Nonprofits often struggle financially, overwhelmed by the need to muster a complex combination of income streams that range from grants and government funding to gifts-in-kind and volunteer labor. Financing Nonprofits draws upon a growing body of scholarship in economics and organizational theory to offer a conceptual framework for understanding this diverse mix of financing sources. By applying theory, readers can understand when a nonprofit organization should pursue particular sources of income and how it should manage its portfolio of income from different sources. Organized under the auspices of the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise, Financing Nonprofits argues that those who would manage nonprofit organizations must first develop a conceptual framework through which they can understand the complicated and fast-paced landscape surrounding nonprofit decision-making. It offers a piece by piece analysis of the many potential components of nonprofit operating income, including a detailed study on how to accumulate the capital needed for major infrastructure projects or endowments and an examination of how to maintain a healthy investment profile once sufficient capital exists. By melding theory with practice, Young and the other contributors to Financing Nonprofits have created a volume that will serve as a practical guide to financing strategies for executive directors, CFOs, and board members of nonprofit organizations in a wide variety of fields; as a text for graduate students in nonprofit finance; and as a source of ideas for researchers to continue to probe and illuminate the many subtle issues associated with finding the right mix of resources to support the essential work of nonprofit organizations in our society.

Nonprofit organizations need smart, informed managers. This comprehensive introductory textbook aims to expose students to the range of responsibilities expected from modern nonprofit organizations and their boards, executive management, frontline staff, and community volunteers. Section 1 focuses on the characteristics of a nonprofit organization, with an explanation of the specific attributes of both charitable and member-serving nonprofits. It considers the historical development of the nonprofit sector as a whole and of the human services subsector in particular, culminating with a review of the political and economic climate in which nonprofits operate. Section 2 considers theories of leadership. The multiple roles of the nonprofit professional leader are delineated, to recognize that the same person may serve as manager and administrator, motivated by different priorities when functioning in each capacity. Ethical issues are also considered, along with the theoretical and practical aspects of decision-making, and the relationship between organizational culture and organizational change. Sections 3 and 4 address the specific skills of the nonprofit leader involved in securing material resources and managing human resources, respectively. The book concludes with a focus on the role of volunteers and the need for organizations to provide them good experiences if they want volunteers to keep coming back. Featuring an extended case study, this book is a useful guide for students and professionals new to the workplace on topics such as successfully managing change, strengthening programs, nurturing a dynamic board of directors, diversifying revenues, and building a strong, committed staff and volunteer corps.

Nonprofits often struggle financially, overwhelmed by the need to muster a complex combination of income streams that range from grants and government funding to gifts-in-kind and volunteer labor. Financing Nonprofits draws upon a growing body of scholarship in economics and organizational theory to offer a conceptual framework for understanding this diverse mix of financing sources. By applying theory, readers can understand when a nonprofit organization should pursue particular sources of income and how it should manage its portfolio of income from different sources. Organized under the auspices of the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise, Financing Nonprofits argues that those who would manage nonprofit organizations must first develop a conceptual framework through which they can understand the complicated and fast-paced landscape surrounding nonprofit decision-making. It offers a piece by piece analysis of the many potential components of nonprofit operating income, including a detailed study on how to accumulate the capital needed for major infrastructure projects or endowments and an examination of how to maintain a healthy investment profile once sufficient capital exists. By melding theory with practice, Young and the other contributors to Financing Nonprofits have created a volume that will serve as a practical guide to financing strategies for executive directors, CFOs, and board members of nonprofit organizations in a wide variety of fields; as a text for graduate students in nonprofit finance; and as a source of ideas for researchers to continue to probe and illuminate the many subtle issues associated with finding the right mix of resources to support the essential work of nonprofit organizations in our society.