Recommended Reads

Dive into the wondrous world of water and discover the stories of more than 100 incredible aquatic lifeforms.
The underwater world is so much bigger than young minds can fathom and there is always more to learn. An Anthology of Aquatic Life is a stunning ocean encyclopedia for young readers to explore, with reference pages packed with fascinating information, little learners will be captivated as they discover the facts, stories and myths behind their favorite sea-life animals. 
 

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?

The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind - that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort - but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people - employees and managers, parents and nurses - have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:

● The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients
● The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping 
● The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service 

In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

Jump start your fundraising efforts!

Whether your nonprofit has just gotten tax-exempt status or has been operating for years, its success or failure depends on its ability to raise donations from individuals, companies, and institutions. The question you’re facing is, “How do we make our voices heard and bring in the needed support?”

Here, you’ll find plain-English answers. Featuring advice and stories from over 50 experienced fundraisers, foundation staffers, journalists and more, this book explains how to:

make a fundraising plan work with individual donors keep givers giving plan special events solicit grants from foundations and corporations use traditional and social media to engage supporters start a side business to raise funds and much more.

Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits also provides creative grassroots strategies and dozens of real-life success stories. Best of all, it cuts out the jargon and “consultant speak” that’s all too common in nonprofit books.

The 6th edition is completely updated with new stories and samples, the latest IRS rules and regulations, and the latest communication strategies.

A leading investment professional explains the world of impact investing -- investing in businesses and projects with a social and financial return--and shows what it takes to make sustainable, transformative change.

Impact investment -- the support of social and environmental projects with a financial return -- has become a hot topic on the global stage; poised to eclipse traditional aid by ten times in the next decade. But the field is at a tipping point: Will impact investment empower millions of people worldwide, or will it replicate the same mistakes that have plagued both aid and finance?

Morgan Simon is an investment professional who works at the nexus of social finance and social justice. In Real Impact, she teaches us how to get it right, leveraging the world's resources to truly transform the economy. Over the past seventeen years, Simon has influenced over $150 billion from endowments, families, and foundations. In Real Impact, Simon shares her experience as both investor and activist to offer clear strategies for investors, community leaders, and entrepreneurs alike. Real Impact is essential reading for anyone seeking real change in the world.

The essential tax reference book for every nonprofit

Nonprofits enjoy privileges not available to other organizations. But these privileges come at a price: Nonprofits must comply with special IRS rules and regulations. This book covers what your organization must do to maintain its tax-exempt status.

Practical, comprehensive, and easy to understand, Every Nonprofit’s Tax Guide explains ongoing and annual IRS compliance requirements for nonprofits, including:
a detailed look at Form 990
line-by-line instructions for Form 990-EZ
conflicts of interest and compensation rules
charitable giving rules
unrelated taxable business income rules
lobbying and political activity restrictions
nonprofit bookkeeping
other key tax rules
Whether you are just starting your nonprofit or are well established, you’ll find all the information you need to avoid the most common issues nonprofits run into with the IRS.

The inspiring, life-changing bestseller by the author of LEADERS EAT LAST and TOGETHER IS BETTER.
In 2009, Simon Sinek started a movement to help people become more inspired at work, and in turn inspire their colleagues and customers. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, including more than 28 million who've watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY -- the third most popular TED video of all time.

Sinek starts with a fundamental question: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?

People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it.

START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way -- and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.

Nonprofit? Stay out of IRS trouble with the ultimate corporate housekeeping tool!

Nearly 1.5 million nonprofit organizations are busy preserving historic sites, saving libraries, helping the homeless, greening our cities--and so much more. Yet, while some have sophisticated record-keeping systems, most nonprofits are staffed by volunteers who need help running the organization and keeping up a proper--and legal--paper trail.

Help has arrived! With Nonprofit Meetings, Minutes & Records, you'll get the all-in-one solution every nonprofiteer needs to hold meetings and document actions taken by board members.

Step by step, it walks readers through:
calling meetings appointing officers taking minutes making resolutions voting on proposals adjourning meetings working with a lawyer, if necessary, and finding a tax adviser.
Nonprofit Meetings, Minutes & Records also provides useful tips and advice on how to do important tasks, such as organizing records, preparing meeting folders, and taking minutes. Plus, all necessary legal documents are included for you to fill out. It's everything you need to keep your nonprofit running smoothly and legally.

From top experts in the field, the definitive guide to grant-writing

Written by two expert authors who have won millions of dollars in government and foundation grants, this is the essential book on securing grants. It provides comprehensive, step-by-step guide for grant writers, including vital up-to-the minute interviews with grant-makers, policy makers, and nonprofit leaders. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking grants in today's difficult economic climate.

The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need includes:

• Concrete suggestions for developing each section of a proposal
• Hands-on exercises that let you practice what you learn
• A glossary of terms
• Conversations with grant-makers on why they award grants...and why they don't
• Insights into how grant-awarding is affected by shifts in the economy

Finally in paperback: the New York Times bestseller by the acclaimed, bestselling author of Start With Why and Together is Better. Now with an expanded chapter and appendix on leading millennials, based on Simon Sinek's viral video "Millenials in the workplace" (150+ million views).
Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled. This is not a crazy, idealized notion. Today, in many successful organizations, great leaders create environments in which people naturally work together to do remarkable things.

In his work with organizations around the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter what incentives are offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why?

The answer became clear during a conversation with a Marine Corps general. "Officers eat last," he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What's symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: Great leaders sacrifice their own comfort--even their own survival--for the good of those in their care.

Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a "Circle of Safety" that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside.

Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from government to investment banking.

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

Serving missions rather than profits, the nonprofit sector employs 11 million people, making it the third largest industry in the United States, and often provides our communities’ most fundamental services.

Whether your mission is to save puppies, feed children, or preserve history, Start Your Own Nonprofit Organization equips you with the tools you need to start, run and grow your organization. This guide provides mission-driven entrepreneurs like you with the latest industry research and pairs it with advice from real-world nonprofit leaders to teach you how to:
 

• Determine if your business idea is nonprofit or for-profit
• Manage the day-to-day operations and onboard key staff and volunteers that help you achieve goals
• Write a business plan, mission statement, and grant proposals that gain funding and help grow the organization
• Manage your finances to the satisfaction of the IRS
• Integrate the latest technology, apps, and social media strategy to aid in volunteer tracking, donation facilitation, and audience outreach

Plus, gain insight and hard-won lessons from nonprofits like the Susan B. Komen Foundation, Prosperity Indiana, the Melanoma International Foundation, and the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits

No matter what kind of nonprofit you want to start, this guide will turn your hope for change into help for a deserving community—starting now!

If you're ready to save the world, here's the book you need.
Rescue a school library. Preserve an endangered species. Support the arts. Whatever it is you want to do to give back to your community, "Starting & Building a Nonprofit"provides the kick start you need.
Filled with user-friendly information, practical advice and step-by-step instructions, this book is your guide through the process of getting your nonprofit up and running. It explains how to:
pick the perfect name for your organization
structure a nonprofit to achieve your goals
choose a federal tax-exempt status
create a mission statement
develop a strategic plan and initial budget
launch a successful fundraising plan
recruit and manage board members and volunteers
hire and train staff
obtain necessary insurance
market your organization
and much more
"Starting & Building a Nonprofit" goes beyond paperwork -- it addresses the big picture, showing you how to create a solvent, efficient organization that will make a real difference. All the forms you'll need are included as tear-outs and on CD-ROM.
And the newly updated 3rd edition has a brand new chapter on building a website for your nonprofit, along with essential new details on getting the word out and marketing your nonprofit.