5 Nonprofit Books Every Nonprofit Founder Should Read
5 Nonprofit Books Every Nonprofit Founder Should Read
Creating your own nonprofit is a highly difficult task, but one that's totally worth doing. As the founder, you want to get off on the right foot, so you can start making a difference as soon as possible. Some of the best resources are books and online articles offering high value content for your good cause. Here's some of the best books you'll want to read so you can learn from the best out there.
You may already have seen Simon Sinek's TED talk, which is the third most popular one of all time. He has an unusual approach to setting up organisations, by focusing on why they're being set up, rather than the how or what. That's because he believes it's the why that drives success. When you know why you're doing something, you can set more realistic goals, retain the best talent, and make the most difference. As someone who's looking to create their own nonprofit, knowing why you're doing it is essential to getting it right. As such, this book is a must read.
Authors Crutchfield and McLeod Grant are both involved in the nonprofit sector, and they dedicated themselves to examining 12 of the best nonprofits for this book. That includes Habitat For Humanity, Teach For America, and the Environmental Defence Fund. With this research, they managed to identify six key practices that you should be using in your own non profit.
“The lessons in this book are key for you to learn more about your own nonprofit” says Anna Timpson, a writer at Revieweal and Oxessays. “You can take the learning that these organisations have done, and apply them to your own work". You'll want to get the updated version of the book from 2012, as this was updated to show how these lessons could be applied to new and smaller startups.
Adam Braun is a philanthropist, and has traveled the world looking to help children in need. The title of this book comes from the time he asked children on his travels what they wanted the most. A boy begging on the streets of India told him that he wanted a pencil. Braun gave him his own pencil, and that led him to start up Pencils Of Promise, which helps to build schools around the world.
The book shows that you don't need much at all to get started. He started out his own organisation with just $25, and in each chapter he lays out a clear step towards creating your nonprofit. With clearly defined steps, it's an easy read and gives you a great idea of how to start.
This book isn't focused on non profits as such, but it's still a must read for anyone starting their own. Author Malcolm Gladwell, a staff writer for The New York Times, was inspired to write this book after he saw crime rates drop sharply in New York City. He wanted to see why some products, businesses and more 'tip', or become hugely successful, while others never manage to break out.
“The book is a very easy read, and you'll learn a lot from it” says Dan Carmichael, an editor at Custom Writing and UKWritings. “He uses psychology to understand how you can reach your own tipping point and find your own success.”
This is another book that isn't about nonprofits as such, but it will still have a lot to teach you as you read it. After all, startups are very much like nonprofits in a lot of ways. There are lots of principles in this book that you can apply to your own work.
By using this book, you'll be able to get started and start scaling up in the same way that startups do, ensuring that you can find the same success.
With these five books, you'll be able to learn a lot about creating your own nonprofit. Learn from the best, and bring those lessons into your own work. You'll see so much more success when you do so.
Other Resources
If you get a chance you might want to read over some of our online articles offering a wealth of knowledge for nonprofits on how to best raise money during fundraising events. We recommend starting with "Selecting the Best Nonprofit Fundraising Platform for Your Budget"
Sign up for a free demo to see if PayBee has the features you require in a nonprofit fundraising platform. You'll be able to participate in a faux live auction, allowing you to experience what your donations and supporters will encounter. You'll also be able to ask our staff of specialists questions about our fundraising software directly, assisting you in determining whether it's a good fit for your organization.
Madeline Miller is a writer at Best essay writing services. She reviews books online for the service.
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