Abstract

Can nonprofits lead cross-sector collaborations to improve natural resource management by advocating for participant diversity? Existing literature largely relies on supplementary or complementary models to describe government-nonprofit relationships, typically casting the government as the leader. In contrast, I propose a new theoretical framework that positions nonprofits as the coordinators of cross-sector collaborations. I test this theory in Oregon watersheds using a watershed-year panel dataset spanning 1980 to 2021. Results from a dynamic difference-in-differences model show that the establishment of nonprofit watershed councils leads to a 5% improvement in water quality. Moreover, causal mediation analysis indicates that this effect is positively mediated by participant diversity and bottom-up involvement from citizen groups and non-governmental actors. This study advances both theoretical and practical understandings of diversity management in environmental collaborations.


Figure 3: Average Treatment Effect