Well after the concept for the first edition of the International Encyclopedia of Civil Society emerged, civil society remains as contested and strategically located a concept as it was then, and, therefore, a very fruitful and intellectually lively field of research. Research undertaken since that first edition has extended and deepened our understanding of many topics, prompting not only a re-examination of earlier themes and theories but also the exploration of a variety of new aspects.

Moreover, civil society and the people and organizations involved in it have been affected by numerous political, economic, and social changes and events that have left their mark in new relationships, new approaches, and new actors. These developments necessitate updating entries on civil society and social capital and on philanthropy for various regions as well as on various types of organizations affected by changes in legal and regulatory frameworks.

This second edition updates the vast majority of first-edition entries, extends coverage of topics such as volunteering and hybrid organizational forms, and introduces new approaches and concepts.

Additionally, research undertaken and published since the first edition has extended and deepened our understanding of many topics, from more general concerns such as definitions and theories of civil society to more specific issues such as those relating to organizational management.

Regina A. List is an independent writer, editor, publication consultant, and project manager. At the Hertie School (Berlin, Germany) she was Managing Editor of the Governance Report project and coordinator and researcher for other governance- and culture-related projects, including the Indicator Framework on Culture and Democracy. She has researched, written, and edited numerous publications on governance, democracy, and civil society. She was previously Managing Editor of the Journal of Civil Society and, at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, USA), she coordinated the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project.

Stefan Toepler is Professor and Director of the Public Policy and Administration Faculty in the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University in Virginia (USA), where he teaches nonprofit management, law, and governance as well as international NGO policy and management in the MPA program. His recent research has focused on civil society in authoritarian contexts, government–foundation relations, and the relationship between the sectors in general.

Helmut K. Anheier is Professor of Sociology at the Hertie School (Berlin, Germany) and a faculty member at UCLA´s Luskin School of Public Affairs. He served as President of the Hertie School from 2009 to 2018. His research centers on culture, nonprofit organizations, and governance. He was the founding editor the journals Global Perspectives, Journal of Civil Society, and Voluntas. At Heidelberg University, he held a Chair of Sociology and served as Academic Director of the Centre for Social Investment. He was Professor of Public Policy and Social Welfare at UCLA, Centennial Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Policy Studies, and Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University. Before embarking on an academic career, he served as Social Affairs Officer at the United Nations.