Researchers: Michal Soffer¹, Michal Almog-Bar²

Background: The role of health-related third sector organizations has continuously grown over the past two decades. Nevertheless, in spite of their significance and their growing role as central players in the field of health, they remain widely understudied.

Objectives: 1. To map the activities of on health-related third sector organizations;
2. To examine the relationships between health-related third sector organizations and government;
3. To deconstruct the various processes that shape the aforementioned relationships.

Method: A telephone survey of 326 (out of a population of 422) health-related third sector organizations was conducted.
Data were collected by closed-ended questionnaires with senior staff members of the organizations.
A qualitative sample was drawn from the quantitative sample and comprised of 23 senior staff members.
Data were collected via semi-structured interviews.

Findings: Health-related third sector organizations vary greatly in terms of their structural and activity characteristics (e.g. overall budget, number of employees, number of volunteers, population served in terms of age, sector, type of medical condition). Involvement in policy advocacy activities are more likely to result in conflict relationships; greater government funding is more likely to attest to support and cooporation; higher involvement of volunteers in management and operations are less likely to predict contracting out relationship. The qualitative data similarly show the ambiguous and unstable working environment of health-related third sector organizations in Israel.

Conclusions: While health-related third sector organizations are highly involved in the health arena, providing numerous and various services to a wide range of local and national populations, the government maintains them at arm's length.

Recommendations: Forming a comprehensive and clear policy concerning health-related third sector organizations. Specifically, systematic and ongoing mechanisms for collaboration as well as for effective supervision should be formed.

Research end date: 12/2017