Comparing member-based organizations within a social economy framework

The purpose of this study is to determine whether nonprofits that serve a membership (that is, mutual nonprofits) have more in common with cooperatives (also member-oriented associations) than with nonprofits that are oriented toward the public. A MANOVA was used to analyze the effect of organizational type of which there were four categories (publicly oriented nonprofits, mutual nonprofits, cooperatives without shares, and cooperatives with shares) on the five dependent measures (social objectives, volunteer participation, democratic decision making, government dependence, and market reliance) derived from the social economy framework. The results offer some support for the hypothesis that serving a membership is an important factor in the basic characteristics of an organization, and that is true regardless of whether the incorporation is nonprofit or cooperative. However, charitable status also appeared to influence on the results. The implications for the social economy and civil society are discussed.