Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability

by Jeanne Bell, Steve Zimmerman, Jeanne Bell

Praise for NONPROFIT SUSTAINABILITY "This is much more than a financial how-to book. It's a nonprofit's guide to empowerment. It demystifies mission impact and financial viability using The Matrix Map to provide strategic options for any organization. A must-read for every nonprofit CEO, CFO, and board member."
--Julia A. McClendon, chief executive officer, YWCA Elgin, Illinois

"This book should stay within easy reaching distance and end up completely dog-eared because it walks the reader through a practical but sometimes revelatory process of choosing the right mix of programs for mission impact and financial sustainability. Its use is a practice in which every nonprofit should engage its board once a year."
--Ruth McCambridge, editor in chief, The Nonprofit Quarterly

"Up until a few years ago, funding and managing a nonprofit was a bit like undertaking an ocean voyage. Now, it's akin to windsurfing--you must be nimble, prepared to maximize even the slightest breeze, and open to modifying your course at a moment's notice. Innovative executive directors or bold board members who want their organization to be able to ride the big waves of the new American economy must read this book."
--Robert L. E. Egger, president, DC Central Kitchen/Campus Kitchens Project/V3 Campaign

"Most nonprofits struggle to find a long-term sustainable business model that will enable them to deliver impact on their mission. Thanks to Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka, and Steve Zimmerman help is now in sight. This book offers practical, concrete steps you can take to develop your own unique path to sustainability without compromising your mission."
--Heather McLeod Grant, consultant, Monitor Institute, and author, Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits

"At last! An urgently needed framework to prepare leaders to meet head-on the persistent twin challenges of impact and sustainability. This is a practical tool based on good business principles that can bring boards and staff members together to lead their organizations to sustainable futures."
--Nora Silver, adjunct professor and director, Center for Nonprofit and Public Leadership, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

"Together, Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka, and Steve Zimmerman equal wisdom, experience, and know-how on sustainability and lots of other things. Buy, read, and learn from this terrific book!"
--Clara Miller, president and CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund

"Wisdom, experience, and know-how. Buy, read, and learn from this terrific book!"
--Clara Miller, president and CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Sustainability

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2010

Reviews

[Eric Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward and easy to read book on decision making for managers in the non-profit business world. The book centers around a concept author Jeanne Bell calls The Matrix Map. Bell's thesis for the book is that non-profits should look at each business line in terms of profitability and relative impact to mission. Too often organizations look at one while ignoring the other. The Matrix Map is a grid with the x axis being profitability and the y axis as relative impact. Business lines that are profitable and have strong impact are called in the book Stars, lines that lose money but have strong impact are Hearts, lines that make money but with little impact on mission are Money Trees, and lines that neither make money or impact mission are Stop Signs. After outlining the Matrix Map the rest of the book walks through various scenarios and offers ways the Matrix Map can be incorporated in decision making. I found the book to read a bit like a 'For Dummies' title, in that it was easy to read and written in a generally friendly tone. In this vein, I appreciated how anyone would works for a nonprofit could read this and gleam from its recommendations, not just those working in upper management. However, I did question why section four on nonprofit income types was in this book, as it did not seem to touch as much on decision making with the matrix map as other areas. Overall a good read for employees of a non-profit organization.

[LG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very straightforward nonprofit book. But don't let it's simplicity fool you. Really great tool for tough decision making. I will definitely come back to this book.

[Bea Bezmalinovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific resource for small nonprofits that don't have access to sophisticated financial expertise. This book describes practical, realistic exercises that can help organizations of all sizes, although I think it is a special gift for boards, directors and staff at small non-profits. It spells out a solid way to analyze programs for impact and financial sustainability and describes what to do when programs fall short on impact or funding.

[Margaret Heller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super helpful short guide to understanding where a nonprofit organization is, some strategies for moving forward, and thinking strategically about the future.

[Girish Chandankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insights on how to assess the programs and build an effective strategy. A little repetitive, could have been more crisp.

[Rhythima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good explanation of how organisation leaders should strategize for better impact vs profitability decisions.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting framework for determining next steps at a nonprofit.

[Meepspeeps · Rating 3 out of 5]

A board I'm on assigned this book. I think the matrix is a good one, especially for boards deciding which programs within a nonprofit should continue, and which may be time to discontinue. The content is a rehash of old ideas to me, but the actual exercise of mapping programs onto the matrix as described seemed worthwhile to me.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful, and many good pieces to think and talk through. I like and appreciate the grid tool they use, but by the end of the book its grown a bit old as the end all do all solution. I will refer back to this often in my work.

[Laurie Neighbors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty obvious stuff.

[Hangali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful book for looking at the linked worlds of program development/evaluation and financial sustainability.

[Sarah]

Recommended by Dan

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super quick read that includes guidance on building a matrix tool that we found extremely useful during strategic planning.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an EXCELLENT read for people at all levels in nonprofit organizations. A good, clear concept and financial tool for evaluating your programs both by impact and profitability.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on the request of the CEO of the BOD I'm on. It was an interesting book, and I definitely gained insight into balancing mission impact vs financial decisions.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read with lots of great information and ideas.