Social Entrepreneurship and Academic Research: Seeking Sustained IT in Non-profits

This research demonstrates a collaborative project between the United Way in a major Midwestern U.S. city and academic researchers. This collaboration was facilitated and funded by a local social entrepreneur who is a United Way Board member. The goal of this collaboration was to scientifically identify the enablers and barriers of 67 United Way agencies to reaching information sustainability using a semi-structured interview methodology. The directors of all 67 agencies were interviewed. Our results indicated that most agencies were experiencing numerous barriers to obtaining needed information. This was due to many issues discussed in this paper. This research resulted in the United Way placing a Chief Information Officer or equivalent on the Board of Directors of all agencies.