The Non-profit Sector in a Changing Economy

Recent socio-economic trends, such as mounting economic pressure, welfare state reform, the emergence of civil society and participative democracy, have highlighted the growing significance of the non-profit sector in OECD countries. This sector - often associated with concepts such as the social economy, third sector, voluntary sector, third system, independent sector and, more recently, social entrepreneurship - has been facing a number of crucial new challenges.