INTRODUCTION

This Bibliography is designed for volunteers who serve on nonprofit Boards of Directors. Numerous resources were scanned to identify the best of those that are written for Board Directors of nonprofit managers.

The intention of producing a guide is to make Directors aware of the resources available to them, broaden a Director's thinking about their role on the Board, and stimulate Board development activities.

To locate one of the resources listed, we suggest that you check with your local bookseller, call the publisher, consult amazon.com, contact the Resource Center of the Society for Nonprofit Organizations at (608) 274-9777, or call BoardSource at (800) 883-6262. The library at Management Cornerstones houses a copy of each item in the bibliography; call (414) 271-5511 to schedule a time for browsing through the reference shelves. This bibliography will be updated periodically with descriptions of new references on our website in the "For BOARDs Only" section (www.nonprofitmanagementfund.org)

Nonprofit Board Answer Book

Providing practical guidelines for Board Directors and chief executives, this book's most useful tools are the worksheets and suggested activities at the conclusion of each chapter. Examined are: Board functions, structure, and process; Board/staff relations; selection and development of Board Directors; and Board and committee meetings. The Answer Book addresses such practical issues as: what to do with dead wood on the Board; how to set fair compensation for staff; determining the best size for a Board; how to keep track of evolving Board policies; and, when an organization should close its doors.
Andringa, Robert C. and Egstrom, Ted W. Washington D.C.: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, 1997.

Ten Basic Responsibilities
of Nonprofit Boards

This forty-five minute audio tape defines the responsibilities of a Board as well as those individual Directors that lead to effective Board governance. Differences that affect how the Board performs its functions are presented, in addition to approaches to determine appropriate Board structure, Board renewal, and Board/staff roles and responsibilities.
Ingram, Richard. Washington D.C.: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, Audio, 1997

Building Boards That Work

This recording of a live conference emphasizes that "a good Board is a victory, not a gift." The tape focuses on four main goals: to increase the understanding of the role of nonprofit Boards; to identify the responsibilities of Boards and of individual Board Directors; to explore strategies for strengthening the structure of Boards; and, to clarify the balance between Board and staff roles. Three long-term Board Directors share their experiences in a clear, structured format. Washington D.C.: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, 1998

Strategic Board Recruitment,
The Not-for-Profit Model

This book describes a framework for executing and institutionalizing a results-orientated recruitment process. The authors describe the nominating committee's approach to identifying individuals for the Board from within their circle-of-friends as too limited in today's competitive environment, where leadership, fund development, diversity, and vision are essential to succeed. To be effective, recruiting must be a continuous process, rather than a series of isolated events. Strategic Board Recruitment outlines the process, systems and techniques used by the executive search professionals.
Kile, Robert W. and Loscavio, J. Michael. Fredrick, Maryland: Aspen Publishers, Inc., 1996.

Reinventing Your Board: A Step-by-Step Guide
to Implementing Policy Governance

A hands-on, step-by-step guide for implementing the Carver policy governance model. This model is recognized as one highly-effective, results-orientated approach to nonprofit Board governance. Guidelines for staying on track as well as suggestions on how to craft useful policies are included. Practical advice on setting the agenda, monitoring CDO performance, and defining the Board's role is offered.
Carver, John and Carver-Mayhew, Miriam. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997.

Planning Better Board Meetings
(Carver Guide 5)

How can Boards use their meeting time most effectively? Carver explores the formal, planned use of the Board time as manifested in the agenda. The guide defines the characteristics of effective Board meetings in an effort to help Directors measure progress in making their meetings more productive sessions on policy development and visioning.
Carver, John. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997.

Robert's Rule of Order, Newly Revised.
Ninth Edition

This is the most commonly used parliamentary manual. A compendium of parliamentary law based upon the rules and practices designed by Henry Martyn Robert, a civil war officer based in Milwaukee, WI. A simple explanation of the methods of organizing and conducting the business of communities and boards including the description of how amendments, motions, and debates were to be handled.
Robert, Henry M., General. Glenview, Illinois: Scott Foresman, 1990.

How to Make Meetings Work

Intended for decision makers, leaders and rank-and-file meeting goers alike, the Interaction Method is a tested way to stop wasting time and to begin getting things done at meetings. It can be used to: increase productivity up to 15%; help analyze 16 type of problem people at meetings and tell you what to do about them; how to develop an agenda and arrange meeting rooms to make meetings more productive; and, show how a "facilitator", a "recorder", and a "group memory" help generate more and better solutions to problems.
Doyle, Michael, and david Straus. New York: Playboy Press, 1976.

