Nathan Grasse

– Bachelor of Science (BS) (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States)
– MPA (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States)
– PhD in Political Science (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States)

Nathan focuses on the governance of public-serving organizations, including associations between governance and financial management. This includes the study of revenue structures, the potential conditioning effects of organizational and environmental factors, and the implications of strategic choices on financial health and other organizational outcomes.

Despite the crucial role charities play addressing social problems, enhancing representation, and delivering services in their communities, we have much more to learn about the effective management of these organizations. For example, when managing their finances, charitable organizations may be forced to rely on their own history, anecdotal information, or literature borrowed from other sectors to guide their decisions. My work focuses on enhancing our knowledge in the areas of financial management and governance. 

• “The Promise and Perils of Comparing Nonprofit Data Across Borders.” Elizabeth Searing, Nathan J. Grasse, and Alasdair Rutherford. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (2023), 52(1_suppl):130S-159S.
• “The Form 990 User’s Guide to the T3010.” Elizabeth Searing and Nathan J. Grasse. Research Note at Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (2023) 52(4), 1099–1116.
• “Individual- and Community-Level Factors Associated With Voluntary Participation.” Marcus M. Lam, Nathan J. Grasse, and Lindsey M. McDougle. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (2023) 52(6), 1515-1538.
• “Human Service Organizations’ Participation in the Paycheck Protection Program: A Cross-Sector Comparison.” Marcus M. Lam, Jessica D. Word, and Nathan J. Grasse. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance (2023). (H-Index, 15; ISI, .567; SJR .498, Impact Factor, 1.2).
• “Perceptions of Academic Administrators Towards Academic Reorganization at Public Master’s Universities in the United States.” Brian Cherry, Brian Graves, and Nathan J. Grasse. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education (2023) 27:2, 51-59 (H-Index 19, SJR .467; Impact Factor, 1.28)
• “Finding Your Crowd: The Role of Government Level and Charity Type in Revenue Crowd-Out.” Nathan J. Grasse, Elizabeth A.M. Searing, and Daniel G. Neely. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (2022), 32(1):200-216. (H-Index, 119; SJR, 5.875: Impact Factor, 6.160). *Winner, Best Paper Award (2022), ASPA Nonprofit Section.
• “Nonprofit Long-term Care in Ontario: How Financially Robust is the System?” Lisa Halpern, Susan Phillips, and Nathan J. Grasse. Canadian Public Policy (2022) 48(S2), 64-80. (H-Index, 36; SJR 1.924, Impact Factor, 3.235).
• Grasse, Nathan, Kevin D Ward, and Katrina Miller‐Stevens. “To Lobby or Not to Lobby? Examining the Determinants of Nonprofit Organizations Taking the IRS 501(h) Election.” Policy studies journal 49(1): pp. 242–267 (February 2021) Wiley-Blackwell.
• Lam, Marcus, and Nathan Grasse. “Community Health Centers (CHCs) Under Environmental Uncertainty: An Examination of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and Early Medicaid Expansion on CHC Margin.” Nonprofit policy forum 10(2): (July 2019) Berlin: De Gruyter
• Cherry, Brian D, Nathan J Grasse, and Douglas M Ihrke. “Perceptions of Privatization in Michigan.” Human service organizations, management, leadership & governance 42(1): pp. 86–94 (January 2018) Routledge.
• Nathan J Grasse et al. “Analysis of Academic Administrators’ Attitudes: Annual Evaluations and Factors That Improve Teaching.” Journal of higher education policy and management 39(3): pp. 86-94 (May 2017) Routledge.
• Grasse, Nathan J, Kayla M Whaley, and Douglas M Ihrke. “Modern Portfolio Theory and Nonprofit Arts Organizations: Identifying the Efficient Frontier.” Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly 45(4): pp. 825–843 (August 2016) Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Grasse, Nathan J, Brett Curry, and Brianne Heidbredrer. “Organized Interests and Administrative Rulemaking: The State of Wisconsin’s Lobbyists and Coalitions: Organized Interests and Rulemaking.” Journal of public affairs 16(3): pp. 255–269 (August 2016) Wiley-Blackwell.
• Ford, Michael R et al. “Perceptions of Council Member-Department Head Interactions in Local Government.” Journal of public affairs 16(4): pp. 368–375 (November 2016) Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Grasse, Nathan, Trenton Davis, and Douglas Ihrke. “Understanding the Compensation of Nonprofit Executive Directors: Examining the Influence of Performance and Organizational Characteristics.” Nonprofit management & leadership 24(3): pp. 377–398 (March 2014) San Francisco: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company.
• Grasse, Nathan J, Brianne Heidbreder, and Douglas M Ihrke. “City Managers’ Leadership Credibility: Explaining The Variations Of Self-Other Assessments.” Public administration quarterly 38(4): pp. 544–572 (December 2014) Randallstown: Southern Public Administration Education Foundation Inc. ISSN: 0734-9149
• Heidbreder, Brianne et al. “Determinants of Policy Conflict in Michigan Municipalities.” State & local government review 43(1): pp.32-45 (April 2011) Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
• Nathan Grasse, And Brianne Heidbreder. “The Influence of Lobbying Activity in State Legislatures: Evidence from Wisconsin.” Legislative studies quarterly 36(4): pp. 567–589 (November 2011) Comparative Legislative Research Center of the University of Iowa. ISSN: 0362-9805

• “Executive Director Compensation.” Nathan J. Grasse and Leonor Camarena. In Wang, W., and Kearns, K. (eds.), The Encyclopedia of Nonprofit Management, Leadership and Governance (2023). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• “Capital Structure and Financial Health.” Marcus Lam, Elizabeth Searing, Christopher Prentice, and Nathan J. Grasse. “In the Financing Non-Profit Organizations 2020). Inigo Garcia-Rodriguez and M. Elena Romero-Merino (Eds). Routledge Press, an imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group.
• “The Essential Nature of Internal Controls.” Nathan J. Grasse and Daniel Neely. In The Routledge Companion to Nonprofit Management (2020). Helmut Anheier and Stephan Toepler (Eds.). Routledge Press, an imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group.
• “Applying Biological Theory to the Cooperative Behavior of Nonprofit Organizations.” Nathan J. Grasse and Kevin D. Ward. In Advancing Collaboration Theory: Models, Typologies, and Evidence (2016). J. Morris and K. Miller-Stevens (Eds.). Routledge Press, an imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group.
• “Exploring the Mediating Effects of Institutions on Polarization and Political Conflict: Evidence from Michigan Cities.” Nathan Grasse, Thomas Greitens, Lawrence Sych, and David Jesuit. In Public Policy, Governance and Polarization: Making Governance Work (2017). David K. Jesuit and Russell Alan Williams (Eds.). Routledge Press, an imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group.
• “Revenue Diversification in Canadian Charities: The Conditional Benefits of Diversification.” In Intersections and Innovations: Change for Canada’s Voluntary and Nonprofit Sector (2021). Susan Phillips and Bob Wyatt (Eds.). Muttart Foundation.

• FPA Researchers Win COVID-19 Research Grants (Jun 2020)
• SPPA Students Launch Academic Journal in Digital Format (Aug 2020)
• Researchers Question Role Of Government & Civil Society (Jul 2018)
• FPA Faculty Win $280,000 for New Research (Nov 2016)