Summer is a great time for getting serious about your book list. While the books below don’t exactly qualify as “beach reading,” they all have provided great insight and inspiration to me. Enjoy!
Give Smart, Philanthropy That Gets Results by Thomas J. Tierney and Joel L. Fleishman – from the founder of the Bridgespan Group and a Duke professor, this book brings together research and practice to inform best practices in philanthropy.
Giving 2.0, Transform Your Giving And Our World by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen – individual giving makes up the largest percentage of donated money ($258 billion in 2014) and this book can help guide the individual philanthropist to giving that makes a real impact.
Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins – an accompaniment to his classic business management book, this publication features interviews with over 100 social sector leaders.
Managing the Nonprofit Organization, Principles and Practices by Peter F. Drucker – another business classic, I like this book for its excellent discussion on defining your mission.
Leap of Reason, Managing To Outcomes In An Era Of Scarcity by Mario Morino – Venture Philanthropy Partners published this book with a McKinsey partner and it covers practical information and strategies on working with boards and staff to achieve real outcomes.
Made to Stick, Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Dies by Chip Heath & Dan Heath – Managing a non-profit organization is all about communicating ideas. This book uses examples from throughout history to narrow down the essential elements of why some ideas “stick” and others are forgotten.
Tribal Leadership, Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization by Dave Logan, John King & Halee Fischer-Wright – Any non-profit looking to maximize productivity and growth knows that it starts with the management of its people. This book shows powerful examples of leading groups of people to greatness.
Grow, How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies by Jim Stengel – Although this book focuses on big brands in the for-profit world, many lessons transcend industry. After all, the main takeaway is about how brands connect with customers on a human level, something at which non-profits can excel.
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