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How to Be a Global Nonprofit: Legal and Practical Guidance for International Activities
Solid guidance for the complex legal issues faced by international nonprofits When a nonprofit operates across borders, whether by making grants or directly operating programs, the interaction among legal requirements of two or more countries quickly becomes highly complex. How To Be A Global Nonprofit fills a need for legal and practical guidance for nonprofit organizations with international activities, and includes ten case studies to provide insights into the ways real organizations have dealt with various legal and practical issues. Along the way, it skillfully explores alternatives for advancing a nonprofit's mission across borders, while also looking at the legal and practical issues nonprofits encounter as they work internationally. Not long ago international philanthropy was the province of large organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Save the Children. This has radically changed. How to Be a Global Nonprofit thoroughly explores the legal and practical issues nonprofits encounter as they work internationally and the resources required to deal with them.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 25, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 17, 2020
A great resource for those working in nonprofits. Exciting? No. But full of helpful, practical, technical information.
July 28, 2016
I am not the audience for this book. I was given this book by its author when she volunteered at an event with which I was involved a couple of years ago and finally got around to reading it.
Lisa Norton is a Seattle-based attorney who specializes in helping international non-profits. This book lays out a check-list of questions that anyone wishing to start such an organization should consider. It begins by addressing the fundamental questions of what the founder is trying to accomplish and whether founding a new not-for-profit makes sense at all; it then moves on to things such as what legal structure makes the most sense, how to hire employees, how to avoid troublesome tax situations and how to deal with corruption.
A fair amount of the material is quite technical, and it's probable that Norton never intended anyone to read this book from cover to cover. In many chapters and sections, her advice winds up being, "hire a local attorney who is familiar with the culture and law of the country in which you're working." Which is good advice, but not particularly scintillating to read over and over again. If you're not planning to start a global non-profit organization, you will likely find it tedious. On the bright side, the case studies of several successful not-for-profit organizations that have successfully navigated the types of challenges outlined in the book are actually quite good and will probably hold your interest.
For those who don't have an immediate interest in starting a non-profit, I would not recommend this book. If you are planning to start an international charitable organization of some sort, I would recommend picking and choosing which sections to read based on your particular needs. Although dull for the average reader, I think this book could have real value as a field guide for implementation.
Lisa Norton is a Seattle-based attorney who specializes in helping international non-profits. This book lays out a check-list of questions that anyone wishing to start such an organization should consider. It begins by addressing the fundamental questions of what the founder is trying to accomplish and whether founding a new not-for-profit makes sense at all; it then moves on to things such as what legal structure makes the most sense, how to hire employees, how to avoid troublesome tax situations and how to deal with corruption.
A fair amount of the material is quite technical, and it's probable that Norton never intended anyone to read this book from cover to cover. In many chapters and sections, her advice winds up being, "hire a local attorney who is familiar with the culture and law of the country in which you're working." Which is good advice, but not particularly scintillating to read over and over again. If you're not planning to start a global non-profit organization, you will likely find it tedious. On the bright side, the case studies of several successful not-for-profit organizations that have successfully navigated the types of challenges outlined in the book are actually quite good and will probably hold your interest.
For those who don't have an immediate interest in starting a non-profit, I would not recommend this book. If you are planning to start an international charitable organization of some sort, I would recommend picking and choosing which sections to read based on your particular needs. Although dull for the average reader, I think this book could have real value as a field guide for implementation.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews