Maintaining Governance in Times of Crisis: Nonprofits in the Face of the Pandemic[Maintenir sa gouvernance en temps de crise : les associations face à la pandémie]

In the face of the Covid-19 crisis, governance is often seen as a crucial bulwark to protect non-profit organisations from the most serious difficulties. However, the social distancing imposed by the sanitary measures as well as the organisational consequences of the pandemic have also affected governance mechanisms and bodies. Using the contingent approach to organisations and the filter of the concept of organisational capacities, this study exploits the results of a questionnaire sent to non-profit organisations one year after the beginning of the crisis by the main French non-profit networks. The analysis focused on the determinants of the continued good functioning of the board of directors: only the cyclical factors and access to volunteer human resources provide an understanding of non-profit governance in times of crisis. Financial resources and relations with partners do not offer a significant insight. If the principles of the contingent approach have been found, the focus must be on volunteers. The concept of non-profit governance is therefore discussed.