Book Description
The world's most exciting, fastest-growing new market? It's where you least expect it: at the bottom of the pyramid. Collectively, the world's billions of poor people have immense entrepreneurial capabilities and buying power. You can learn how to serve them and help millions of the world's poorest people escape poverty.
It is being done-profitably. Whether you're a business leader or an anti-poverty activist, business guru Prahalad shows why you can't afford to ignore "Bottom of the Pyramid" (BOP) markets.
In the book and accompanying CD videos, Prahalad presents...
Why what you know about BOP markets is wrong A world of surprises-from spending patterns to distribution and marketing
Unlocking the "poverty penalty"
The most enduring contributions your company can make Delivering dignity, empowerment, and choice-not just products
Corporations and BOP entrepreneurs Profiting together from an inclusive new capitalism
"C. K. Prahalad argues that companies must revolutionize how they dobusiness in developing countries if both sides of that economic equation areto prosper. Drawing on a wealth of case studies, his compelling new bookoffers an intriguing blueprint for how to fight poverty with profitability." Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect,Microsoft
"The Bottom of the Pyramid belongs at the top of the reading list forbusiness people, academics, and experts pursuing the elusive goal ofsustainable growth in the developing world. C. K. Prahalad writes withuncommon insight about consumer needs in poor societies andopportunities for the private sector to serve important public purposes whileenhancing its own bottom line. If you are looking for fresh thinking aboutemerging markets, your search is ended. This is the book for you." Madeleine K. Albright, Former U.S. Secretary of State
"Prahalad challenges readers to re-evaluate their pre-conceived notionsabout the commercial opportunities in serving the relatively poor nations ofthe world. The Bottom of the Pyramid highlights the way to commercialsuccess and societal improvement--but only if the developed worldreconceives the way it delivers products and services to the developingworld." Christopher Rodrigues, CEO, Visa International
"An important and insightful work showing persuasively how the privatesector can be put at the center of development, not just as a rhetoricalflourish but as a real engine of jobs and services for the poor." Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme
Customer Reviews:
Saving the World.......2007-10-02
The author loves his TLA's (3 letter acronyms)! I wish someone had told me how technical this book was; those with an MBA will get the most out of it. But I love Prahalad's outlook and creativity. Perhaps with a little advice I can take my ideas and come up with a formal business plan.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and anecdotal evidence is not proof.......2007-06-24
Last year this book became a best seller hit among the developmental community at Washington, D.C., to the point that all bookstores at Metro DC run out of it. With notorious and well publicized praising comments from Madeleine Albright, Bill Gates and the like, I bought it too, but just to discover all the frenzy was undeserved from the viewpoint of poverty eradication.
Undoubtedly Mr. Pralhad's research demonstrates there are plenty of opportunities to do good business among the poor at the BOP (bottom of the pyramid), for them to benefit from the products and services not available now, and for some of them to go out of poverty by becoming entrepreneurs (market penetration is always limited). I agree on these conclusions, as commented extensively by the previous reviewers, and without a doubt this book will become a reference in many Business Schools. But to assert that this strategy will eradicate poverty and bring development is plain sophistry. As Carl Sagan said "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".
Why sophistry? Regarding the poverty eradication claimed by Mr. Prahalad I will try to highlight some of the main flaws in his rationale and lack of sufficient evidence:
1. Despite the consideration of several cases from around the Third-World, most of the discussion and arguments to build the framework are related to India, excessively. The conditions of the poor in Latin America are quite different, and often, they have better public services available to them. On the other hand, many African countries have worst conditions. So you can not reach valid conclusions based solely on a country with such unique cultural and ethnical conditions. For doing business the cases are fine, especially for India or China because they are such huge markets at the BOP.
2. Wealth creation is hugely overestimated. Poor entrepreneurs and their immediate family will undoubtedly benefit from these new economic activities, but the framework lacks an explanation about how these oases of welcomed capitalism will trickle-down to the rest of their neighbors and poor villages. The implicit assumption is that everybody at the BOP has to become an entrepreneur for this strategy to work, because by just having access to affordable consumer products it seems very unlikely that poverty will be eradicated. The proposed framework is just good for doing business and for the poor to have access to new services and products, but where is the sustainable "fishing industry" for the rest of the poor population? The cases are very unique, islands of excellence, and with limited potential for a population the huge size of the BOT to bail out of poverty in significant numbers.
