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How to Launch a High-Impact Nonprofit
In How to Launch a High-Impact Nonprofit, a team of experts who themselves have helped launch 18 evidence-based charities (and counting) break down what it really takes to build impactful organizations.
Even small charities can improve hundreds of thousands of lives each year if they are focused on cost-effectiveness and based on rigorous research. The authors unpack the profile of these rare, much-needed organizations and invite you to consider your own potential for success in what might be the highest-impact career path in the world.
This book is the distillation of years of both running and teaching effective charity practices. It forms the backbone of the annual Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program and is designed to help you understand the mindset of the most effective founders and how they shape their start-ups to maximize impact per dollar donated.
It’s a no-nonsense, accessible handbook. The authors tackle tough questions, shining a light on the limits and shortcomings of their knowledge and the challenges you’ll face. It’s also a practical resource guide where you’ll find direct examples, valuable templates, thoughtful discussions, and next steps.
Even small charities can improve hundreds of thousands of lives each year if they are focused on cost-effectiveness and based on rigorous research. The authors unpack the profile of these rare, much-needed organizations and invite you to consider your own potential for success in what might be the highest-impact career path in the world.
This book is the distillation of years of both running and teaching effective charity practices. It forms the backbone of the annual Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program and is designed to help you understand the mindset of the most effective founders and how they shape their start-ups to maximize impact per dollar donated.
It’s a no-nonsense, accessible handbook. The authors tackle tough questions, shining a light on the limits and shortcomings of their knowledge and the challenges you’ll face. It’s also a practical resource guide where you’ll find direct examples, valuable templates, thoughtful discussions, and next steps.
440 pages, Paperback
Published December 15, 2021
31 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 1, 2022
I found this book uniquely helpful. How to launch a high-impact nonprofit is a comprehensive guide that teaches real skills any excellent charity entrepreneur should know. It also gives a good insight into what it is like to be found an effective non-profit.
I particularly found the resources on making good decisions, and gathering support helpful. In fact, I think the making good decisions sections might be the best intro and guide to general decision-making that I have come across.
I recommend this book to anyone who has founded or is curious about what it is like to found a charity.
I particularly found the resources on making good decisions, and gathering support helpful. In fact, I think the making good decisions sections might be the best intro and guide to general decision-making that I have come across.
I recommend this book to anyone who has founded or is curious about what it is like to found a charity.
January 21, 2022
I got recommended this book as I'm starting a charity soon and it exceed my expectations. This book covers pretty much everything you'll need in the first couple of years and suggests further resources for the future (if you'd like to delve even deeper into each topic). Each chapter is very comprehensive but short enough to keep you interested. It seems like all the best advice from the years of charity entrepreneurship experience was collected, combined with the industry best practice, and organised into neat chapters. I was delighted to find answers to some questions I had for a long time: "how do you speak to potential donors?" or "how to you make the right decisions and trade-offs"? It felt really validating to read about the common fears and worries of new founders and made me feel like we're in it together and all problems have solutions. My thinking became more rational and evidence-based - the book is not just about building charities, but also making the right decisions and balancing responsibilities. I've actually recommended this book to my friends who are involved in effective altruism organisations (not necessarily in a founder capacity) and they borrowed some tips from it too. The best thing is having this book to refer to in the future too as my organisation grows. Really recommended!
January 21, 2022
Charity Entrepreneurship's book on How to Launch a Non-profit extensively covers all the aspects you'd need to consider when starting a non-profit, from the potential common pitfalls your charity could fall into to very practical day-to-day advice operations e.g hiring, registering, and measurement and evaluation.
More than just a guidebook for launching a charity, it's an inspiring book on how to make the world a better place and empowers the reader to take matters into their own hands, take action and start an effective non-profit!
More than just a guidebook for launching a charity, it's an inspiring book on how to make the world a better place and empowers the reader to take matters into their own hands, take action and start an effective non-profit!
April 11, 2022
This is what our world needs.
August 30, 2025
I recommend this book for social entrepreneurs whose values align with the principles of effective altruism or those who would consider charity entrepreneurship as a career option
January 19, 2022
This was the most useful book I read in 2021. It's an amazing book for people interested in making a large impact with their career, especially those interested in starting a charity or working for one. They tell you why and how to start a high-impact charity, while giving you the tools and tips to make great decisions as a charity entrepreneur, which are useful even if you don't start a charity. Give it a read!
December 22, 2025
Probably second most important book I read this year. I can't believe I put it down once and haven't picked it up until I became interested in (and actually considered for) a leadership position at a nonprofit.
Turns out that it's a textbook encompassing ~everything one needs to know to run a non-profit from ensuring this is the right career path, through decision making frameworks and cause areas, to recruitment and leadership. Some of it might be known to people who are familiar with other business or management literature but this book has it condensed and applied to a specific case of EA charities.
Turns out that it's a textbook encompassing ~everything one needs to know to run a non-profit from ensuring this is the right career path, through decision making frameworks and cause areas, to recruitment and leadership. Some of it might be known to people who are familiar with other business or management literature but this book has it condensed and applied to a specific case of EA charities.
April 13, 2024
Two outstanding feature of this book is:
-it uses the metaphor of building a rocket ship to deliver the understanding of creatin your own nonprofit
-it uses the examples of the much overshadowed sector of animal charities as an application of the learnings
This book is well structured for easy understanding, well referenced & with a comprehensive list of supporting resources. It is imperative to read this book in tandem with The Lean Startup (Eric Ries) to further your entrepreneurship journey.
-it uses the metaphor of building a rocket ship to deliver the understanding of creatin your own nonprofit
-it uses the examples of the much overshadowed sector of animal charities as an application of the learnings
This book is well structured for easy understanding, well referenced & with a comprehensive list of supporting resources. It is imperative to read this book in tandem with The Lean Startup (Eric Ries) to further your entrepreneurship journey.
April 19, 2023
Bible to social entrepreneurs but not only!
Contains concise yet exhaustive guidelines of how to build a successful project.
Don't be fooled by its title, as the science you find in could be applicable to all kinds of organizations.
The references mentioned in it are also worth mentioning as they dig into valuable topics as the science of "manipulating" people, and find a good co-founder for instance.
Definitely worthwhile !
Contains concise yet exhaustive guidelines of how to build a successful project.
Don't be fooled by its title, as the science you find in could be applicable to all kinds of organizations.
The references mentioned in it are also worth mentioning as they dig into valuable topics as the science of "manipulating" people, and find a good co-founder for instance.
Definitely worthwhile !
January 21, 2022
This book changed the course of my professional (and perhaps personal) life for the better! I highly recommend it to anyone even remotely considering starting a charitable endeavor. Wish you all a highly impactful career!
July 2, 2023
Useful, concise and applicable.
October 21, 2022
Fantastic book that holistically does what it says on the tin. I most appreciated the sharp, example laden advice that fairly set out both the pros and cons of various approaches.
August 2, 2022
Great and straight-forward advice on many aspects of charities and nonprofits from an effective altruism perspective.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews