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Focus on Sustainability: A Nonprofit's Journey
Focus on Sustainability A Nonprofit's Journey Author:Dennis G. McMillian Whether you are a seasoned nonprofit leader or you're just getting started, this book provides helpful insights into what makes a sustainable organization. — The author uses a model to describe a holistic approach to sustainability. Each chapter explores a factor in the model and clearly articulates how nonprofits can use that factor as a lens to... more » make strategic decisions. The central factor is focus - or a clear understanding of why the organization exists.
Moving from that central factor, the book maintains that organizations practicing sustainably will recruit the right people for board and staff positions, engage in new relationships with other organizations, raise more money from individuals, and become more entrepreneurial in order to increase earned revenue. After successfully applying these factors, or lenses, in decision making, organizations can begin to understand the dynamics of sustainability and how to apply them every day as they carry out their mission.
This book contains many tips and tools that readers can use right away. Chapter 1 begins with an overview of the model and briefly describes the importance of impact and ways of using logic models to help evaluate an organization. Chapters 2 through 5 each provide insight into one of the four specific factors of sustainability. In these chapters, The author shares stories on how organizations used one of these factors, either intentionally or coincidentally, to become stronger. A series of appendices provide useful tools and supplemental information to help organizations begin a sustainability journey.
Focus on Sustainability is designed to be a guide, an inspiration, and a chance to shake up long-held nonprofit management theories. It encourages readers to return to it often and use it in different contexts, such as board and staff meetings and perhaps as the subject of a retreat. It is intended to be a useful aide for the dedicated board members and staff who serve the sector every day.« less