3. The analysis lacks the historical, cultural, legal and socio-economical background for a given country or region, and this consideration is fundamental for a proper analysis on sustainable development. Even when Mr. Pralhalad correctly identifies lack of education, corruption and the size of the informal sector as barriers for development and doing business, he then oversimplifies a lot on how to overcome these key issues, and again, an isolated Indian case is used as the magic formula to solve the problem through information technology. In fact, at the end of Chapter 6, within the conclusions, he recognizes that the illustrations he provides "are but islands of excellence in a sea of deprivation and helplessness". As the development community knows well, these successful stories are very hard to replicate. In Latin America we have the outstanding cases of Chile, Uruguay and Costa Rica. In Brazil, we have the cases of the Southern states of Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. All of them very developed as compared to their neighbors (in terms of income, education, health, etc.), but despite all efforts, no one has successfully reproduced these islands of excellence at a scale that makes a difference.
4. An example will help to understand how superficial the cases are from a point of view of development and poverty eradication. The Brazilian case of "Casas Bahia" lacks the consideration of the socio-economic environment of the country, especially the case omits to mention key characteristics of the financial and credit markets (for those interested in this particular case from the point of view of business, I recommend you read "Samuel Klein e Casas Bahia: Uma trajetoria de Sucesso", Novo Seculo, 2005, this is a real and really impressive business success story). Mr. Klein successfully, by trusting the poor, built an empire that today is still one of the few option many mid- and low-income families have to buy the first computer for their children going to college in Brazil. But, let's see why the market share for credit cards is only 4%, and why it is not a real threat for Casas Bahia own financial system as stated in the book, as well as why there is not much in here to help eradicat poverty in Brazil. Annual inflation today in Brazil is in the order of 3-4%, and the Brazilian currency, the "Real" have been steadily revaluating against the dollar for the last 3 years. However, interest rates in Brazil are sky-high, a legacy of the hyper-inflation times of twenty years ago. Interest rates for well-known international credit cards are 9-11% per month, which compounded translates to an annual rate close to 180%, regardless of whether you're poor or rich. Today retail chain stores of this type charge around 3% per month, embedded in the price of the consumer products, so the consumer doesn't know up-front the real price. This translates to a compounded rate of 43% per year. Often if you try to pay upfront, there is no discount. So where is the real benefit for the poor? Or are they just getting every day more indebted, and spending money on fat interests that they could have used to buy more or better food or better health services for their kids. I do not see where poverty eradication fits in this case. Obviously Brazil has a problem of lack of real competition in the capitalist sense; even the branches of American Banks doing business in Brazil charge these exorbitant rates. As a reference for the readers, you can buy a 30Gb iPod in Brazil for the "reasonable" amount of US$1,000, payable in 12 installments, and for the high price we also have to thank the federal government high taxes on almost everything. Coming back to the case, as an additional "benefit", you only can make the payments in person at stores of the retail chain, just to make sure the poor are tempted every month and come back for more when they are close to payback that debt. That's why there is a 77% of clients who make reapeat purchases as the book reports. Not surprisingly the case description mentions the criticism "that Casas Bahia simply exploits the poor and charges them exorbitant interest rates", but neglects to present a due explanation of why this is not truth, and simply disregards the cristicism.
5. Finally, Mr. Prahalad is extremely optimistic. At he end of Chapter 6 and in his own words: "I have no doubt that the elimination of poverty and deprivation is possible by 2020". This prophecy speaks by itself about the reliability of the analysis. And again, let's remember that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. All the book presents is anecdotal evidence, which is not proof as any scientist knows, and the framework presented has no predictive power, much less to assert that poverty will end by 2020.
Unquestionably an excellent business book, and a very innovative one, but just for that, business. That's why to me it only deserves 3 stars. On the other hand, not much value-added in there for doing real sustainable development across the board, as the author insinuates and some of the readers think, and certainly not much for real poverty eradication. For that outrageous addition to the book's title I took the other 2 stars. The "Erradicating poverty through profits" part of the book's title should be erased, so the book really deserves the 5 stars most reviewers gave to it (and as the previous reviewer rightly complained, the cases were really awfully edited for the paperback edition, even with repeated sentences). Definitely this book is not recommended if you are serious about new ideas for sustainable development. For a real book on that subject, read the recently publicated "The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It" by Paul Collier, though its scope refers mainly to very poor African countries, it is an example of a serious and proper approach to the problem of eradicating poverty. To understand the complexities of promoting development, you may also read "Making Globalization Work" by Joseph Stiglitz. These two books will clearly ilustrate why "The Fortune at the BOP" is not a book on development, and absolutely, no Nobel Prize is deserved.
