While nonprofits fill the void between the government and for-profit sectors, filling that void as an extension of government, via contracts, like many of America's half-way houses, requires that nonprofit Boards monitor actively for results and the achievement of standards. The consequence of failure: such contracts may prove appealing for the for-profit sector and the mission-centered goals may fall by the wayside.
This is the lesson I pull from the New York Times editorial yesterday noting that half-way houses are not meeting desired goals (although the goals are not always clear) and the federal government may find that there are other ways of doing business. Again, nonprofit boards -- outcomes and quality -- ensuring these is your responsibility.