Alliance is pleased to announce the launch of its first online discussion on the subject of Civil society vs markets – a false dichotomy?

The need for greater effectiveness in the non-profit sector and for organizations to measure this is receiving growing attention. While no one seriously disputes that organizations should assess their work, the main ground of the debate has tended to become drawn away into a discussion about whether the values of civil society (the premium it puts on democracy, solidarity, social justice, dialogue, relationships, values) are in danger of being overrun by those of social capital markets (business principles, metrics, evidence, return on investment, numbers). Discussion has thus become polarized between proponents of either civil society or markets.