Hardcover and tradepaperback are different!!!.......2007-04-13
Here is a note I sent to the editor after buying the tradepaperback version.
Your editorial staff has done something so dumb I am astounded! (Also really $%^& mad.) The hardcover and trade paperback versions of CK Prahalad - The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid, are NOT the same. I assigned readings from this book to my class of 100 students. They went and bought the book and found that the case studies aren't there. On closer investigation I see that you shortened the case studies and renamed the chapters. Unfortunately the editing on the shortening is terrible and I simply can't ask my students to read such badly written material.
You did several things wrong
1) You sell two books with identical titles and covers, which have different content
2) You edited very very badly
3) You did this on an award winning book with high visibility
As far as I can tell there is no way for anyone to figure out that the content is different except in the very rare case that they own both versions.
This is a black mark on the Wharton name. What were you thinking?
-james
at last a pragmatic approach to develpment.......2007-01-09
Prahalad'book "the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid" demonstrates the importance to get the people we are "supposed" to help to get involved. The bottom up approach is in line with William Shaffeerly and David Bornstein books where the people are key to any lasting development. The top down approach a la Jeffrey Sacks are fine for the politicians but did not bring much results after all these years. It is time for a change in approach and the Nobel Price to Dr. M.Yunus is very encouraging.
Magical .......2006-08-29
FBP is an intriguing concept and the model can be scaled up or down in size in all parts of the world. The book serves as a wake up call to businessmen across the world.
Book Description
Your total guide to putting a powerful management tool to work in your organization
Why strategic planning? Because a well wrought strategic plan helps you set priorities and acquire and allocate the resources needed to achieve your goals. It provides a framework for analyzing and quickly adapting to future challenges. And it helps all board and staff members focus more clearly on your organization's priorities, while building commitment and promoting cooperation and innovation.
But to be effective, your plan will need to address the special needs of the nonprofit sector. And for more than a decade, Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations has been the number-one source of guidance on all facets of strategic planning for managers at nonprofits of every size and budget.
This thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded edition arms you with the expert knowledge and tools you need to develop and implement surefire strategic plans, including tested-in-the-trenches worksheets, checklists, and tables—in print and on the companion CD-ROM—along with a book-length case study that lets you observe strategic planning in action. Packed with real-world insights and practical pointers, it shows you how to:
- Develop a clear mission, vision, and set of values
- Conduct SWOT analyses and program evaluations
- Assess client needs and determine stakeholder concerns
- Set priorities and develop core strategies, goals, and objectives
- Balance the dual bottom lines of mission and money
- Write and implement a solid strategic plan
- Develop a user-friendly annual work plan
- Establish planning cycles, gauge progress, and update strategies
Customer Reviews:
My Board loved the charts.......2007-06-08
The Planning Committee of the Board of Directors at my nonprofit wants to get the full Board engaged in strategic planning within a year. The chart in this book that shows the steps in the process was just what they wanted. It was worth the purchase price...and we haven't started to use it yet!
Strategic leaders at NPOs should read this book.......2006-04-23
The authors of this book do a nice job of condensing the content of their book into a diagram at page 15 that they entitle: "The Strategic Planning Process." Then they explain the diagram chapter by chapter. The chapters are full of good information and lots of exhibits, worksheets, and real-life examples. Job well done! I recommend to anybody interested in preparing a business plan for a for-profit or a nonprofit to read this book. And I also recommend all strategic leaders (i.e. executive directors, board chairs, and CEOs) read this book. It should be helpful to them in performing their job duties.
The book basically points out the following series of questions and/or tasks a strategic leader much consider when doing his or her job:
1. What is the organization doing now?
2. What are its strengths?
3. What are its weaknesses?
4. Are we heading in the direction we want?
5. What must we change to get back on track?
6. Prepare a written plan for change.
7. Implement the plan for change.
8. Monitor the implementation.
9. Reevaluate the plan for change.
I would have liked the book better if the authors had more accurately described what a business plan is, and what it is used for. The authors seem to think that a business plan is something that a for-profit entity creates in order to get loans from lenders or capital from investors. While it is true this is one of the reasons for writing a business plan, the more important reason a plan is written is that it acts as a roadmap for the leader and management of the business to follow towards success. Most businesses that do not have a written business plan are doomed for failure. NPOs without a business plan will probably not be successful either.
