In this edited volume, twenty-two top practitioners and academics from Yale, Duke, Case Western, and NYU come together to share their best advice for nonprofits. The focus is on the business end of things: the practical steps that have helped those before you to succeed.
As a collection of writings sponsored by the Yale School of Management and The Goldman Sachs Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures, the book is divided into three parts that allow readers to focus on specialized business advice that applies to their stage of growth. A particularly helpful section is Part Two: Finding and Attracting Capital. Chapters include "Securing Financial Capital," "Pitching Your Venture," and "Growing Your Business with a High Engagement Funder."
The chapters intertwine references with the text instead of lumping them into the typical resources section. When you are reading about program-related investments (PRIs), for example, you learn what they are: a type of investment, most often low-interest loans that apply to the nonprofit sector. One rule is that no part of PRI funds can be used to lobby the government. There are also resources for finding out more. The Foundation Center publishes a review of PRIs every two years. A no-nonsense but pleasantly readable tone adds to the book's strength in getting usable points across without overwhelming the reader.
The raw material for this book originated from the The Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony. For more information, see also sample business plans on the book's companion Web site.