Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Steve Roussas

Abstract

Creating revenue diversification forces nonprofit leaders to create innovative programs and services, build resilience against adverse conditions, and establish a sustainable future. The problem is that some nonprofit managers lack strategies for developing a diversified financial portfolio to achieve sustainability. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore the revenue diversification strategies used by 3 leaders of a nonprofit organization in the eastern region of the United States through the conceptual lens of Markowitz's modern portfolio theory and Thaler's behavioral finance theory. Data were collected using purposeful sampling, semistructured interviews, and analysis of organizational documents, social media platforms, and online databases. Four categories were used to organize the data: process strengths, process opportunities, results strengths, and results opportunities. The key themes that emerged from process strengths and results strengths were utilizing volunteers, collaborating with local partners, developing diverse revenue streams, strong fiscal management, program innovation, and evaluating the market. The key themes that emerged from process opportunities and results opportunities were the lack of written processes and procedures, the lack of process improvement strategies and performance measurement outcomes, the lack of knowledge about donor attrition and retention, and high turnover in the executive director position. Organizational leaders who focus on diversifying revenue streams can serve the mission instead of chasing funding streams that have become more competitive. The social change implication of these findings is that nonprofit leaders could create sustainability through diverse revenue streams, ensuring long-term employment, and sustaining positive social impacts.

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