Another shortcoming I found in the book was that the authors do not point out that NPOs need a "business plan" just as much as does a for-profit. NPOs also need a roadmap to follow. Whether the authors want to admit it or not, a business plan for an NPO is pretty much the same document as a business plan for an organization seeking profits. The difference between the two plans exists in the marketing section - and that is the only difference. NPOs need to market to their customers/clients and to philanthropists that have a connection and commitment to their cause, whereas for-profit businesses need only market to their customers/clients.
Any NPO should have a business plan starting on the day it comes into existence. The strategic planning process described in this book can be used to create that written business plan. Therefore, this book is for NPO founders. After the business plan exists and it is being used as a roadmap to success, then the effectiveness of the plan must be monitored regularly. When it appears the plan is not proving effective, then the strategic planning process described in this book should be used again to implement change to get the NPO back on track to success.
Strategic leadership is a critical role that any leader must play, and if he or she can't, then she has no business assuming a leadership role. A "leader" who does not know how to perform strategic leadership is merely a manager, not a leader. I think it is a sad state of affaires that so many executive directors and board chairs are clueless when it comes to strategic planning - thus they are just managers. The authors, by writing this book, have created a resource for wanta-be leaders to use to learn how to do an important and critical part of their job - lead strategically.
good basic introduction.......2006-03-17
Book provides a good basic introduction to strategic planning from the non-profit perspective. Although I already knew strategic planning from the corporate side, this book showed how it differs when applied to the non-profit arena. The review of the SWOT process was a bit simplistic, but I found the checklist for evaluating projects helpful. The disc and the worksheets were definitely worth the price of the book
Excellent Resource for Non-profit Boardmembers.......2005-09-30
This book is a step by step guide with suggested modifications to fit the needs of any group. The worksheets, included on an accompanying CD, are very useful. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in strategic planning for any organization - public, private or non-profit.
For those serious about strategic planning!.......2005-09-12
A great book that does what many non-profit management books don't -- talks about dollars and cents as well as need and impact. CD is underutilized (compared with, say, the CD included with "Non-Profit Kit for Dummies"), but the worksheet concept is good. Their "do either this OR this" might be confusing for novices. Not too far of a stretch to connect this with a "balanced scorecard" evaluation. CompassPoint's Dual Bottom-Line Matrix (p. 188), while complicated-sounding, actually should clarify decision-making for many non-profit managers.
Book Description
Building upon the concepts introduced in Good to Great, Jim Collins answers the most commonly asked questions raised by his readers in the social sectors. Using information gathered from interviews with over 100 social sector leaders, Jim Collins shows that his "Level 5 Leader" and other good-to-great principles can help social sector organizations make the leap to greatness.
Book Description
This classic workbook gives you practical guidance through five planning steps. Reproducible worksheets help you develop the plan, involve others in the process, and measure results. Four planning methods show how to tailor the process to fit your organization's individual needs. Also included are: critical ingredients of a sound plan; a new, more detailed sample of one nonprofit's strategic plan; and information on how multiple organizations, coalitions, and communities can use strategic planning.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, Easy-to-Use Workbook for Organizations Engaged in Strategic Planning Process.......2005-09-26
When our organization decided to engage in the strategic planning process, I reviewed a myriad of resources, and I believe that this workbook is the best. Not only does it explain the planning process well, but it offers a variety of paths through which to pursue planning, making it useful for any organization at any stage of growth. Plus, the worksheets are a great addition. Overall, the workbook has helped our planning process tremendously.
A blueprint for planning the future.......2000-08-30
A good workhorse of a book which takes you through the steps of creating a strategic plan for your organization. A little sketchy in some areas but does provide great worksheets to action all the stages. I particularly liked the emphasis on trying to be realistic in your approach and in the resources needed.
Book Description
A complete set of tools for applying entrepreneurial strategies and techniques to your nonprofit
As a follow-up to their book Enterprising Nonprofits, the authors of Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs provide a full set of practical tools for putting the lessons of business entrepreneurship to work in your nonprofit. The book offers hands-on guidance that helps social sector leaders hone their entrepreneurial skills and carry out their social missions more effectively than ever before. This practical and easy-to-use book is filled with examples, exercises, checklists, and action steps that bring the concepts, frameworks, and tools to life. Detailed explanations of all the tools and techniques will help you personalize and apply them to your nonprofit organization-making it stronger, healthier, and better able to serve the needs of our communities.
