ABSTRACT
The concept of organisational social responsibility (OSR) in non-profit organisations (NPOs) presents a challenge for both the literature and for organisations themselves. The issue is not only conceptual, but is also semantic since OSR can be used to refer to social responsibility as well as sustainability. This chapter responds to the call for clarification of the specific nature of the concepts adopted (OSR, social responsibility, and sustainability) in the NPO context. The chapter analyses various definitions of the concepts in a bid to distinguish between them. This analysis allows us to characterise them according to the focus (mission-oriented or not) and the time horizon. In sum, OSR is short term and unspecified, social responsibility is mission-oriented and somewhat long term, while sustainability covers all four dimensions. The concepts are also linked to those of performance and resilience. The implications for theory and practitioners are then discussed.
