Over the past decade, the third sector has had tremendous growth worldwide in both size and importance. As many countries struggle to address this changing reality, many have adopted policy initiatives aimed at changing the ways the third sector is addressed. It is a complex process, involving different fields of practice, different levels of government, and different types of third sector organizations.

The contributions to this timely volume detail the process as carried out in eight diverse countries:

• US
• UK,
• Canada,
• Hungary,
• Germany,
• Ireland,
• Israel,
• Japan,

all of whom have recently enacted policy initiatives towards the third sector. The studies are comprehensive: from reviewing the current policy, enacting new laws, supervisory mechanisms, and modes of funding.

Featuring a postscript from Helmut Anheier (UCLA School of Public Policy, Los Angeles, CA, USA and Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany), the thorough analysis in this volume will provide a new understanding of the policy initiatives in the eight countries studied, as well as guiding principles for other countries that may implement such initiatives in the future. The resulting work will give researchers in sociology, social work, third sector research, and international economics a new framework for understanding the Third Sector: its role in society, and its relationships with government, the market, and the citizens of the country.