Background: Nonprofits organizations deliver a variety of crucial goods and services to communities. Given this, it is important to consider if these organizations are located where they are most needed. Previous research on this topic has primarily considered location as a function of the needs and resources in an area. More recently, there has been interest in agglomeration as an additional factor influencing location. This thesis contributes to the literature on this topic by examining the relationship between these factors and nonprofit location. Methods: This thesis analyzed National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) and the American Community Survey data from 2013 and 2018 to evaluate nonprofit service providers' location in Genesee County, Michigan as a function of needs, resources, and agglomeration. Service provider location was measured at the census tract level using kernel density estimation. Results: First, an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model was estimated. A Moran's I test of the residuals indicated significant spatial autocorrelation. A Spatial Durbin model was then estimated, and the percent of renters in a census tract emerged as the only significant predictor of nonprofit location. Discussion: Study findings show that most nonprofits included in the dataset are clustered in Flint, an area with high levels of need. However, the towns and cities surrounding Flint showed comparable levels of need, but far fewer nonprofits. This study also reaffirms the need to for researchers to be sensitive to the spatial nature of this type of data.
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