John Carver's Boards that Make a Difference (2006)

Welcome back!

There are some good books on boards, group process, decision making, servant leadership,  consensus building and other topics that are helpful to boards and board members. I have found only one that provides an operating system covering a comprehensive approach to board governance that allows board to reach their full potential to board and organizational accountability, a tool for defining values as explicit board level policies and linkage to real or "moral" ownership. For those interested in learning more either before or after a training session with Capacity partnership Group on board governance (Policy Governance), I recommend:




Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Books I Recommend to You as a Community Nonprofit Leader

Welcome back!

I made these book recommendations to the group on Saturday:

On board governance model as presented:

The 24-page introduction to the 10 principles that I presented: CarverGuide, Basic Principles of Policy Governance (J-B Carver Board Governance Series) (Vol 1)


The larger text book on Policy Governance: Boards That Make a Difference (J-B Carver Board Governance Series)

The Q & A book with short chapters that answer a bunch of basic questions: Nonprofit Board Answer Book: Practical Guidelines for Board Members and Chief Executives

On business and organizational theory by Jim Collins:


This is a popular book that helps successful companies become more successful: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't


A short follow up, stand alone chapter where Jim Collins addresses some specific issues for social sector organizations: Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great

I appreciate complements whenever they come: Colleen Marks told me that our session was "dope" and "out-of-the-bun." So, there you go!

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Recommended reading for board members

Welcome back!

For a quick introduction to the basics of Policy Governance(r), I suggest this 24 page booklet. It distills it all into 10 principles. It's worth a read even if you've read Boards the Make a Difference. I recommend this one for everyone who serves on a Policy Governance board.



For the next step the basic textbook for an in-depth treatment of Policy Governance is this:



Later, I'll write my own book.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Policy Governance for the Busy Executive Director

Welcome back!

Do you need a refresher on the role of the Executive Director or CEO in an organization utilizing Policy Governance(r)? I recommend these 16-page summary booklets:



Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Recommended books [UPDATED]

Welcome back!

I've been asked a couple of times recently about what books I recommend for nonprofit professionals. Here is a sampling of what I recommend.




Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

When to make a good decision: quit or stick?

Welcome back!

From Guy Kawasaki's blog: 10 Questions with Seth Goodin

What’s the worst time to quit? When the pain is the greatest. Decisions made during great pain are rarely good decisions.

--Seth Godin

Seth has a new book out called The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) about how to work through the hard times and know when to quit on things that area dead-ends. I have quit a couple of dead-ends recently. Some, there was no pain at all.

Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Participate in the 2007 Compensation & Benefits Survey for Nonprofits

Welcome back!

The Center for Nonprofit Management

invites you to participate in the
2007 COMPENSATION & BENEFITS SURVEY
of California Nonprofits!
What is the Compensation & Benefits Survey?

Available in a version for Northern California and a version for Southern California, The Survey is a comprehensive report of current salaries and benefits paid to nonprofit personnel. Hundreds of nonprofit organizations rely on the Compensation and Benefits Survey to set salaries and benefits for their employees, analyze their own jobs and wages, and evaluate industry compensation standards. The only one of its kind in California, the Survey has been published annually by the Center since 1990.

How Can My Organization Participate?

Participation is free. Please have your organization’s Executive Director or Human Resources staff fill out this simple, easy-to-use multi-page questionnaire (Excel).

· Download the 2007 Survey Questionnaire from our website at: http://www.cnmsocal.org/Services/SurveyParticipate.html

What Are the Benefits of Participating?

In return for your participation, your organization will be listed as a contributor to the 2007 Survey, and you would have had made a valuable contribution to the nonprofit sector! Participants can also purchase a copy of the 2007 Compensation & Benefits Survey at up to 70% off the regular price.

When are the Questionnaires due?
Questionnaires should be submitted by February 28, 2007.

· Northern California can be emailed to ncalsurvey@cnmsocal.org

· Southern California Surveys can be emailed to scalsurvey@cnmsocal.org.

What if I have questions?
If you have any questions about the survey or help completing The Survey, please contact us at ncalsurvey@cnmsocal.org, scalsurvey@cnmsocal.org or 213-346-3260. Visit our
Participation Page for free sample results from 2006!

We look forward to your participation in this year’s Compensation & Benefits Survey!



Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

New Information about QuickBooks

Welcome back!

A 2007 edition of QuickBooks Premier for Nonprofits is available on the Intuit website. Intuit is the manufacturer of QuickBooks. When I looked this morning, the price listed is $399. There is also a 2007 QuickBooks Pro for $199.95. Nonprofits with which I have worked have successfully used either one successfully to track the financial progress of their organizations. If you are planning to do your own payroll, I understand that the newest version may be worth the extra expense. For most of my clients, I recommend they use a payroll service to manage the withholding taxes, FICA and other payroll related functions. It is best to look to your own financial expert for the best solution for your organization.

QuickBooks Premier 2006 Edition is still available from Amazon.com for $334.99. That price is up substantially from one month ago.








Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Book Titles about Christian Community Transformation and Development

Welcome back! These titles are recomended in World Vision's internal literature about community transformation which are foundation to the Tools for Transforming Communities work that I do in Los Angeles and Pomona.



Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Book Resources for the Christian Faith Based Community

Welcome back! The conversation was about the theological foundations for churches to be involved in community transformation and development. Someone mentioned Robert Linthicum's books.



I will put up some of the other publication links soon.

UPDATE: Amy Sherman was at our discussion group in Charlottesville.




Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Some interesting books that I'd like to read

Welcome back!

I have clients who are all over this topic in a way that has immobilized them for some time.



Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Good to Great for nonprofits

Welcome back!

I had the opportunity to read Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don'tby Jim Collins with folks at MEDA a couple of years ago.

Now, on a recommendation from friend and fellow blogger Rudy, I will order and read Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great which addressess the nonprofit sector and addresses whether or not the business model is the solution for nonprofit sector organizations.



According to Collins, “…the inherent complexity [of nonprofit organizations] requires deeper, more penetrating insight and rigorous clarity than in your average business entity.”

Your ideas matter here!

Please leave a comment.

Comparing Accounting Software for Nonprofits

Welcome back!

I am often asked about entry level accounting or fiscal management software--either entry level or how to move to something more specialized to solve a special need or issue. This article, A Few Good Accounting Packages: Nonprofit consultants recommend accounting software packages, from techsoup.org, confirms what I have told many of our clients and expands the list of potential products and lists some features and benefits of the various products.

Most of the clients with whom I speak, choose QuickBooks as their entry level accounting software. If your organization needs to develop a system for fiscal management, reporting you may want to consider whether QuickBooks Premier Non-Profit Edition 2006is right for you. Click through to the link and read some of the details.






Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Meeting the Collaboration Challenge

Welcome back!



Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.

Good Book

Welcome back!

from Good Publishing



And this one about helping leaders go with their strengths.



Your ideas matter here! Please leave a comment.