Nonprofit Governance in a Housing Services Agency from Political and Contingency Theory Perspectives

This hypothetical case describes changes to a social housing and support agency’s mission and strategic plan in order to embrace a human rights approach. Using political and structural contingency theories and perspectives, it outlines the anticipated and unanticipated consequences of those changes, both for the organization and the way its board operates. The case is written in five parts to reflect the evolution of the situation over time, and students are encouraged to consider and discuss what is happening after each section. This case has been developed for advanced-level classes on nonprofit governance and assumes a working knowledge of the roles of nonprofit boards, the challenges facing nonprofits, and the theories underlying the study of nonprofit governance structures and processes. It is based on the author’s experiences as a board volunteer, researcher, and consultant and draws heavily on academic literature including the author’s book, A Concise Introduction to Nonprofit Governance (Bradshaw, 2025).