The civil society sector is a growing sector of societies across the globe. With 1.8 million registered nonprofits in the United States alone, it provides an exciting landscape for organizational communication scholars to explore. This article develops an argument and some starting points for organizational communication researchers to begin work in the area. The article reviews four potential starting points: social capital; mission, effectiveness, and accountability; governance and decision making; and volunteer relationships. In each area, the article points to a set of important dynamics and constructs, references important works in the nonprofit organization literature, and suggests directions for future research for organizational communication scholarship.
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