Small Business–Nonprofit Collaboration: Locally Owned Businesses Want to Take Their Relationships With Community-Based NPOs to the Next Level

This two-part, mixed-methods study explored how and why small businesses engage in both philanthropic and transactional partner-ships with community-based nonpro?ts (NPOs), and what business owners expect from their nonpro?t partners. Findings from focus groups and a survey indicate that U.S. small businesses (a) are interested in a higher representation on nonpro?t boards; (b) are more likely to support NPOs that focus on the local community’s needs; and (c) seek long-term, committed partnerships with NPOs to jointly address communal issues rather than one-time contributions or sponsorships. The study adds to the literature on nonprofit–business collaboration by applying the concepts of integrative (Austin, 2000) and communal (Cho & Kelly, 2014) relationships in the context of locally owned businesses and community-based NPOs rather than more commonly studied large corporations and national/international nonpro?ts. These ?ndings also offer practical recommendations for the leadership of community nonpro?ts interested in enhancing their relationships with small businesses.