Environmental organization alliance relationships within and across nonprofit, business, and government sectors

Alliances are being used by environmental organizations to achieve their mission of improving the natural environment. Many of these alliances have been formed within the nonprofit sector, whereas others have been formed across economic sectors with government agencies and businesses as partners. The authors discuss two studies that examine differences among alliances formed by environmental organizations with (1) government agencies, (2) for-profit businesses, and(3) other environmental organizations. In Study I, which is based on a national survey of environmental organizations, they examine the relative effectiveness, formality, influence, and political position associated with different types of alliances. In Study 2, they further explore these relationships through in-depth telephone interviews of a subsample of respondents drawn from Study 1. Both studies contribute to the understanding of nonprofit alliance relationships and their role in influencing environmental policy and market behavior.