Call For Papers

The deadline for submitting paper proposals has now passed -- thank you for your submissions.  Nominations are currently being reviewed by the Selection Committee.  Those who submitted proposals will be notified of the committee's decision by the end of October, 2000.

The Impact of Information Technology on Civil Society: 

How will Online Innovation, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism serve the Common Good?

The exponential growth of the Internet and information technology globally and the desire to use it to promote civil society raises important questions about the use of technology, democracy, and a commitment to the common good. Does the use of information technologies increase organizational effectiveness and encourage civic participation or create new forms of exclusion and alienation? What potential exists for supporting the former and discouraging the latter? One of the main challenges facing the nonprofit sector will be holding onto public trust and commitment for the common good when myriad motivations for profit, visibility, market share and resources compete for time and attention.

E-philanthropy, volunteerism, and social change are being created in the nonprofit and private sectors often through partnership, but it can be difficult to sort out the goals of the individual partners. Cross-sector partnerships will provide significant impetus to the expansion of Internet philanthropy, volunteerism, and the development of civil society. Some nonprofit organizations are simply transferring existing program services to the Internet. Others are trying to transform their activities by inventing online operations that maximize the use of information technology. The velocity of change means that research is lagging behind in addressing these issues. 

Stipend Offered in Collaboration with the Nonprofit Sector Research Fund
Aspen Institute's Nonprofit Sector Research Fund, in collaboration with Independent Sector, is offering stipends of $1,000 for up to five exceptional proposals. Selected papers will be presented at the Spring Research Forum.  For more information about applying for this stipend, please visit the Nonprofit Sector Research Fund.  Please note that the deadline has been extended to September 15, 2000.

About the Spring Research Forum
Independent Sector’s Spring Research Forum has a 15-year tradition of stimulating new research agendas and bringing together the best and brightest researchers from the United States and abroad with practitioners to consider the latest research on current issues facing the nonprofit sector. The Forum provides the opportunity for a rich, high-quality debate seldom experienced in any other setting. More than 300 researchers, nonprofit and foundation leaders, government officials, business leaders, and technology experts are expected to participate in the next forum, March 15-16, 2001. Approximately 30 papers on the themes of technology and philanthropy will be selected for presentation. 

The 2001 Spring Research Forum Theme
The 2001 Spring Research Forum seeks to address many of the following questions: How will information technology and the Internet expand and enhance volunteerism, philanthropy, collaborative learning, and collective action among nonprofits around the world that will result in increased organizational efficiency and impact? What new solutions, new types of partnerships and new ways of using capital are being used to serve the common good and are not simply commercial opportunities? Will new types of ‘hybrid’ models of for-profits and nonprofits emerge as a growing diversity of funding and capitalization options challenge the knowledge and resources of nonprofits and donors? How are nonprofit activities, organization development and culture affected by the growth of the Internet and information technology? How do nonprofits serve the common good yet financially sustain themselves? How do they serve those in need who may lie beyond their comfort zone? What ethical questions need to be addressed so that nonprofit/for-profit partnerships remain honest both in commitment and accountability? Will the legal and fiscal framework that nonprofits work within change as the Web grows? What is the current capacity of the Internet for fundraising and volunteering and what data do we have? How technologically sophisticated are nonprofits and is there a digital divide separating organizations as well as people? Will nonprofits be visible on the Internet given that the online services that are being created are so under-funded? 

How to Submit an Abstract
Independent Sector requests abstracts for papers from academics in any discipline and/or practitioners who have experience with or insights into these various issues in the United States and abroad. For your paper to be considered for presentation at the Forum, you must submit a double-spaced two-page abstract of your paper prepared in letter-quality type with margins of 1" on all sides. The abstract must include the theme of your proposed paper, the subjects it will cover, and the relevance of your work to the Forum themes. You must also send a biographical statement not to exceed 150 words. Only abstracts that deal with the themes of the Research Forum will be accepted for review. 

Deadline for Submission -- Extended to September 15, 2000
All abstracts are due at Independent Sector by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on September 15, 2000. Abstracts will then be reviewed by a group of readers selected from the IS Research Committee. Finalists will be notified by October 20, 2000, and must submit their completed papers by January 12, 2001. The final papers cannot exceed 10 single-spaced pages (excluding notes and references). Only the authors of papers completed by the deadline will be able to present at the Forum. The Committee will give special attention to abstracts submitted from researchers and practitioners working on collaborative efforts and to young scholars in the United States or abroad. 

Please submit proposals no later than September 15, 2000 to:

2001 Spring Research Forum Committee 
The Research Program
Independent Sector
1200 18th Street, NW, Suite 200 
Washington, DC 20036 
United States of America 

Tel: 202-467-6100 
Fax: 202-467-6101 

Email abstract submissions will be accepted and should be sent to:

KHume@IndependentSector.org