Strategic orientation of non-profit organizations toward proposing value to beneficiaries

Purpose – The objective of this study was to understand the ways in which non-profit organizations strategically
orient themselves to add value to their beneficiaries.
Design/methodology/approach – Based on the literature on strategic orientation focused on value propositions
for customers, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted through interviews with 20 managers and service
beneficiaries from non-profit organizations.

Findings – The results show that perceived value, social benefits, and stakeholder relationships are the ways in
which non-profit organizations deliver value to their beneficiaries. Although without prior planning, the use of
value-based strategic orientations can be observed in non-profit organizations. It can be concluded that the gains
that non-profit organizations obtain by adopting a value-oriented strategic approach are reputation, image,
donations for social work, and volunteering. This makes non-profit organizations more professional and
differentiated in their areas of operation, resulting in an increase in their social performance.

Originality/value – This study provides an understanding of the strategic orientation of non-profit
organizations in relation to offering value to their beneficiaries. Despite the importance of strategic
orientation for value proposition, it is still a concept that is underexplored in the literature.

Keywords Strategic orientation, Value proposition, Value co-creation, Non-profit organizations
Paper type Research article