Recent socio-economic trends, such as mounting economic pressure, welfare state reform, the emergence of civil society and participative democracy, have highlighted the growing significance of the non-profit sector in OECD countries. This sector - often associated with concepts such as the "social economy", "third sector", "voluntary sector", "third system", "independent sector" and, more recently, "social entrepreneurship" - has been facing a number of crucial new challenges. Among these is the drive to introduce rigorous management criteria whilst both maintaining the sector's unique social dimension and fostering social innovation.

This publication offers a comprehensive and ground-breaking assessment of the new trends in the field of non-profit sector studies. Drawing on contributions from international leading experts and academics, it reviews the most significant non-profit sector developments in EU countries, the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia. It also provides a comparative and detailed examination of the tools and methods used to finance, monitor and evaluate this sector of social and economic activity.

This book makes essential reading for policy-makers, practitioners and scholars interested in the latest theoretical and empirical developments in the expanding field of non-profit sector studies.