This analysis uses the restructuring of the American Cancer Society Ohio Division and its impact on funds raised through Relay For Life and on volunteer opinions as a case study to examine the relationship between a nonprofit's national mission, regional structure, and local fundraising efforts. Three questions were asked to investigate each of these scales: 1. How does the scale of a nonprofit's mission influence the organization's spatial structure? 2. How does a regional spatial structure impact a nonprofit's ability to fundraise at the local level? 3. How are local volunteer and donor attitudes initially affected when nonprofit offices are consolidated at a regional scale?
At the national level, research of existing literature demonstrates that mission does not influence the structure of nonprofit organizations. Size, age, and history are more dominant factors. Regionally, the examination reveals the consolidation of offices certainly can have an impact on the amount of revenue raised. However, surveys of local volunteers show the underlying factor to be customer service, not office closures. Volunteers overwhelmingly and repeatedly stated the need for staff to be more visible and involved at the local level and for resources and materials to be more readily available.
This project concludes that nonprofits with a national mission can be effective in raising dollars at the local level through a regional office; however, to do so, the organization must structure itself regionally in such a way so that it is able to achieve its national mission while still providing local staff who are available, knowledgeable, and engaged within the community.