Thursday, April 12, 2012

American Foundations: Roles and Contributions is a comprehensive collection of essays from scholars and practitioners drawn from academia, government agencies, private non-profits, and private foundations. Its long time horizon and depth of analysis across multiple fields makes it a valuable contribution to the public sector and an important read for those interested in the historical context of foundations and the political, economic and relational forces that both sharpen and distort their work. It is not, however, an easy read. As one would expect from an academic work, it is heavily footnoted with hundreds of references. But if you are willing to invest the time, it will deepen your understanding of the roles and contributions of foundations, just as the title promises.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

What makes the book unique is the liberal use of examples. While technically not the type of workbook in which the reader writes answers to exercise questions, this volume provides examples and detailed explanations of specifics that result in a professional product. It is a useful handbook containing all of the basics.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Every week I get phone calls from frustrated executive directors and development directors asking for help educating and motivating their boards to become more effective participants in the fundraising process. Walker has wrapped up her years of experience in the field and tied it with a ribbon around a book that gives a board member all the tools – and more – needed to ramp up the board’s skills in the fundraising arena from motivation through successful execution.

Throughout the book the reader can land on islands of sidebar information titled “In the Real World,” “Tales from the Boardroom,” “Rules of the Road,” and “Tips and Techniques.”  Each chapter also contains practical exhibits (e.g. sample “Conflict of Interest Policy,” “Pros and Cons of Hiring a Fundraising Consultant”).

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Robert, who has extensive experience with foundations and campaigns, has written a book that should be valuable for the boards of foundations and other organizations with a sole mission of raising monies for a single related organization.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it for foundations that also make grants, and certainly not for any other form of charity or nonprofit. The book is therefore appropriate for well less than 5 percent of Canadian nonprofits.

The planned audience for the book is people who want to learn about governance. If you are in that category, I have to suggest you avoid reading this book, as you might not have the background to tell the good ideas from those that would be dangerous to apply.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Do you want to earn more money from the business community? Lysakowski’s new book, Raise More Money from Your Business Community: A Practical Guide to Tapping into Corporate Charitable Giving provides an opportunity for you to understand the history of corporate philanthropy, to increase it in your nonprofit, and to explore its future. Raise More Money provides the nonprofit development office with a desire to raise more money from the business community, the tools to succeed in a way that will compliment individual fundraising efforts.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

In 33 Funder-Friendly Elements No Grant Proposal Should be Without! Kim Rogers makes the case that grant-seeking and grant writing approaches should mimic or embrace direct-marketing techniques. The idea that the success of an organization’s grant writing strategy relies on more than just a well written and on time proposal is accurate and widely accepted in the grant writing field. 33 Funder-Friendly Elements No Grant Proposal Should be Without! provides some interesting ideas within the outlined elements about what some of these other influencing factors can be. 

Thursday, March 08, 2012

A must-have resource for those new and veteran to the film and video industry, which also offers terrific insights into fundraising for those of us who are outside of that industry altogether. For those who are working in the film, video, or television industry, it is a foundational text with vital resources. For the rest of us, it offers an insightful look at fundraising that might help us think outside the box a little bit and bring a fresh perspective to our fundraising enterprise.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Face Time offers the reader a summary of major gifts and the philanthropic donor world. Readers new to philanthropy and benefactors who wish to gain an overview of planned giving and philanthropy will find Face Time most useful. If you’re a seasoned practitioner, Face Time will serve as a reminder of ideas, helpful tips, and useful gems used by experts.   

Friday, February 17, 2012

In this time of economic uncertainty and heightened competition for the discretionary dollar, charitable nonprofits simply cannot afford to neglect their donors.

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…

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Michael Wells provides a very valuable overview of nonprofit finance, accounting, and budgeting. While the book is written as part of a series for grant writers, it is also very applicable to others interested in the subject.   He presents very technical subjects in a way that clearly delineates financial reporting in relationship to management reporting and the differences between the two.  He provides extensive samples of financial statements with explanations, taking into account the differences based on the size of the nonprofit.  For grant writers the book has several additional sections of added value relating funders and grant management.

Monday, January 09, 2012

This books challenges nonprofit leaders to re-examine their decision making processes and recalibrate how we think about mission impact and financial return. Jeanne, Jan, and Steve draw on their vast and well respected expertise in finance, strategy, governance and funding to offer us common language, process, analysis, and insights to help Boards and staff find objective balance in the ongoing subjective debate of impact vs. sustainability. They are not preachy or fluffy in their message. Rather, they pull together fairly complex topics in a simple way that engages nonprofit organizations in a values driven discussion that blends mission with strategic business planning.

Saturday, January 07, 2012

Nonprofit Management 101 is huge for nonprofit professionals! This compilation of topics addressing nonprofit issues, needs and trends, is an essential component of any toolkit for leaders. The content is well-organized and the replicated format of each chapter allows the reader to gain insight into multiple aspects of our nonprofit world.

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.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

As someone who grew up hearing about the importance of always having the right tool for the job, I have a keen interest in toolboxes whether they be for carpentry, craft projects or problem solving. There is no one tool that works every time, so it is prudent to have a wide array of devices, gear, tackle or utensils in your toolkit to ensure success.

If you are looking for the ultimate, top of the line, must-have comprehensive reference on outcomes, Dr. Penna's “toolbox” is brimming with models, examples, case studies, options, and exercises.

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.

Sunday, December 04, 2011

With this book, Joan Roberts continues the wise advice she gave in Alliances, Coalitions and Partnerships:  Building Collaborative Organizations, 2004. Many advisors recommend that organizations collaborate more, but admit if challenged that many collaborations fail. Joan gives practical advice for increasing not only the chance of a successful collaborative, but also the degree of positive community impact from the collaborations. Her books fill a void in the nonprofit literature.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The new Fifth Edition of Getting Funded is out and is still the best “how to” book in the grantwriting field. The book’s changes reflect the many changes in the grant funding world as grantmakers and grantees become more sophisticated, funding gets more competitive and application processes get more complex.