This article examines venturing, or the commercial sale of services and
products, as a strategy employed by voluntary social agencies to bolster
their faltering budgets. It reports the findings of a descriptive study of a
population of 101 such agencies in greater Philadelphia. The authors
suggest that the increase in commercial ventures by nonprofits is to some
extent a by-product of the expansion of government contracting in the
social welfare field. They conclude that even when successful, commercial
ventures pose significant risks to nonprofit agencies.
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