Praise for Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs
"I search constantly for resources that can help provide insight and guidance to take Teach For America to a higher level; Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs does this and more. The book takes the best practices of for-profits and social enterprises and adapts them to the needs of entrepreneurial, mission-driven nonprofits. Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs is a tremendous contribution to social entrepreneurs and to the nonprofit sector-many thanks to the authors for identifying this need and filling it!"
-Wendy Kopp
Founder and President, Teach For America
All of the royalties from this book will be used by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to support continuing work on social entrepreneurship.
Download Description
Turning nonprofit idealism into a reality
Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs is a toolkit for nonprofit organizations on developing real-world strategies for value creation, income generation, and growth. Chapters contain "Action Steps" that put concepts to work immediately; icons identifying key concepts, buzzwords, and pearls of wisdom; and end-of-chapter concept checks. With contributions from some of today's best and brightest social entrepreneurs-including James L. Heskett, Jerry Kitzi, Shirley Brice Heath, Fay Twersky, Melissa Taylor, Kay Sprinkel Grace, and Steve Roling-and profiles of successful enterprising nonprofits, the book is easily the most comprehensive work of its kind.
Customer Reviews:
Social Entrepreneur.......2002-03-04
Very helpful, Offers valuable tools for thinking strategically about value creation, income generation and growth. This book is a must have to keep up with the new changes and challenges arising in the non-profit sector.
Book Description
The Board Member's Playbook--written for board members who are either familiar with or new to John Carver's revolutionary Policy Governance model--offers real-world scenarios that address the challenges that confront boards of all types of organizations. Step by step, the authors walk readers through a proven problem-solving sequence that allows them to find solutions consistent with the values and policies of their organizations. Designed to be flexible, the book's problem-solving methods are applicable to any challenge boards may face.
Customer Reviews:
A must for every PG board.......2005-05-26
This book consists of 50 very real-world situations that any board using Carver Policy Governance ® might encounter, with a single worksheet to be used by the board members to logically think through what should be done in this instance. The book calls them "rehearsal scenarios."
I used a few of these scenarios with my board, and they thought it was great! It took the policies from dry words on paper to useable skills. They immediately decided to add time to every meeting's agenda to do one of these rehearsal scenarios.
As the facilitator of our board, I love it because each scenario comes with proposed solutions that I can use to help guide the discussion. It really cuts down on my prep time. It's a great tool for continuing to build board capability of governance.
Practice Makes Perfect.......2005-02-08
This is an incredibly useful addition to Carver's Policy Governance Model because it provides practical structure to "rehearsing" common Board-Staff-Owner scenarios with concrete examples. There are hundreds of books on non-profit governance but the vast majority just seem to dabble in detail and pop-psychology (unworkable concepts of "shared governance", etc); but the Carver model provides a unique, practical, and internally consistent method of governance. I'd certainly recommend highly all of his books. This one, written by Miriam Carver and Bill Charney, provides practical exercises demonstrating how the Carver model would handle problems Boards face regularly such as: Do Board members have authority over employees?; Should Board members with expertise oversee programs?; Does the Board job include fundraising?; We like and trust our CEO - isn't that governance?; What if the CEO lies?
It's amazing to me that "rehearsal" plays a role in virtually every profession (musicians, lawyers - in mock trials during law school, teachers - with student teaching, MD's - with simulated emergencies, etc), yet Board members don't rehearse. No wonder performance isn't always optimal. This book is invaluable. It not only suggests that Board's spend time, preferrably at each meeting, rehearsing governance issues but it also provides a practical approach loaded with wonderful examples. Worksheets are included as are the author's suggested "generic" solutions.
Every Board using the Carver Policy Governance Model should have this volume. I can't recommend it highly enough!
An Indispensible Resource.......2004-03-23
"The Board Member's Playbook..." is an indispensible resource for board members and those interested in policy govenance. The writing is very intelligent, clear, concise; a pleasure to read. A separate section provides a thorough overview of the Carver model for those unfamiliar with policy governance, as well as those needing a refresher. An accompanying CD-ROM is another excellent resource for helping board members with implementation.
This book is a roadmap to success for anyone who uses it. The real world examples and worksheets offer a practical, hands-on exercise in policy govenance. After reading and completing the exercises on my own, I felt well-prepared and energized to take on a board-related challenge using the model.
While this book brings everything a board member needs to effectively use the Carver model, it is the board members themselves who are ultimately responsible for their success. Board members must commit to being honest with themselves and one another, and be dedicated to the rigors of the process to properly implement the Carver model.
