Monday, January 23, 2012

Described as a national treasure, an inspiration and a shining light, Frances Hesselbein and her life story continue to be one of the most remarkable sagas that have been rooted in the nonprofit sector. How did a woman with no college degree rise from a troop leader to become the CEO of the Girl Scouts, win the Presidential Medal of Freedom and be named by Fortune Magazine as the “Best Nonprofit Manager in America”?  I guess you will just have to read the book…

Thursday, January 05, 2012

With our political and economic institutions seemingly overburdened and incapable of true progress, along comes a book like this offering insight and hope through emphasis on civic entrepreneurship. One could call this splendid volume the updating and contemporary operationalization of the American Dream--one with a framework of innovation for actionable, responsible, creative social change.

Monday, January 02, 2012

When I first began reading this book, it appeared to be a simple collection of good works and success stories pulled from the files of CARE. However, Mary Cantando has actually provided a significant look at the ways that small steps can lead to huge changes in communities across the globe. The focus of the text is on women, which is no accident, as CARE is an organization that works with women around the world to inspire individuals, create opportunities and empower communities. From nomadic tribes in Mali to women’s professional business organizations in North America, there is significant diversity among the women whose stories Cantando has included and the various methods they have employed to make substantial positive changes in the lives and communities in which they work and live.

Friday, December 09, 2011

Whether you represent a foundation looking to make good decisions about your grantmaking, or you represent a nonprofit seeking to win grants, the stories in this book will give you some amazing insights into the process. These cases help you see how looking at the reasons behind problems, and funding collaborative solutions to those can really make a huge difference in people’s lives. As noted in the foreword, “Social justice philanthropy helps people gain the ability to change their own lives” (p.xiv). We’ve all been invited to learn how to empower communities to create change.

Monday, December 05, 2011

The Green Museum, authored by veteran CharityChannel colleague Sarah Brophy and her writing partner Elizabeth Wylie, is about the greening of museums. As the authors admit at the outset, “we are unabashed museum people.” Yet, this primer could easily inform the greening of just about any kind of organization or institution that is housed on planet earth, because even the smallest, just-getting-started nonprofit, much less the established, successful larger institution, is impacting the planet.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

What a fantastic idea for a series! As the author points out in the Introduction to “The Skinny On” Series at the beginning of this book, the “goal is to do the reading for you, identify what is important, distill the key points, and present them in a book that is both instructive and entertaining.”

Friday, October 07, 2011

The book addresses many issues such as creation of an exciting vision, building broad based board support, financial risk assessments, and negotiation of terms and transitions. It also identifies some of the typical obstacles faced by organizations going through a merger or acquisition process, such as....