ABSTRACT

Nonprofit organizations operating in civil society have become the main channel for social service provision in most neoliberal welfare economies. Social service nonprofits (SSNs) deliver essential services mainly to vulnerable and marginalized populations. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, SSNs have been at the frontline of dealing with its socioeconomic consequences. This paper focuses on the activities and responses to the crisis of SSNs in Israel. Interviews with SSN directors (N = 17) show that they dealt with growing demands for services due to the social implications of the pandemic, along with operational difficulties, such as deterioration in clients’ condition, disruption in service continuity, and reduced funding and staff. Next to these difficulties, the findings highlighted the social innovations adopted by SSNs to maintain service provision, such as implementing remote service technologies, forming collaborations, and recruiting volunteers. Implications for the social services and policies are presented and discussed.

摘要

在公民社会中运作的非营利组织已成为大多数新自由主义福利经济体提供社会服务的主要渠道。社会服务非营利组织 (SSN) 主要向弱势和边缘化人群提供基本服务。自 COVID-19 爆发以来，SSN 一直处于应对其社会经济后果的第一线。本文重点介绍以色列 SSN 危机的活动和应对措施。SSN董事访谈（N= 17) 表明他们处理了由于大流行的社会影响而不断增长的服务需求，以及运营困难，例如客户状况恶化、服务连续性中断以及资金和人员减少。除了这些困难之外，调查结果还强调了 SSN 为维持服务提供而采取的社会创新，例如实施远程服务技术、形成合作和招募志愿者。对社会服务和政策的影响进行了介绍和讨论。