1 NONPROFIT ACCOUNTABILITY: TO WHOM AND FOR WHAT? AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE ALICIA SCHATTEMAN Northern Illinois University, USA Nonprofit organizations perform some of the most important functions in society that support and strengthen communities. They have broad missions and touch nearly every aspect of our lives. Donors, funders, and the general public have escalated their demand for information regarding nonproit performance, and thus demand for nonprofit accountability has also increased. While the academic study of nonproit organizations is a relatively recent phenomenon, the explosive growth in the number and variety of nonproits around the world, the expansion of nonprofit regulation, and the increased financial pressures necessitate our understanding this complicated accountability environment. The term accountability does not have a universally accepted deinition; these four articles examine this concept from different viewpoints and in different contexts. Key words: Nonproits, Accountability This special issue of International Review of Public Administration is committed to the study of accountability in nonproit organizations. Accountability is a term used broadly but with little agreement on its deinition. Lawry deines accountability as “a willingness to endure public scrutiny, even an invitation for the public to scrutinize the behaviors of the organization’s leadership” (1995: 175). The articles in this issue, however, will draw on different deinitions and contexts, adding to our understanding of the ield. The audience for this special issue will likely be scholars of the nonprofit field who are interested in knowing how the term “accountability” is being applied in different contexts. We introduce the articles in this special issue and how they relate to the broader theme of nonprofit accountability. © International Review of Public Administration 2013, Vol. 18, No. 3