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Should Your Nonprofit Call 911?

Posted on July 11, 2010November 30, 2019 by Roger Carr

First-aid-box Last night I was sitting in a restaurant eating my BBQ chicken dinner while reading my copy of The Networked Nonprofit. Suddenly I noticed some unusual movement. Several emergency vehicles pulled up near the front door. In moments, people in uniform quickly moved through the door to the back of the restaurant carrying life saving equipment and pushing a stretcher. Someone in the building called 911 because someone was in trouble and needed immediate medical help.

Is Your Nonprofit Sick?

The scene in front of me got me to thinking about the many nonprofit organizations that should be calling for help as well. They are in trouble. Unfortunately, many don't know they are in trouble. The world is changing and many nonprofit organizations need to change to stay effective and viable.

This is what The Networked Nonprofit is all about.

The Networked Nonprofit

Authors Beth Kanter and Allison Fine are experts in the use of social media to support causes. They describe how generational impacts and social media are changing the way nonprofit organizations need to organize and operate. They also paint a picture of how nonprofit organizations are going to have to look in the future to continue to have a significant impact.

What to Expect from The Networked Nonprofit

The Networked Nonprofit is a first aid kit for nonprofit organizations. It helps diagnose what might keep a nonprofit organization from being effective now and in the future. It also helps the reader determine what needs to change.

Important topics covered in The Networked Nonprofit are:

  • Identifying and encouraging supporters (especially the independent volunteers called free agents)
  • Why becoming a networked nonprofit is critical to being effective now and even more in the future
  • How to build and engage social networks and relationships
  • Using online networks to share your message with the world
  • How to build trust
  • How to simplify the job and organization
  • Turning networked friends into funders

Self-Assessment and Action Steps

I am impressed not only with the message of the book, but also the format. 

There are refection questions at the end of each chapter. These questions are well thought out to help the reader do a self-assessment of where his or her organization is at in terms of being a networked nonprofit. They also help to determine what needs to be done to improve.

There are also action steps sprinkled throughout the book. These are concrete steps that an organization can take to move closer to becoming a networked nonprofit.

Get Your Copy Now

This is an important book for nonprofit leaders, staff and board members to read. It is important to read AND put into action. Implementing some or all of the recommendations in the book can have a significant impact on the future of your organization. More importantly, your organization's effectiveness in addressing your important cause is depending on it as well. Get your copies now.

Photo credit: Adam Elliston

16 thoughts on “Should Your Nonprofit Call 911?”

  1. Betsy Baker says:
    July 11, 2010 at 5:19 pm

    Thanks for the recommendation. It’s a new day for nonprofits and this information is “just what the dr. ordered.” (Don’t you love how I tied that in to your title? 😉

    Reply
  2. Pamela Grow says:
    July 12, 2010 at 6:49 am

    Thank you for the review Roger – my copy’s on its way! Of course we all know that it’s that implementation factor that so many nonprofits fail to follow through on.

    Reply
  3. Roger Carr says:
    July 12, 2010 at 10:12 am

    Betsy,
    I am impressed that your comment tied right into the blog post theme! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    Reply
  4. Roger Carr says:
    July 12, 2010 at 10:17 am

    Pamela,
    I know you will enjoy reading and applying the concepts in the book. I know you are a person of action. Thanks.

    Reply
  5. Sandy Rees says:
    July 12, 2010 at 11:28 pm

    Ooh, another book for my reading list. Thanks for the referral.

    I’ve been thinking too about organizations that are in a state of critical care. They are facing the prospects of closing their doors. I’ll pass on this book to them to see if it might help.

    Sandy Rees, CFRE

    Reply
  6. Beth says:
    July 13, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    Roger: I’m glad you liked the reflection questions. Worked very hard on those!!

    Reply
  7. Roger Carr says:
    July 13, 2010 at 7:56 pm

    Sandy, Be sure you let me know your opinion once you read the book. I believe the concepts and steps in the book will help many nonprofits if they apply it.

    Reply
  8. Roger Carr says:
    July 13, 2010 at 7:59 pm

    Beth, It is great to hear from you. I know you have been busy promoting the book. The questions are just one indication that you and Allison worked hard on the content. Thanks for sharing such important concepts.

    Reply
  9. Allison Fine says:
    July 13, 2010 at 9:14 pm

    Thanks so much for the review, Roger. I was a little worried at first about the image of a stretcher and a sick person, concerned that you thought the book was on life support, but then appreciated where it all went! Thanks for the review and for being such an amazing free agent activist.

    Allison

    Reply
  10. Roger Carr says:
    July 13, 2010 at 11:39 pm

    Allison,
    I am glad you continued to read the entire post! I would be the one carried out on the stretcher if you thought I wasn’t excited about your book.

    I have been thinking about being named a free agent since the Nonprofit 2.0 conference. What did the Arthritis Foundation do that encouraged me to continue and do more? I will be writing about that in an upcoming blog post.

    Thanks for the compliment and comment.

    Reply
  11. Lori Jacobwith says:
    July 14, 2010 at 10:27 am

    Nice review on a great book, Roger! The book can help organizations make changes and not wait until they need an ambulance or EMT!

    Reply
  12. Charlaine Hood, MSW says:
    July 14, 2010 at 5:21 pm

    Critical issues for many nonprofits to look into more. If only they would! Thanks for the review.

    Reply
  13. Jason Dick says:
    July 14, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    Looks like a really great book I’m going to order it when I get home. Thanks for sharing about it.

    Reply
  14. Roger Carr says:
    July 15, 2010 at 5:01 pm

    Thanks Lori. My desire is that nonprofits will take the information in the book and apply it.

    Reply
  15. Roger Carr says:
    July 15, 2010 at 5:03 pm

    Charline, How true. Taking action (even as an experiment) on this kind of critical information seems to be a challenge for some.

    Reply
  16. Roger Carr says:
    July 15, 2010 at 5:04 pm

    Jason, I know you will enjoy the book and it will provide you with great information you can use with nonprofits you work with.

    Reply

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