Sustainable performance in nonprofit organizations: A TCCM-based systematic literature review and research Agenda

This study systematically synthesizes research on sustainable performance in nonprofit organizations (SPNPOs) and develops an agenda for future inquiry. Following PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed and analyzed 24 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science Core Collection using the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology (TCCM) framework. The literature is theoretically diverse but weakly integrated, drawing on resource-based, capability, governance, stakeholder, institutional, systems, and critical perspectives. Evidence is geographically concentrated and relies predominantly on cross-sectional designs. Resource configurations, adaptive capabilities, governance mechanisms, stakeholder relationships, and institutional conditions shape sustainable performance. A persistent mission-market tension further complicates long-term sustainability. Sustainable nonprofit performance requires an integrated understanding of internal capabilities and external embeddedness. Future research should specify nonprofit-specific boundary conditions and examine how contextual pressures influence strategic decisions and performance over time. Nonprofit leaders should combine resource diversification, adaptive capabilities, effective governance, and stakeholder engagement while safeguarding mission integrity. This study provides a structured TCCM-based synthesis of a fragmented field and identifies theoretical, contextual, and methodological gaps that support a more dynamic and context-sensitive research agenda for nonprofit sustainability. It also offers a clearer foundation for theory development and comparative, longitudinal empirical research across diverse nonprofit contexts.