This wonderful resource also raises a very important question in my mind - why is the Carver model used predominantly in the non-profit sector? Why isn't the Carver model de rigeur for the for-profit sector? I can only see great benefits and progress ahead should this actually occur.
A Welcomed Addition.......2004-03-11
A welcomed addition to the "Policy Governance" corpus, "A Board Member's Playbook" provides a clear, concise and easily useable framework for Board practice. Complete with worksheets and an CD Rom, the book helps policy governance Boards work through simulated issues, forming a bridge between the theory of policy governance and its practical application.
Book Description
Create an effective, comprehensive communications strategy in an age of information overload
Fax, e-mail, 1-800 numbers, the Internet, infotainmentâwith so many new and traditional media available, it should be easy for a nonprofit to connect with its constituents. Yet each new technology brings new challenges, adding more messages, more voices, and more information to the clamor. Nonprofits now have to compete harder than ever to win the attention of a media-jaded public. That's why it is crucial that today's nonprofits develop comprehensive, coordinated communications plans that are detailed enough to cover all the bases, yet flexible enough to compensate for the unexpected. Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations shows you how.
In this book, Janel Radtke introduces all-important communications concepts and issues in plain English. Taking a wholly practical, in-the-trenches approach, she combines expert insights, real-life case studies, and clear, step-by-step instructions to demonstrate nonprofit communications strategies that work. She provides:
- An easy-to-follow, 7-step program for developing a comprehensive, multifaceted communications plan
- A disk containing all the worksheets, forms, surveys, and self-assessment tools you need to create a total communications plan
- Techniques for matching the message with the medium and for adapting both to specific purposes, such as fund-raising, advocacy, public education, PR, and more
Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations helps you coordinate and streamline communications efforts. It provides proven techniques for guaranteeing that you send the right message to each constituency group or audience, and that you hit your mark every time.
Customer Reviews:
Radtke hits the mark.......2000-12-04
Radtke takes a generally vague term "P.R" and makes specific, detailed entry ways that prove essential in the creation of a public relations framework. The text concentrates on breaking up tasks into manageable units from the creation of the perfect mission statement to completion of an internal audit. The internal audit is a great example of the way Radtke approaches every angle of the P.R. question; Radtke isn't just focused on demographics (or psychographics or geographics--all are explained here) or target audiences but she also encourages readers to investigate the inner workings of their specific organization. By examining the specific organization (from the number of phones to the personality of the staff) Radtke helps you design the most appropriate plan for your non-profit group. The accompanying C.D. helps you utilize the detailed models in the text and it's terribly easy to use, making the learning process much more fun. My only complaint would be that the information presented is a bit dense, making steady reading somewhat difficult. However, I reccomend Lawrence Wallack's straight forward "News for a Change" as an aid to Radtke's detailed vision. However, Wallack doesn't tackle as many issues as Radtke and her text still stands alone.
Book Description
A complete guide to leveraging the power of Sarbanes-Oxley--specifically for nonprofits
The first book to discuss the implications of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation as it relates to nonprofit organizations, Sarbanes-Oxley for Nonprofits is an essential guide for all nonprofit executives and boards who want to know how the new legislation can enhance their organization's mission.
By establishing a "platinum standard" of operations and governance within nonprofit organizations, executives and board members will be better equipped to attract high-quality staff and board members, as well as the attention of donors and other potential funding sources. Sarbanes-Oxley for Nonprofits presents the best practices that have emerged from the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act (Sarbanes-Oxley) in a manner that explains their source and value to the nonprofit organization.
Written for both small and large nonprofits, Sarbanes-Oxley for Nonprofits includes:
* Practices intended to establish a "platinum standard" of operations and governance within the nonprofit
* Coverage of audits, financial statements, board activities and decision making, how to teach board members to read and interpret financial statements, conflicts of interest, whistle-blower protection, and how to leverage these standards to gain a competitive advantage
* Sarbanes-Oxley best practices and the organizational culture
* Sample documents, forms, and checklists to introduce these best practices into any nonprofit organization
* And much more!
Download Description
Implications of Sarbanes-Oxley for Nonprofits explores the relevant themes and requirements in Sarbanes-Oxley that relate to nonprofits. It addresses each area in depth with recommendations for steps to come into compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley standards. Major topic areas include audits, financial statements, board activities and decision-making, teaching board members how to read and interpret financial statements, conflict of interest, whistle-blower protection, and how to leverage these standards to create a platinum standard organizational culture.
