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.

Table of Contents

Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgments. The Authors. Introduction. 1. Forces for Good. 2. Advocate and Serve. 3. Make Markets Work. 4. Inspire Evangelists. 5. Nurture Nonprofit Networks. 6. Master the Art of Adaptation. 7. Share Leadership. 8. Sustaining Impact. 9. Putting It into Practice. Appendix A: Research Methodology. Appendix B: Field Experts. Appendix C: Case Study Research Guidelines and Questions. Appendix D: Key Stakeholders Interview List. Appendix E: Organization Profiles. Endnotes. Additional Resources. Index.

About the Author

Leslie R. Crutchfield is a managing director of Ashoka: Innovators of the Public, a philanthropic adviser, and a research grantee of The Aspen Institute's Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program. She serves on the board of the SEED Foundation and resides in the Washington, D.C., area. Heather McLeod Grant is an adviser to the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and to leading nonprofits. She is a former McKinsey & Company consultant, serves on the Advisory Board of Stanford Social Innovation Review, and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reviews

"Author with Valley roots help nonprofits partner with others in communities to share their missions." (Fresno Bee) "...the books strength is how well it translates business practices and philosophies." (Library Journal, Dec 15, 2007) "...could not come more heavily garlanded with praise...there is much here to inspire and inform." (Social Enterprise, February 2009)