PLANNING

Strategic Planning Workbook
for Nonprofit Organizations

Providing a detailed description of strategic planning and a step-by-step process for developing a strategic plan, this manual provides worksheets and planning tips ready for photocopying. Sections include: getting organized, situational analysis, setting direction, as well as refining and adopting the plan.
Barry, Bryan W. St. Paul, Minnesota: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 1997

Collaboration: What Makes It Work

This book reviews the research literature on factors influencing successful collaboration in the health, social science, education, and public affairs fields. Nineteen factors are identified as influencing the success of collaboration. Details about each of the factors are divided into description, implications and illustrations. This report is designed so that people who want to initiate or enhance collaboration can benefit from the experience of others.
Mattessich, Paul W. and Monsey, Barbara R. St. Paul Minnesota: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 1992.

WORKING WITH THE CEO

Finding and Retaining Your Next Chief Executive:
Making the Transition Work

Boards are often dramatically unprepared for a change in leadership. Gilmore suggests that the key to successfully managing a transition is to become confident that, at each stage, the Board is making the right decision. An overall process is set forth, noting the Board's role in each stage, identifying typical errors, and suggesting how Boards can avoid them.
Gilmore, Thomas N. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, 1993.

Hiring the Chief Executive:
A Practical Guide to the Search and Selection Process

The CEO of a nonprofit is critical to the success of the organization. The hiring of that individual, therefore, is one of the most important tasks of a Board of Directors. This guidebook provides the outline for a planned, orderly approach to the recruitment and selection process. It includes a sample job description, potential interview questions and worksheets for rating candidates.
Albert, Sheila. Washington D.C.: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, 1993.

All the Way to the Bank: Smart Money Management
for Tomorrow's Nonprofit

By providing practical tools and techniques to help nonprofits make the most of the money that they have, this book examines how to take stock of an organization's financial picture; how to strategically manage cash; the importance of surpluses to financial stability; how and when to borrow money; and, how to develop a partnership with the local bank. The authors also introduce key financial terms and concepts to help one discover various strategies to make the most of financial resources.
Stevens, Susan Kenny and Anderson, Lisa. St. Paul, Minnesota: The Stevens Group, 1997.

The Budget-Building Book for Nonprofits:
A Step-by-Step Guide for Managers and Boards

A nuts-and-bolts workbook that guides nonprofit managers and Boards through the budget cycle, offering practical tools for completing each step of the process. To-do lists, worksheets, schedules and other tools help readers to: establish budgeting policies and procedures: prepare budgeting requests; present the budget to top management and Boards; create a budgeting calendar; orient program and department managers to budgeting; estimate income and expenses; and, determine how the Board should review the budget.
Dropkin, Murray and La Touche, Bill. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 1998.

MARKETING

Marketing Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations

A five-step process for creating a marketing plan specifically designed for a nonprofit organization is described. This workbook begins by defining and demystifying the marketing process. Examples and worksheets for setting marketing goals, positioning, conducting a market audit, developing a marketing plan, and implementing a marketing campaign are provided.
Stern, Gary. St.Paul, Minnesota: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 1997.

Small Nonprofits: strategies for Fundraising Success

Written by several Milwaukee Authors, this volume presents articles on developing a comprehensive income plan; Board effectiveness in fundraising; getting and keeping staff; using volunteers in a fund development drive; and, the long-term sustainability of small nonprofits.
Mussoline, Mary Louise, Editor, for New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising of the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc., Publishers, 1998.

Fundraising And the Nonprofit Board Member

Part of the National Center for the Nonprofit Boards' Governance Series, this audio tape provides five key principles to fundraising. A checklist assists Board Directors in successful fund solicitation.
Howe, Fisher. Washington D.C.: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, Audio, 1998.

The Development Committee:
Fund Raising Beginning with the Board

A guide to assist the fund development committee as it focuses the attention of the Board on the vital responsibility of obtaining adequate resources for the organization from a variety of funding sources. Advice is given in the areas of committee responsibilities, membership, relationships with staff, planning for fund raising, prospect identification, silent prospecting, gift solicitation, and ethics.
Tempel, Eugene R. Washington D.C.: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, 1996

The Nonprofit Answer Book

Billed as "An Executive Director's Guide to Frequently Asked Questions", this comprehensive resource provides answers to 200 typical questions. Questions are categorized in the areas of: Board, facilities, finance, fundraising, general, human resources, legal, planning, public relations and volunteer management.
Oertel, Patty. Los Angeles, California: The Mark Taper Foundation, 1998.

Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook

A whimsical look at management through cartoons and humorous narrative. There are many good examples of what managers and Board Directors should not do.
Adams, Scott. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996

INTERNET SITES

National Center for Nonprofit Boards

http://www.boardsource.org/main.htm
Provides a bookstore, a list of workshops for Board Directors, and answers to frequently asked questions. Also provides an online newsletter.

http://www.nonprofitmilwaukee.org
This site, still in its formative stages is becoming a portal (or port of entry) for online research for training, resources and other items of interest for southeastern Wisconsin nonprofits.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this web site, please e-mail webmaster@nonprofitmanagementfund.org