Book Description
This practical guide offers a realistic approach to strategic management, while borrowing from the most helpful and relevant business ideas, allows the public or nonprofit organization to achieve success without compromising its unique mission or constituency. Executives, managers, and policymakers will find key principles for everyday application, including how to: identify trends that will most affect programs and services; assess the organization's core strengths and competencies; select strategies that advance the mission while building operational success; explore opportunities for collaborations with other organizations; and encourage a culture of strategic thought and action.
Throughout this innovative guide, there are numerous illustrations and examples of how to apply the most appropriate technique to a particular need or goal. At last, public and nonprofit organizations have a real-world guide to finding lasting success.
Customer Reviews:
A best buy for strategic thinking.......2007-02-19
This is one of the most useful guides,if not the most useful, I've seen on how to think strategically about business ideas that are relevant to the nonprofit world. Kearns makes sensible distinctions between the two sectors. He presents in clear language and analsyis the for profit concepts and applications that are relevant to nonprofit organizations. It's a great resource!
Book Description
Presented by The Drucker Foundation
"Austin has uncovered the common elements and key strategies that make for effective collaborations.... In The Collaboration Challenge, he illuminates these key lessons for all leaders, and makes it possible for each of us to meet the collaboration challenge."
--Frances Hesselbein, chairman of the board of governors, The Drucker Foundation, and John C. Whitehead, founder, The John C. Whitehead Fund for Not-for-Profit Management, Harvard Business School
"Austin has performed a valuable service for nonprofit organizations and their corporate partners by illuminating the dynamics of successful relationships. His useful book deserves to be widely read by leaders in both sectors concerned about increasing the effectiveness of their social action agenda."
--Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School, author of World Class and Rosabeth Moss Kanter on the Frontiers of Management
"The entire nonprofit sector has been searching for the expertise and tools this book provides. Nothing else like it exists."
--Bill Shore, executive director of Share-Our-Strength and author of The Cathedral Within and Revolution of the Heart
In these complex times, when no organization can succeed alone, nonprofits and businesses are embracing collaboration for mutual benefits. Nonprofits are partnering with businesses to further their missions, develop resources, strengthen programs, and thrive in the competitive world. Companies are also discovering that alliances with nonprofits generate significant rewards: increased customer preference, improved employee morale, greater brand identity, stronger corporate culture, and higher innovation.
In this timely and insightful book, James E. Austin provides a practical framework for understanding how traditional philanthropic relationships can be transformed into powerful strategic alliances. He offers advice and lessons drawn from the experiences of numerous collaborations, including Timberland and City Year; Starbucks and CARE; Georgia-Pacific and The Nature Conservancy; MCI WorldCom and The National Geographic Society; Reebok and Amnesty International; and Hewlett-Packard and the National Science Resource Center. Readers will learn how to:
* Find and connect with high-potential partners
* Ensure strategic fit with the partner's mission and values
* Generate greater value for each partner and society
* Manage the partnering relationship effectively
Click here to read Chapter 8, Guidelines for Collaborating Successfully.
Customer Reviews:
Good to start your mind thikning, lots of reading, but not ground breaking.......2007-04-18
Issue of non profit organizations and business partnership is discussed from perspective of what strategies and knowledge is necessary to achieve effective collaboration. Author leads through stages of developing this collaborative partnership and provides tools to measure both success and its potential.
I wish author would include more material on collaboration for companies from similar industry. In order to get a broader understanding of other type of partnerships, one chapter about that would have been a good idea to include in the next book revisions.
Great Review in Foundation News & Commentary.......2001-11-15
Foundation News and Commentary
July/August 2001
Vol. 42, No. 4
Review by Beth Brown
We all want to partner. We all speak of collaborative spirit. But when the rubber meets the road, what does collaboration really entail, and what's the difference between a deal and an alliance?
James Austin breaks down the notion of collaboration into a must-read users guide for any organizational leader embarking on a collaboration. And although the book is geared toward corporations and their nonprofit partners, many of the lessons are universal and can be applied to any individual or organization considering a joint venture, be it a marriage or cross-sector alliance.
Austin notes the role serendipity and personal relationships plays in introducing partnerships-a conversation in a coffee shop or during a long plane ride-often sparking the "ah-ha" moment leading to the realization that a corporation and a nonprofit have what Austin calls mission mesh. The organizations' leaders can see how their visions' core competencies can make a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Through in-depth and candid examples from partnerships, including those between Starbucks and CARE, Timberland and City Year, and American Eagle Outfitters and Jumpstart, Austin chronicles the necessary, and often awkward, stages businesses and nonprofits pass through in order to become strategic partners.
