Appomattox Regional
Library System

Trouble at the Top: The Nonprofit Board’s Guide to Managing an Imperfect Chief Executive by Katha Kissman. Call No. 658.4 Kis.

If only we lived in a perfect world we would not need books like this and its companion, Taming the Troublesome Board Member. Before you panic about difficulties your organization may have with a CEO, read Trouble at the Top. Kissman walks you through several sections, each dealing with a specific issue. Among them are nonalignment with the board, incompetence, insubordination, illegal or unethical behavior, and management issues. Alas, the final chapter covers the basics surrounding pulling the best from your CEO and the appendix offers a template for granting that person the authority necessary for him/her to be effective. Check it out.

Nonprofit Executive Compensation: Planning, Performance, and Play by Brian Vogel & Charles W. Quatt, Ph.D.

We just got a whole new crop of great Board Source titles in the Resource Center! Perhaps my favorite is Nonprofit Executive Compensation. If you’ve ever struggled with what you should pay a chief executive, or, if you’re starting a nonprofit and need some guidance on what your own salary should be, this book will be of great help to you. Chapters walk you through better understanding the board’s role in establishing salaries, aligning compensation with your organization’s mission, coming up with appropriate titles and job descriptions, understanding the marketplace, meeting legal requirements, and “passing the test of public and stakeholder scrutiny.” The final chapter walks you through common terminology, and several appendices cover the new IRS 990 form and offer a sample committee charter, job description, and contract. Check it out. Still feel overwhelmed? Be sure to read page 17’s sidebar titled, “Using Consultants.” Perhaps you may want to call in some help. And you don’t want to miss our FREE upcoming Learning & Leadership workshop titled, “When to Call for Help: Working with Consultants.” For more information and to register, click here.

New at the Nonprofit Resource Center:   After the Grant: The Nonprofit’s Guide to Good Stewardship by the Foundation Center, edited by Judith Margolin. Call No. 658.15 Aft.

If you’re like most nonprofit organizations, you spend a good deal of energy researching funders and honing your grant proposal writing skills. As we know, getting funded is just the beginning. The folks at the Foundation Center once again provide a treasure trove of information, this time focusing on all the work a nonprofit must do after receiving the grant. They broach this subject by tackling an array of important topics such as managing the project, communicating with the funder, and preparing the final report. Check it out.

Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web 2.0 (Technologies to Recruit, Organize, and Engage Youth) by Ben Rigby.

Whether or not your particular mission is engaging youth in your organization, you will find Mobilizing Generation 2.0’s contents helpful. Though Rigby’s name dons the cover, the book is a compilation of chapters written by those in the forefront of social media such as Seth Godin, Jonah Sachs, Fred Stutzman, Evan Williams, and Mitch Kapor. Topics covered include social networking, video and photo sharing, mobile phones, Wikis, maps and virtual worlds to raise awareness of your nonprofit organization. You’ll find real-life examples, tips, resources, and best practices. You won’t be able to get enough; so fortunately, the book points you to its up-to-date web site, www.mobilizingyouth.org, for even more information. Check out the book first, and then visit the web site.