Publications

Several papers from The Nonprofit Quarterly and Stanford Social Innovation Review provide substantive guidance on nonprofit advocacy, behavior, evaluation, finances, fundraising, governance, management, and social entrepreneurship. These publications are available in PDF format for immediate download.

• Board with Care: Perspectives on Nonprofit Governance

  Source: Nonprofit Quarterly

  Governance is one of the most important topics a nonprofit can explore because existing governance systems seldom are built to fit each organization and situation as well as they could. Instead we often "borrow" governance structures, bylaws and all, from other organizations. This practice can cause all kinds of problems, including a misaligned capital structure, the stagnation of program offerings, and a lack of realized accountability to people who are being served. (48 pages, PDF) Preview

• Evaluation

  Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review

  As evaluation expert Judith M. Gueron describes, "If we can accurately assess programs' effectiveness, we have the potential to shift resources toward programs with the greatest impact, to defend successful activities from assault, to preserve or increase funding in the areas we care about, and ultimately, to help more people in more useful ways." Nonprofits struggle to establish the most successful measures of evaluating their work. What are the common mistakes in evaluation? What kinds of performance metrics do individual donors want to know? How does evaluation play in the greater accountability movement? These articles question the necessity of evaluation, look at how foundations can hold their grantees accountable, and suggest various reforms to improve nonprofit effectiveness. (23 pages, PDF) Preview

• Fundraising/Marketing

  Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review

  Nonprofits are constantly competing for funds and support in order to sustain operations and achieve their social missions. How do you harness the force of proven tools of social psychology to "inform people to yes"? What are the kinds of research that more nonprofits need to do before communicating with the public? How can you craft messages that are heard above the din? What are for-profit marketing techniques that nonprofits shouldn't use? This collection of articles identifies marketing tactics and strategies unique to the nonprofit sector and offers clear ideas on how to improve communication and dissemination of your organization's message. (38 pages, PDF) Preview

• Heroes, Liars, Founders and Curmudgeons: How Personal Behavior Affects Organizations

  Source: Nonprofit Quarterly

  Why do we expect all of us passionate people to act in emotionally reasonable and neutral ways? Why do we get outraged or flummoxed when our partners become driven by something that doesn't make perfect sense? And why are we often blind to the more destructive effects of our own quirks? This selection of popular articles confronts these and other questions about personal behavior—good and bad—and its effects on an organization. (45 pages, PDF) Preview

• Impacting Social Policy: Understanding Advocacy

  Source: Nonprofit Quarterly

  Although regulations, public policy and funding patterns have an enormous effect on the outcomes an organization can produce, many nonprofit managers and board members are unclear on how much advocacy they can do, what their particular advocacy agenda should be or how to organize themselves for it. This collection of articles from the Nonprofit Quarterly will walk the reader through these issues, and serves as an excellent primer for those just getting started. (41 pages, PDF) Preview

• Management

  Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review

  Management of nonprofits requires the integration of unique organizational missions with economic strategy, which is a constant challenge for every organization. How do you form strategic alliances with corporations? How do you reverse burnout among your employees? What are the challenges and benefits of allowing your employees to manage themselves? This collection of articles looks at the distinct managerial challenges nonprofits face and offers powerful insights on how to get the most from your employees, volunteers, supporters, and board. (27 pages, PDF) Preview

• Social Entrepreneurship

  Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review

  Social entrepreneurs are unique innovators who identify social problems or needs and creatively determine new solutions. Leveraging resources allows them to capitalize on market opportunities and address the issue through an organized business approach. How can social entrepreneurs scale their impact through franchising? What are the lessons learned from social entrepreneurs who partner with the government? What are some examples of successful and sustainable social ventures? How can nonprofits achieve their Goliath-sized aspirations with small and ever-shrinking budgets? This selection of articles identifies challenges that social entrepreneurs might face in this process and suggests successful models to achieve growth and sustainability. (24 pages, PDF) Preview

• Strange Accounts: Understanding Nonprofit Finance

  Source: Nonprofit Quarterly

  As author Clara Miller notes, "Not only are nonprofit rules that govern money-and therefore business dynamics-different from those in the for-profit sector, they are largely unknown, even among nonprofits and their funders. Or at the very least, they remain unacknowledged and unspoken." This compendium of articles selected from the Nonprofit Quarterly explores the strangeness of nonprofit finance and provides best-practice approaches, so that the reader may become as skillful a strategist—as a manager or board member—as they should. (49 pages, PDF) Preview

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