ABSTRACT
The past decade or so has witnessed a spectacular growth in the numbers and scope of ‘third sector organizations’ around the world – organizations which are active in a vast spectrum of activities from welfare services to leisure pursuits, from political pressure groups to arts and hobby groups (Salamon and Anheier 1999). Salamon (1994) writes of a ‘global associational revolution’ in which third sector organizations, so called because they form an important arena of social, cultural, economic and political activity alongside the state and the market, have come to play increased roles in public policy. Whether providing services, promoting particular values, forming the basis for community self-help initiatives or campaigning on public issues, different types of third sector organizations now have an increasingly high profile.
