Research on the Transformation Path of Social Organizations under the Two-Way Empowerment Mechanism: A Practical Analysis Based on the K Social Work Center

Abstract

Against the backdrop of local fiscal austerity, social organizations that are overly reliant on government procurement of services are facing a systemic survival crisis. Data shows that as of the end of 2023, the total number of social organizations in China had dropped to 881,600, a decrease of 9,700 from the previous year, representing a growth rate of -1.09%. This change not only exposes the industry's deep dependence on policy resources but also reflects the state's underlying intention to drive social organizations from quantitative expansion towards qualitative improvement. Through a case study of the K Social Work Center, this research finds that the key for social organizations to break free from resource constraints lies in leveraging the dual forces of government institutional guidance and market value orientation to build a sustainable ecosystem characterized by "compliance as a foundation, professional breakthrough, value feedback, and efficiency enhancement." Specifically, by implementing a "dual-end optimization" strategy—on one hand, adhering to the government end to solidify regulatory baseline, and on the other hand, expanding the market end to activate self-sustaining capabilities—the organization has successfully driven a triple transformation in governance modernization, service productization, and diversified self-financing capacity. This pathway ultimately facilitates a role shift from a passive policy-dependent entity to an active value co-creator in social governance.