Models for government-nonprofits partnerships: a comparative analysis of policies for AIDS, social assistance and culture in Brazil

Abstract This study contributes to the research on partnership models by comparing different policy areas, testing the existing typologies and developing new forms of analysis for the Brazilian context. The literature on partnerships regarding the nonprofit sector is focused on the great diversity of these organizations and the types of relationship they establish with the government to provide services. Most empirical studies on this issue seek to establish categories for the partnerships analyzed, usually comparing countries or policy areas on a macro level. This study observes how partnership models help to understand the differences among policy areas, observing cases in the areas of AIDS, social assistance, and culture in Brazil. The research introduced field level variables and organizational variables to establish clearer differences among the models, and to identify where they overlap. Differences among the models helped to test relational variables and use the partnership models to analyze the public policy areas on the interaction design with nonprofits. As for political implications, this study provides recommendations to advance in a governmental agenda on partnerships that can combine general guidelines with particularities related to each policy area. Finally, the study indicates that partnerships should be considered public policy instruments.