Every now and then I am compelled to recommend a read that is more textbook-like than much of what we have in the Nonprofit Resource Center. This important book, Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability is written by Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka, and Steve Zimmerman and is published by Jossey-Bass. The cover displays arrows with “Matrix Map Analysis” and “Decision Making” leading to “The Sustainable Nonprofit Business Model,” and the sections and chapters between the covers deliver as the arrows promise. You’ll get loads of figures, tables, and exhibits to help you decipher the how-to. A resource section and index also help your navigation through the book and the topics it covers. If you’re looking at sustainability for your nonprofit, you’ll want to read this book. Check it out.

What efforts is your organization currently making to increase the potential for sustainability?

The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

Ms. Andrews holds a B.A. from the University of Georgia and is a sought-after teacher of writing workshops around the country.

I find all of Mary Kay Andrews’ books charming and hilarious, but this one is my hands-down favorite. You’ll meet Dempsey Jo Killebrew, a young and promising lobbyist who flees Washington, D.C. amidst an office scandal perpetuated by her boss. Her dad offers her a place of refuge: a recently inherited but dilapidated house in rural Georgia. She turns in her high dollar high heels for an oversized pair of overalls and gets to work. Romance, intrigue, scandal, self-discovery, and a cranky distant relative squatting on the property all intermingle to make this a delightful tale that will keep you turning pages. Check it out.

Look for Mary Kay Andrews newest book, Summer Rental, to be released on June 7. For more information about the author and her works, visit www.marykayandrews.com.

How realistic do you think it is that this young high-powered, sophisticated female would enjoy white collar work in rural Georgia?

Immunity to Change How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization

by Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey

In this well-researched book on change, Kegan and Lahey offer you plenty of practical to help you act on the theoretical. My favorite chapter expounded on the three necessary ingredients for change: the Gut, engaging head and heart simultaneously, and “hand” (the actual work of change). If you think your organization has become immune to change, this book will give you tools to address why and perhaps start to move the herd in another direction. If you have become immune to change, dig into this work today. You’ll have all you need to let go of your excuses and make change happen. Check it out.

What areas do you need to make changes in and how do you intend to get started?

Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty

Ms. McCafferty studied at the University of Richmond prior to completing her undergraduate work at Columbia University.

The third in McCafferty’s chronicling of Jessica Darling’s collegiate life at Columbia, this book follows Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings and precedes Fourth Comings and Perfect Fifths. Charmed Thirds starts with the summer after Jessica’s freshman year, so you can expect these books to keep coming for awhile. McCafferty weaves a fun-spirited tale, but these books are as much geared toward high school students as they are for adults. And don’t expect much depth. I might even rate this one as “extra-light.” But still, it’s worth a read. Check it out.

Do you find the titles of Ms. McCaffery’s work compelling or off-putting? Why?

Currently #15 on The New York Times Best Sellers list, Gary Vaynerchuk’s (author of previous best seller, Crush It!) The Thank You Economy is well worth the 229 page read. The author shows you how “companies big and small can scale [that kind of] personal, one-on-one attention to their entire customer base, no matter how large, using the same social media platforms that carry consumer word of mouth.” Plenty of data enforces theory in this book. Vaynerchuk is a thought leader you can trust; Askmen.com included him on their Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2009 list, and Business Week put him among their Top 20 People Every Entrepreneur Should Follow. You’ll be glad you read this book. Check it out.

Who are the thought leaders you follow?