Interesting title. What's it about?

It's a review of the distorting influence of financial and political interests in nonprofit research and advocacy, including the influence of public relations firms that create "nonprofit" organizations. It was first prepared for a university program in ethics.

The summary of the report is below, and the full report is available further below. Read on and enjoy!

If Not for Profit, For What?
Conflicts of Interest in Nonprofit Research and Advocacy

Summary

Nonprofit presence has been growing in the United States. Accordingly, growing numbers of think tanks, public education groups, and advocacy groups compete for the attention and trust of the public.

Unfortunately, people can rarely verify or refute the claims of these organizations, and therefore are in a poor position to know which are trustworthy without additional information. In addition, nonprofit organizations often benefit, illegitimately, from the assumption that nonprofits are motivated by the “public good” and are outside political and commercial interests.

Both the problem of trust and the problem of conflicts of interest pose serious challenges to the accuracy of public debate and policymaking. Citizens and policymakers must take precautions to ensure that society benefits from its nonprofit experts without falling victim to its nonprofit impostors.

Okay, I'm hooked. Can I read more?

Sure. The full report on conflicts of interest in nonprofit resarch and advocacy is available to all enquiring minds below.

"If Not for Profit, for What?
Conflicts of Interest in Nonprofit Research and Advocacy"