TY - JOUR
T1 - Building a Cross-Sectoral Interorganizational Network to Advance Nonprofits
T2 - NGO Incubators as Relationship Brokers in China
AU - Yang, Aimei
AU - Cheong, Pauline
N1 - Funding Information:
To yield a heuristic understanding on this emerging model of Chinese NGO incubators, its operations, and social significance, this study focuses on the case of a leading NGO incubator, Enpai, and the network of organizations that have connected to this NGO over its formative years. Enpai was founded in 2006 and is supported by sponsorship from the Chinese government, the Narada Foundation (a Chinese business-based foundation), and the Ford Foundation (a U.S.-based private foundation), among others. The founding of this organization is already an example of cross-sectoral collaboration. The organization’s core services include training programs that provide NGOs with registration guidance, capacity building courses, public relations courses, and financial support. Enpai has also used its extensive networks to help new NGOs build crucial connections with diverse social actors. To date, Enpai has successfully incubated more than 200 NGOs. In addition to their Shanghai headquarters, Enpai has branches in other large Chinese cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Shenzhen (China Philanthropist, 2015).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2018.
Copyright:
Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/8/1
Y1 - 2019/8/1
N2 - In light of the recent rise of Chinese nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and the significant roles that they are playing to advance nonprofit and voluntary activities, this article explores the network dynamics of emerging NGOs in China, known as NGO incubators. NGO incubators were birthed to provide services to civil society actors, including capacity-building training, fundraising, information support, and network formation guidance. This study examines the evolution of the organizational network of the largest Chinese NGO incubator over its 6-year formative period and provides fresh empirical evidence to illustrate how NGO incubators can powerfully bridge structural holes and build cross-sectoral alliance networks in a nascent civil society. Theoretical and practical implications for NGO development are discussed.
AB - In light of the recent rise of Chinese nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and the significant roles that they are playing to advance nonprofit and voluntary activities, this article explores the network dynamics of emerging NGOs in China, known as NGO incubators. NGO incubators were birthed to provide services to civil society actors, including capacity-building training, fundraising, information support, and network formation guidance. This study examines the evolution of the organizational network of the largest Chinese NGO incubator over its 6-year formative period and provides fresh empirical evidence to illustrate how NGO incubators can powerfully bridge structural holes and build cross-sectoral alliance networks in a nascent civil society. Theoretical and practical implications for NGO development are discussed.
KW - NGO incubators
KW - cross-sectoral alliance
KW - network
KW - structural hole theory
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U2 - 10.1177/0899764018819869
DO - 10.1177/0899764018819869
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85059258169
SN - 0899-7640
VL - 48
SP - 784
EP - 813
JO - Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
JF - Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
IS - 4
ER -