Austin has a healthy skepticism for the ease of collaboration. He often likens it to dating, and as with a courting pair from different countries, he sees the cultural and values barriers between the sectors as the greatest obstacle to collaboration. The corporate leaders he interviews are open about the fact that their bottom line is to make a profit and a partnership can often assist their public relations efforts.
For the nonprofits, there is greater accountability held when working with corporations, and sometimes the social value nonprofits generate is not easily quantifiable. In addition, each can be associated with the mistakes of the other. However, the payoff is that one can also be associated with the success of the other and be exposed to new audiences-potential customers for the business, future partners for the nonprofit.
One interesting observation Austin makes is the inherent noncollaborative nature of a philanthropic relationship (it is the lowest on the collaborative totem poll). Although he does not single out foundations, he characterizes the giving of money by one organization to another as an exchange of resources for warm fuzzy feelings. Among philanthropic relationships, the venture philanthropy approach seems to offer a model of partnership similar in the level of engagement to the examples mentioned in Austin's book.
The details from the examples and extensive quotes of philanthropic and business leaders, such as Aaron Lieberman of Jumpstart and Jeff Swartz of Timberland, give the reader an insider's view of what went into the partnership. At the same time, the book is filled with simple big-picture truths such as "serious relationships, organizational and interpersonal, should not be rushed." That's a helpful notion to remember with everyone so eager to jump on the partnership bandwagon. Austin reminds us that having and keeping a partnership is not the end all-adding value is the goal and sustainability does not necessarily equal effectiveness.
Austin's greatest contributions to fostering collaboration are the tools the book includes: questions, checklists, continuums-cheat sheets for collaboration-that would be an asset to any leader considering partnership. In addressing the questions he poses, Austin leads potential collaborators through the development of a partnership purpose.
The final chapter of the book contains a complete conceptual framework for collaboration that seems universally applicable to any partnership. These "Seven C's of Collaboration" include Connection with Purpose and People, Clarity of Purpose, Congruency of Mission, Creation of Value, Communication Between Partners, Continual Learning, and Commitment to the Partnership.
So let's all take a cross-sector breath before claiming our next partner and take the messages of James Austin's book to heart and practice.
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Beth Brown is the director of Public Policy and Emerging Issues at the Council on Foundations.
Prize Winning Book.......2001-11-14
At the Independent Sector's annual meeting in Atlanta on November 6, Professor James Austin of the Harvard Business School's Initiative on Social Enterprise was awarded one of The Virginia A. Hodgkinson Research Prizes for 2001for his book The Collaboration Challenge: How Nonprofits and Businesses Succeed Through Strategic Alliances. The two Prizes recognize outstanding published research that furthers understanding of philanthropy, voluntary action, nonprofits, and civil society in the United States and abroad. The Prize Selection Committee is comprised of five senior academic researchers and practitioners and is chaired by Professor Howard Tuckman, Dean of the Business School at Rutgers University. The prize is named in honor of Virginia Ann Hodgkinson, who is renowned worldwide as a driving force behind the development of research on the nonprofit sector and voluntary action.
Well written and practical........2001-01-10
This is timely management book should be read by all those interested in leading, or advocating, a strategic alliance between a business and a non-profit, or by those who are already involved in such an alliance.
The issues covered by the book are very topical. Strategic alliances have become increasingly important to organizational survival. In addition, some organizations, including businesses, recognize that, for the long haul, they need to be in closer harmony with deeper aspirations of their customers, employees and shareholders. Others oppose such approaches as a dangerous temptation to fuzzy thinking and conflicted agendas. Yet others view the non-economic motives of their constituents as only relevant to marketing campaigns or high-minded mission statements.
This practical book addresses these opportunities and challenges systematically and with insight. It doesn't push quick fixes or high-risk strategies, but rather presents processes and analytical frameworks that support sequential acts of collaboration.
The author is a good teacher and effectively uses case studies to support his recommendations. His approach is practical and recognizes the reality that every relationship involves an exchange of value. His emphasis is on having clear agendas and then searching together for common outcomes built around relative strengths.
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Books Index
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Policy & Current Events
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Capitalism at the Crossroads: Aligning Business, Earth, and Humanity (2nd Edition) (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks)
Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time
How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas
The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else
