Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World
by Charles Koch with Brian Hooks
“This book… calls for all of us to move away from a top-down approach to solving the really big problems in society toward an approach that focuses on empowering people from the bottom up to act on their unique gifts and contribute to the lives of others.”
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Beyond the Blue: Artwork and Writing from the Prison Arts Collective
This book is a catalog produced in conjunction with an exhibition of artwork created in California prisons. I attended an opening of this traveling exhibition as well as a panel discussion with former participants, teaching artists, and the deputy director of the Prison Arts Collective (PAC). This book is atypical of those normally featured on this site, but I feel it deserves some attention because it presents a perspective from a corner of humanity where voices are normally out of earshot, which may offer some insights into the bigger picture of some of society’s toughest challenges.
I will start with excerpts from the book before making some of my own observations.
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The Art of Relevance
by Nina Simon
This book explains how museums and other nonprofit organizations can expand audiences and build stronger connections with targeted communities. The author is executive director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH).
“I believe relevance unlocks new ways to build deep connections with people who don’t immediately self-identify with our work. I believe relevance is the key to a locked room where meaning lives… Behind the door is a room that holds something powerful—information, emotion, experience, value… Relevance is the key to that door.”
“Instead of talking about ‘traditional’ approaches and ‘new’ ones, I find it more productive to talk about insiders and outsiders…”
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Nonprofit Meetings, Minutes & Records: How to Run Your Nonprofit Corporation So You Don’t Run Into Trouble, Second Edition
by Anthony Mancuso
This book offers some good insights for anyone who serves on the board of a nonprofit organization, especially the board secretary. If the board of directors ignores its bylaws and state nonprofit laws, the organization could lose its tax-exempt status. Director liability is another concern.
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The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization
by Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) et al
This book offers a strategic planning framework for nonprofit organizations. It can help board members set the direction by asking five questions.
What is our mission? The mission must reflect opportunities, competence, and commitment. Drucker cautions, “Never subordinate the mission in order to get money. If there are opportunities that threaten the integrity of the organization, you must say no.”
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How to Write Knockout Proposals: What you must know (and say) to win funding every time.
by Joseph Barbato
The theme of this book boils down to one line on page 117: “Make it as easy as possible for them to give you money.”
Barbato emphasizes the importance of clear writing and attention to detail. He suggests a less-is-more approach: “Instead of offering four prosaic examples of how your project matters, tell one powerful story that drives home the potential of your work.” A template is included in chapter 24, guiding the reader on how to structure a grant proposal.
The book is concise and well organized in 53 two-page chapters. I like this format, but I think more could have been written about cover letters.
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The Key Point 