Review by Choice Review
This updated edition of Forces for Good (1st ed., CH, Sep'08, 46-0394) presents a paradigm-shifting challenge to nonprofits to become, well, a force for good in the larger society, rather than resting on their particular, narrow mission. The visual pun of the book cover, designed in the Man of Steel colors, signals what lies inside: a hopeful, practical, albeit daunting template to conquer the villain of societal apathy and business as usual. The authors' clarion call for organizations to "catalyze social change" by inspiring action in others comes with a how-to of sorts in the form of six high-impact practices that form the bulk of the book: advocate and serve; make markets work; inspire evangelists; nurture nonprofit networks; master the art of adaptation; and share leadership. Although not all the organizations the authors hold up as paragon nonprofits do every one of these, most perform a majority these actions successfully. Not only are the nonprofits involved in their mission, but they expand their reach by influencing policy. The comprehensive appendixes and endnotes can serve as a field manual for practitioners wanting to build a network of resources and expertise. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate, faculty, and professional collections. G. E. Leaf independent scholar
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Crutchfield and Grant, longtime participants in the nonprofit sector, analyze the most successful nonprofits of our era to answer the question, What makes great nonprofits great? Through extensive surveys and interviews, the authors develop six practices common to high-impact nonprofits: offering advocacy efforts and service, harnessing market forces and leveraging the power and resources of business, engaging individuals from outside the organization, working with and through other organizations, learning to adapt, and sharing leadership by empowering others. We learn that nonprofits become increasingly influential as they adopt more and more of the authors' practices, and the book offers step-by-step guidance for improving impact. In addition to perfecting the internal capacity to deliver programs, a nonprofit must focus upon efforts external to its operation. The authors conclude, To win at the social change game, it's not about being the biggest or the fastest or even the best-managed nonprofit. The most powerful, influential and strategic organizations leverage and transform others to become forces for good. --Whaley, Mary Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Crutchfield and Grant, cofounders of Who Cares?, a national quarterly journal devoted to community service and social activism, have put together a workable list of the six best practices for nonprofits based on a thorough study of 12 high-impact organizations, from Habitat for Humanity to the National Council of La Raza. The practices they advocate are fairly straightforward (e.g., "inspire evangelists"), if a little short on specific implementations, but the book's real strength is how well it translates business practices and philosophies to the nonprofit sector, in particular by shifting the focus from competition to collaboration. The work suffers a little from a surfeit of jargon, but it's a decent read with sound ideas. Every organization can take something from it, but if your nonprofit isn't on the road to national attention, don't expect to pick up more than a couple of ideas. Recommended for larger business and leadership collections.-Brian Walton, Tampa-Hillsborough P.L., FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
