The document discusses values as a distinguishing element of nonprofit organizations. It identifies 4 main categories of values expressed by Spanish nonprofits based on an analysis of 326 websites: organizational values that describe the structure and independence of the organization; social values that describe the organization's vision for society; values related to ways of working that guide interventions and interactions; and values about personal development and behaviors. While nonprofits are making efforts to express their values, more can be done to ensure coherence between expressed values, stated missions, and daily practices.

1. Values as a distinguishing element
in nonprofits
www.tercersector.org.es
Pau Vidal and Laia Grabulosa
12th July 2008
ISTR – 8th International Conference

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Observatorio del Tercer Sector
Observatorio del Tercer Sector is an independent and
nonprofit research center specialized in third sector. Its aim
is to deepen and increase the knowledge on the sector and
to work for improvement of the nonprofit organizations
management.

3. 3
What does the values mean?
Wide concept with many considerations…
Ideals and beliefs that orient and guide people through their
actions and their attitudes.
Personal Social Organizational
The focus of this study are values expressed by the nonprofit
organizations, values that are present in the organization to achieve
their mission and vision.
…

4. 4
The importance of the values
Values…
… are present in the core of the existence of nonprofit
organizations
… are the base of the construction and management of the
organizational culture.
… are strongly related with the mission
… direct the activities of the organization
… affect not only the kind of activities the organization carries
out but also how it carries them out: how the organization
works.
The presence and importance of values constitute one of the
elements that make the difference between nonprofit organizations
and enterprises or public institutions.

5. Values in the daily life of organizations
Values
Systems –
organizational
structure
Policies
Daily
practices
Coherence !!
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6. Sharing the values
• Internal communication is strategic in order to share and
make the values acknowledged in the organization.
• Importance to make the values visible to others (internally
and externally)
• Contribute to build a strong organizational culture
• Promote the internal participation
• Create commitments among people involved in the
organizational performance (staff, volunteering, stakeholders,
medias, society in general)
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7. How make them visible?
Web sites
Public activities
Meetings, conferences, …
Annual report
Publications
Strategic planning,
ethical code, …
Etc
There must be a close relation between the expressed
values, the activities, and the public attitudes.
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8. About the study
• Revision of 326 web sites and other public materials of
spanish organizations
• Analysis of the values expressed in these organizations
An approach to the expressed organizational values
More than 200 different values identified
From this point…
1. We established different groups of values
2. We found 4 categories of values
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9. 4 categories of values
Organizational
Describe the operative of the
organizations and how the
activity is structured
Social
Describe what is the organizational
vision of the society
Way of working
Guide interventions and how the
organization works. It also indicate
the kind of interaction with
members, partners, stakeholders,
etc.
Personal
development
Linked to the personal attitudes
and behaviors
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10. 1) Organizational values
Independence
Non profit
Volunteering
Social initiative
Impartiality
Representativity
…
31%
As the capacity to act depending on
organizational principles, mission and
values. This organizational independence
includes independence of thinking and
opinion, moral, political or financial.
26%
The essential specificity of the third sector
organizations lies in its own definition.
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11. 2) Way of work values
24%
As the way to create a committed
citizenship for the society transformation
15%
Related to organizational accountability
Participation
Transparency
Networking
Quality
Coherence
Individual treatment
Professionalism
Collaboration
Responsibility
Innovation
...
15%
Is a more and more common practice that
becomes a value in order to increase
efficiency and create synergies to secure
the goals
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12. 3) Personal development values
13%
Respect is a value that refers to the regard
and the recognition of qualities and
characteristics of the individuals and the
society.
11%
Refers to the degree of implication
towards the mission of organization
Respect
Commitment
Dignity
Critical attitude
Defence of Human Rights
...
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13. 4) Social values
26%
Conscience of collective responsibility
13%
Search and defend same opportunities
and rights for all people.
Solidarity
Equality
Sustainability
Democracy
Pluralism
Transformation
Trust
Equity
Progress
Tolerance
…
11%
The capacity to maintain the organization
activity in order to secure the mission
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Some final reflections
Nonprofit organizations are making efforts to show
their values as a way to express their identity…
… but, much more can be done on this field.
Challenges:
• Make more visible the organizational values
• COHERENCE : nonprofits should secure the
coherence between their values, their mission and
their daily practices

15. Values as a distinguishing element
in nonprofits
www.tercersector.org.es
Pau Vidal and Laia Grabulosa
12th July 2008
ISTR – 8th International Conference