The Non-Profit Sector,Government and Business: Partners in the dance of change - an Irish perspective

The relationship between the Irish non-profit sector and the two other key sectoral actors in Irish society - government and business - forms the focus of this paper. It commences with an overview of the Irish non-profit sector, providing insights into its long rich history and current status. Next, the relationship between non-profits and the public sector is considered, charting the changes which have occured over time. Moving to the corporate sector, the concept of corporate social responsibility is explored briefly and information is provided on the extent of business support for Irish nonprofits. The discussion then broadens to examine the patterns of interaction between these three sectors and explores how their relationship can be enhanced in the future.