Innovation by nonprofit organizations: Policy and research issues

Abstract It is often claimed that a main reason public authorities and others use nonprofit organizations is that nonprofit organizations are innovative. But very little research has been conducted into innovative behavior by nonprofit organizations. How, then, does a funder formulate a policy with which to select innovative organizations? This article develops a classification matrix for types of innovations, sets out the elements of an innovation policy for a funder, and uses a review of the main theories of the spurs and inhibitions to innovation to consider how this ordering can be used in the construction of an innovation policy and as a framework for research.