The Rise of Management Commons: A New Vision for Nonprofit Infrastructure

Abstract

The US nonprofit sector is the closest thing we have today to a true commons sector–a sector dedicated to providing public or common benefit outside of government and private ownership interests. Yet, the nonprofit sector has been greatly infected by private sector assumptions, values, and management practices, most significantly the false axiom that every mission and vision needs its own nonprofit corporate infrastructure. Since all of the assets of the sector are public trust, it stands to reason that the efficiency and impact of our sector would benefit from more shared management infrastructure and less fragmentation. Enter comprehensive fiscal sponsors or management commons–an approach to building shared infrastructure for our sector, capable of delivering greater efficiency, equity, and impact to a diversity of missions operating with a common backbone. This article will explore the growth and impact of the fiscal sponsorship field and the benefits and challenges of management commons as a new approach to building a more effective nonprofit sector.