THE COMMUNITY SCIENCES LAB
The Community Sciences Lab, co-led by Dr. Kimberly Wiley and Dr. Shaun Khurana, is a research-driven platform that empowers mission-driven organizations to navigate complex policy environments and societal challenges. Combining academic rigor with real-world experience in nonprofit management, Dr. Wiley, Dr. Khurana, and their team build evidence-based solutions to help nonprofits adapt, lead, and thrive in times of change.
QUAL WORK
Did you know Florida is home to nearly 1,000 food and agricultural nonprofit organizations (or FANOs)? FANOs are integral to the food and agriculture industries, as this sector fills in system gaps resulting from market failure. These nonprofits ensure that communities can access safe and nutritional foods. FANOs conduct valuable research, promote policy change, and provide education. Because of Florida’s robust food and agricultural landscape, identifying and strengthening its unique management concerns is especially useful.
TEAM WORK
Nonprofits interact with public policy in ways that both support and constrain their viability. In times of political uncertainty, nonprofits may be forced to choose between fulfilling their mission and complying with emerging public policy that challenges their programmatic goals. Our research team is documenting how nonprofits remain resilient when change occurs that is out of their control. Interviews with nonprofit leaders are currently underway.
What should nonprofits do when financial, political, or environmental crises hit? Leaders need a toolbox of possible responses and resources so that they can pick the best tools for their own unique mission and situation. The ability to assemble a portfolio of strategies gives a nonprofit the adaptiveness and flexibility necessary to respond to the changing environment. But it’s not necessary to recreate the wheel.