The Commons: New Perspectives on Nonprofit Organization, Voluntary Action and Philanthropy

Abstract

"An original theoretical statement of the commons theory of association; the view that nonprofit organizations, voluntary associations, foundations and other philanthropic and third sector institutions can be understood as commons of voluntary participation, shared purposes and common resource pools. Participation in such commons is said to establish the conditions for the production of trust, networks and other forms of social capital and of rules, rituals and other evidence of moral order."