The Art of Doing Good Where Passion Meets Action

by Bronfman, Charles; Solomon, Jeffrey; Sedgwick, John

• ISBN13: 9781118264355
• ISBN10: 1118264355
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-09-11
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

The Art of Doing Good is the ultimate do-gooder's handbook. It provides the essential instruction to ordinary people who either want to be social entrepreneurs and are thinking of starting a nonprofit, or have already begun one and are wondering what they've gotten themselves into. The possibilities of nonprofits are limitless, but invariably, their mission is challenging. The operational structure can be complex and fraught with the tensions of any startup, the financing is uncertain, the hours can be endless and the commitment total. How can you and your organization do this work wisely and well, to bear fruit and actually change the world? To answer that question, Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon guide the reader through the life-cycle of any nonprofit, starting with that first explosive Aha! moment of inspiration, and then following through the intense process of self-examination, collecting resources, recruiting and managing staff on a tight budget, determining a plan, and developing measures and systems until the organization is finally ready to take off. The authors then explain how to transform from a social entrepreneur into a manager and how to deal with challenges like resource development, board governance issues, personnel matters, and, trickiest of all, Founder's Syndrome. The book ends with the largest question of all-when, and whether, to step aside, and leave the work to others to carry on. All of these steps are grounded in the tenets of the book's broader philosophy: acting with intentionality and purpose, recognizing that taking satisfaction in social entrepreneurship work is right and necessary, having goals, and knowing that you will collect (and need) a wide group of collaborators. Throughout the book, the authors share the inspiring true stories of 18 social entrepreneurs including: Michael Brown, who has drawn hundreds of thousands of young Americans to give of themselves in City Year; Darell Hammond, who created the community-built playground movement KaBOOM!; Mark Hanis, who mobilized a political force to combat genocide with his Genocide Intervention Network; and Geoffrey Canada built a community-wide superstructure to support the underserved students of his Harlem Children's Zone, and many more. The authors also draw on their own rich experience in philanthropy. Bronfman's foundation, the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, of which Solomon is president, has undertaken eight startups in three countries, most famously the Birthright Israel program that has already exposed over 300,000 young Jewish adults to life in Israel for ten days, all expenses paid; 21/64, which fosters an intergenerational approach to strategic philanthropy; Reboot, which spurs thought leaders to renewed engagement with issues of Jewish identity; and Gift of New York, which connected 10,000 family members of 9/11 victims with free tickets to cultural, entertainment and sports venues. The authors' first book, The Art of Giving, was for and about donors. It was aimed at financial philanthropists who changed the world with their money. This new book is intended for active philanthropists who seek to change to world not with their money, but with their effort. With The Art of Doing Good, anyone can create and run an organization that makes a real difference.

Author Biography

Charles Bronfman, of the Seagram's corporate family, was the founding owner of the Montreal Expos and is the chairman of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. Among his many philanthropic achievements is the creation of Birthright Israel and Historica. Bronfman has been awarded six honorary doctorates from universities in three countries for his humanitarian work. With Jeffrey Solomon, Bronfman is the coauthor of The Art of Giving.

Jeffrey Solomon, president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, has taught philanthropy at New York University and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Council on Foundations. Solomon has been chief operating officer of the United Jewish Appeal Federation in New York, and he is a founding trustee of the World Faiths Development Dialogue.

John Sedgwick is the author of eleven books, including the family memoir In My Blood, and has been a regular contributor to the Atlantic, Newsweek, and GQ.

Table of Contents

PREFACE vii

INTRODUCTION: How to Change the World 1

PART ONE Sources of Inspiration

1 That Aha! Moment: When Inspiration Strikes 17

2 The Prequel: The Backstory: The History Behind the Idea 31

PART TWO Bringing Your Idea to Life

3 What It Takes: Can You Really Do This? 49

4 Getting off the Ground: At Some Point You Need to Get Real 65

5 Being the Brand: Identifying with Your Organization 77

6 The Pros and Cons of Partnerships: Do Your Research 85

7 Finding Support: Use Your Connections 95

8 Setting Goals and Keeping on Track: Start Small and Grow 109

9 Staffing Up: Your Most Vexing Resource: People! 125

10 Hard Knocks: Weathering the Storms 135

11 Preparing for Rollout: Ramping Up 149

PART THREE Managing the Organization

12 Becoming a Manager: The Change 161

13 The Board: How the Board Can Help 169

14 Transparency: No Secrets 179

15 Planning for the Future: What to Do Next 185

16 The Money Side: Money Is Not a Dirty Word 203

17 Making Your Exit: How Do You Know When It Is Time to Go? 215

EPILOGUE: The Value of Leadership 223

PART FOUR Resources

RESOURCE A: Index of Nonprofit Resources 229

RESOURCE B: Major Supporters of Capacity Building 261

NOTES 263

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 265

ABOUT THE AUTHORS 267

INDEX 271