The Tropman Fund

The Tropman Fund (Applied Research)

The Forbes Funds supports applied research designed to generate practical information on strategic issues and management challenges facing the nonprofit sector in the Pittsburgh region.

We disseminate our researchers’ findings by means of an annual research conference, workshops, and various publications. Each year, The Forbes Funds publishes THE TROPMAN REPORTS. Named in honor of our founding director, Elmer J. Tropman, THE TROPMAN REPORTS are abstracts which summarize research studies that we have supported during that calendar year. Other research studies commissioned by The Forbes Funds are available under Special Projects.

2007 Tropman Reports

2007 Tropman Reports ( PDF File

PDF File

PDF 2MB )

Report #1:

Making the Connection : How Provider Dialogue and Network Clusters Can Spur Successful Collaboration ( PDF File

PDF File

PDF 926KB )

PowerPoint Presentation ( PPT 3MB )

Report #2:

Nonprofit Mergers: An Assessment of Nonprofits’ Experiences with the Merger Process
( PDF File PDF 881KB )

Report #3:

Do They See What I See...Now? Public Opinion and the Human Services Sector
( PDF File PDF 585KB )

NONPROFIT MERGERS - An Assessment of Nonprofits' Experiences with the Merger Process
( PDF File PDF 4MB )

Making the Connection: How Provider Dialogue and Network Clusters Can Spur Successful Collaboration
( PDF File PDF 5MB )

2006 Tropman Reports

2006 Tropman Reports ( PDF File

PDF File

PDF 6MB )

Study #1:

Built to Last: Our Legacy and Our Future – Nonprofits and the Regional Economy
( PDF File PDF 2.6MB )

Study #2:

How is the Region Doing? Human Service Use and Service Availability in Allegheny County, PA
( PDF File PDF 2.3MB )

Study #3:

A Comparative Analysis of the Capacity-building Industries in Pittsburgh and Central Texas ( PDF File PDF 220K )

2005 Special Essays

From Adequate to Outstanding Performance - Some Propositions on Nonprofit Organization Life Cycles

Facing the Futures: Building Robust Nonprofits in the Pittsburgh Region by Paul C. Light (PDF)

A Generous Gift: The Value of Nonprofit Organizations to Our Community (PDF)

2005 Tropman Reports

2005 Journal of Applied Research ( PDF File

PDF File

PDF 1.3MB )

Study #1:

The Cost of Meeting Compliance: A Case Study of Challenges,Time Investments, and Dollars Spent
( PDF File PDF 330K )

Study #2:

Why Engage? Understanding the Incentive to Build Nonprofit Capacity
( PDF File PDF 80K )

Ohio University's Full Report (PDF)

Study #3:

Nonprofit "Capacity-Building Orientation": The Role of Learning in Building Nonprofit Performance ( PDF File PDF82K )

Texas A&M's Full Report (PDF)

Study #4:

Service Clustering: Building Cohesive Public Service Capacity
( PDF File PDF 900K )

Hill Group's Full Report (PDF)

2004 Tropman Reports

2004 Journal of Applied Research ( PDF File

PDF File

PDF 4.1MB )

Study #1:

Do They See What I See? Public Opinion and the Human Services Sector
( PDF File PDF 74K )

Campos, Inc.'s Full Report ( PDF 504K )

Study #2:

Charting the Resources of the Pittsburgh Region's Nonprofit Sector
( PDF File PDF 3.9MB )

The Urban Institute's Full Report ( PDF 194K )

Study #3:

An Analysis of the Pittsburgh Region's Capacity-Building Industry: Who Is Doing What for Whom and to What End? ( PDF File PDF129K )

Ohio and Texas A&M Universities' Full Report ( PDF 387K )

Study #4:

High Performance in Nonprofit Organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh Area
( PDF File PDF 90K )

Marsha Tongel and Claudia Petrescu's Full Report ( PDF 547K )

Study #5:

Assessing Social Return on Investment for Social Enterprises in the Pittsburgh Region ( PDF File PDF 107K )

Olszak Management Consulting, Inc.'s Full Report ( PDF 1.2MB )

2003 Tropman Reports

2003 Journal of Applied Research ( PDF File

PDF File

PDF 1MB )

Study #1:

The Precarious Billion Dollar Sector – Nonprofit Human Services in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area (Urban Institute) ( PDF File PDF 250K )

The Urban Institute’s Full Report ( PDF 314K )

Study #2:

Strategic Restructuring – A Tool for Improving Organizational Effectiveness (LaPiana Associates, Inc.) ( PDF File PDF 208K )

LaPiana Associate, Inc.’s Full Report ( PDF 167K )

Study #3:

Identifying Financing Opportunities for Pittsburgh-based Social Enterprises (Community Wealth Ventures) ( PDF File PDF 87K )

Community Wealth Ventures’ Full Report ( PDF 487K )

Study #4:

The Use of Modern Quality Assurance in Nonprofit Management (Community Quality Institute) ( PDF File PDF 182K )

Study #5:

The Challenge of Nonprofit Leadership – A Comparative Study of Nonprofit Executives in the Pittsburgh Region (University of Pittsburgh) ( PDF File PDF 144K )

University of Pittsburgh’s Full Report ( PDF 259K )

Study #6:

The 2002 Wage and Benefit Survey (Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management)
( PDF File PDF 259K )

Study #7:

The Insurance Muddle – Addressing Healthcare Costs for Nonprofit Sector Employees (Dewey & Kaye and Triad) ( PDF File PDF 90K )

Study #8:

Diversity Within and Among Nonprofit Boards in Allegheny County, PA (University Center on Social and Urban Research) ( PDF File PDF 129K )

UCSUR’s Full Report ( PDF 313K )

2002 Tropman Reports

Top

Study #1:

Capacity-Building in the Nonprofit Sector – A Comparison of Resources and Practices in Pittsburgh and Denver (Jane Hansberry) ( PDF File PDF 81K )

Jane Hansberry’s Full Report ( PDF 681K )

Study #2:

How do Nonprofits Compare with For-Profit Providers? An Application of Customer Value) (Tripp, Umbach & Associates) ( PDF File PDF 151K )

Tripp, Umbach & Associates’ Full Report ( PDF 464K )

Study #3:

Leveraging Human Capital – How do Nonprofits in Pittsburgh Recruit and Manage Volunteers? (First Side Partners) ( PDF File PDF 107K )

First Side Partners’ Full Report ( PDF 281K )

Study #4:

New Economy Entrepreneurs – Their Attitudes on Philanthropy (Campos Market Research) ( PDF File PDF 78K )

Study #5:

Profit-Making in Nonprofits – An Assessment of Entrepreneurial Ventures in Nonprofit Organizations (Olszak Management Consulting, Inc.) ( PDF File PDF 83K )

Lisa Olszak’s Full Report ( PDF 498K )

Study #6:

Recruitment and Retention of Managerial Talent – Current Practices and Prospects for Nonprofits in Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh) ( PDF File PDF 75K )

University of Pittsburgh’s Full Report ( PDF 355K )

Study #7:

Social Services in Faith-Based Organizations – Pittsburgh Congregations and the Services They Provide (Buchanan Ingersoll) ( PDF File PDF 78K )

Study #8:

Staying Ahead of the Curve – An Assessment of Executive Training Needs and Resources in Pittsburgh (Tripp, Umbach & Associates) ( PDF File PDF 68K )

Simon Tripp’s Full Report ( PDF 331K )

Study #9:

Strategic Planning – Positioning Identity, Values and Aspirations (Katz Graduate School of Business) ( PDF File PDF 228K )

John Camillus’s Full Report ( PDF 566K )

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