizes the research and provides a substantive review of key concepts related to advancing nonprofit ethics and accountability through NPO regulations and other methods. In addition, gaps in the research are identified in order to inform future work. This summary will prove useful for NPO staff, stakeholders, regulators and others interested in improved governance.