The Role and Relevance of Resilience in the Nonprofit Sector: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

This review examines previous literature on resilience that focuses on nonprofit organizations.  Growing literature examines organizational resilience in the context of nonprofits, however most scholars discuss resilience from a community perspective. This review employs Cochrane-Campbell protocols to establish a research question and keyword search protocols in advance. The main findings include themes in the literature around disturbances to the system, leadership and management trends, and financial resilience. Implications include insights for nonprofit managers when considering short- and long-term recovery plans and how to build a surplus beyond financial means. Ultimately there is a need for a holistic framework to bring together structures, people, and relationships in the discussion of fostering and being resilient. While bounce back is nearly impossible for smaller organizations, which are often in vulnerable financial situations to begin with, they still manage to evolve and survive.