6
• voluntary to some meaningful extent, i.e. non-compulsory but including volun-
tary monetary or non-monetary contributions.
Several terms for naming these organizations are in use:4
• nonprofit or charitable,
• voluntary or non-statutory,
• independent or non-governmental entities.
In Germany the following types are defined as Third Sector organizations:5
• associations, either incorporated or unincorporated,
• public law corporations,
• public and private law foundations,
• limited liability companies,
• cooperatives,
• communal economy corporations and
• non-commercial organizations.
The main findings of the German study of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit
Sector Project are:6
• The Third sector is rich in tradition, mainly active on the local level, preferably
organized in associations and characterized by a high degree of internal network-
ing in umbrellas or federations.
• There is a trend of „merging“ in the Third Sector.
• The financial mix is not generally predominated by public revenues; membership
fees are partially important too.
• The financial situation is problematic (decline of municipal support and high
human resource costs).
• The preferred strategies in financially difficult times are political lobbying and
claiming support from the respective federations.
• Another consequence of declining public resources is the trend of expecting more
revenues from market activities.
• The employment trend is towards flexibility of work.
4 Betzelt 2001: 26.
5 Salamon/Anheier 1993: 24; Anheier/Priller/Seidel/Zimmer 1997: 15.
6 Zimmer/ Priller 1999: 3-5, translated by Betzelt 2001: 43; Anheier/Priller/Seidel/Zimmer 1997: 13-22;
with regard of a profile of the Third Sector in West Germany see: Anheier in: Anheier/Seibel 1990:
319-329.