Secrets of Successful Boards: The Best from the Non-Profit Pros

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Summary: This book doesn't mess around--it's in the trenches with you
Review: I have a bookshelf of tomes on board management. Each is valuable, in its own way.

But if I wanted to help a busy colleague manage a board more effectively, I'd hand him or her Secrets of Successful Boards. It's got just about everything a person needs to get the job done, and it's a fairly fast read.

Carol Weisman has assembled an impressive collection of essays, each covering a different aspect of board management, each from a different expert.

This book doesn't mess around -- it gets right into the trenches with you. Do you want to run a more effective meeting? It's right there. Does your board lack passion? Find out how to build a passionate board. Concerned about legal liability? There's a chapter devoted just to legal issues.

Perhaps most surprising is a chapter on Internet strategies for nonprofit organizations. Though it seems to go outside the "box" of board management, the Internet has become a hot topic for boards and I applaud the editor for including it.

The chapters are as follows: Building a Board with a Passion for Mission (Carol E. Weisman); Fund Raising for Newcomers to Nonprofit Boards (Charles D. Brown Jr.); The Job of the Trustee (Katherina M. Rosqueta); Making Nonprofit Board Meetings Work - or Averting Nonprofit Board Meeting Meltdown! (David M. LaGreca); Mission-Based Strategic Planning: The Key to Your Organization's Survival (Terrie Temkin, Ph.D.); Structuring Your Board to Achieve Maximum Results, or Which Comes First the Chicken or the Egg? (Mike Schroeder); Legal Issues: Reducing Risks of Personal Liability (Donald W. Kramer); Building a Strong Board - Executive Director Relationship (Fern E. Koch); People Raising: A New Perspective on Volunteer Resources (Susan J. Ellis); and Internet Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations (Steve Epner).

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Summary: Illustrations
Review: I thought that the illustrations accompanying Carol's masterpiece were simply outstanding. The fluidity of the pen strokes is reminiscent of a younger Van Gogh. The avant garde humor on par with the comedy banter of Chris Rock. Overall, an exceptional book!