Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership)

What makes great nonprofits great? Not large budgets. Not snazzy marketing. Not perfect management. The answer is not what you might think. Great nonprofits spend as much time working with institutions outside their four walls as they do managing their internal operations. They use the power of leverage to become greater forces for good. This landmark book reveals the six powerful practices of twelve high-impact nonprofits and tells their compelling stories. Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant spent four years surveying thousands of nonprofit leaders, conducting hundreds of interviews, and studying in-depth a dozen high-impact organizations to uncover their secrets to success. Their quest took them from the well-known, Habitat for Humanity; to the less well-known, YouthBuild USA; and to the unexpected, the Exploratorium. What the authors discovered surprised them. How did seeing a pile of McDonald's trash lead Environmental Defense's president to join forces with business instead of treating it as the enemy? Why did a school bus driver prompt Self-Help Credit Union to move from serving low-income groups in North Carolina, to launching a national advocacy campaign against predatory lenders? And how did Teach For America turn the teachers it places in underserved public schools into a national vanguard for education reform? At a time when the social sector has grown to more than $1 trillion, understanding what leads to impact is essential. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, philanthropist, business executive, board member, volunteer, or simply interested in changing the world, this book will inspire you to be a stronger force for good. Great Nonprofits Spend As Much Time Working With Institutions Outside Their Four Walls As They Do Managing Their Internal Operations. They Use The Power Of Leverage To Become Greater Forces For Good. This Book Reveals The Six Powerful Practices Of Twelve High-impact Nonprofits And Tells Their Stories. Leslie Crutchfield And Heather Mcleod Grant Spent Four Years Surveying Thousands Of Nonprofit Leaders, Conducting Hundreds Of Interviews, And Studying In-depth A Dozen High-impact Organizations To Uncover Their Secrets To Success. Their Quest Took Them From The Well-known, Habitat For Humanity; To The Less Well-known, Youthbuild Usa; And To The Unexpected, The Exploratorium. What The Authors Discovered Surprised Them. How Did Seeing A Pile Of Mcdonald's Trash Lead Environmental Defense's President To Join Forces With Business Instead Of Treating It As The Enemy? Why Did A School Bus Driver Prompt Self-help Credit Union To Move From Serving Low-income Groups In North Carolina, To Launching A National Advocacy Campaign Against Predatory Lenders? And How Did Teach For America Turn The Teachers It Places In Underserved Public Schools Into A National Vanguard For Education Reform? At A Time When The Social Sector Has Grown To More Than $1 Trillion, Understanding What Leads To Impact Is Essential. Whether You're A Nonprofit Leader, Philanthropist, Business Executive, Board Member, Volunteer, Or Simply Interested In Changing The World, This Book Will Inspire You To Be A Stronger Force For Good.--jacket. Forces For Good -- Advocate And Serve -- Make Markets Work -- Inspire Evangelists -- Nurture Nonprofit Networks -- Master The Art Of Adaptation -- Share Leadership -- Sustaining Impact -- Putting It Into Practice. Leslie R. Crutchfield And Heather Mcleod Grant ; Foreword By Steve Case. A Project Of The Center For The Advancement Of Social Entrepreneurship At Duke University's Fuqua School Of Business. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 285-301) And Index. An innovative guide to how great nonprofits achieve extraordinary social impact. What makes great nonprofits great? Authors Crutchfield and McLeod Grant searched for the answer over several years, employing a rigorous research methodology which derived from books on for-profits like Built to Last. They studied 12 nonprofits that have achieved extraordinary levels of impact--from Habitat for Humanity to the Heritage Foundation--and distilled six counterintuitive practices that these organizations use to change the world. This book has lessons for all readers interested in creating significant social change, including nonprofit managers, donors and volunteers. Leslie R. Crutchfield (Washington, D.C.) is a managing director of Ashoka and research grantee of the Aspen Institute. Heather McLeod Grant (Palo Alto, CA) is a nonprofit consultant and advisor to Duke University's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship and the Stanford Center for Social Innovation. Crutchfield and Grant were co-founding editors of Who Cares, a national magazine reaching 50,000 readers in circulation between 1993-2000. What makes great nonprofits great? This work distills six counterintuitive practices of 12 nonprofits that have achieved extraordinary levels of impact from Habitat for Humanity to the Heritage Foundation. It has lessons for readers interested in creating significant social change, including nonprofit managers, donors and volunteers