For Summer Reading, Check Out These Books

By Margie Fleming Glennon
Chief Content Officer

July 5, 2018 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Engine of Impact; Measure What Matters; New Power.

Here’s a list of books on nonprofit management and leadership recommended by Chronicle reporters and editors.

Engine of Impact: Essentials of Strategic Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector by William F. Meehan III and Kim Starkey Jonker (2017, Stanford University Press). The authors identify seven elements of leadership necessary for a nonprofit to excel, and offer advice on dealing with challenges that differ from those of for-profit companies.

Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr (2018, Portfolio/Penguin). The venture capitalist explains how to set and meet audacious goals using OKRs (objectives and key results). Includes discussion of Gates and philanthropy.

New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World — and How to Make It Work for You by Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms (2018, Doubleday). The authors demonstrate how today’s interconnected world puts power in the hands of many rather than a few, and they explain how this “new power” is redefining how we work, who governs us, and more.

Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up, and Make a Difference by Kathleen Kelly Janus (2018, Da Capo Life Long Publishers). The author, a lecturer on social entrepreneurship at Stanford University, interviewed more than 200 nonprofit leaders to create this playbook on what new nonprofits must do to grow steadily, attract support, and succeed.

Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World by Scott Harrison (Currency; Available for preorder, on sale October 2, 2018). The founder of Charity: Water recounts how a personal turning point led him to found a global charity that has brought clean water to more than 8 million people since 2006. All of the author’s net proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Charity: Water projects.

The Work: Searching for a Life That Matters by Wes Moore (2015, Spiegel & Grau). The army veteran, best-selling author, and new head of the Robin Hood Foundation shares his quest for a life with purpose and offers lessons about taking risks, self-discovery, and service.

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About the Author

Margie Fleming Glennon

Chief Content Officer

Margie oversees the editorial team at the Chronicle of Philanthropy and all content the Chronicle produces, including online coverage, its magazine, reports, online training, and live online events. Before joining The Chronicle, Margie worked in nonprofit communications for many years. She was communications director at the nonprofit Share Our Strength and at the International Center for Journalists, where she oversaw the launch of the International Journalists’ Network, a website dedicated to sharing media news, training opportunities, and expert advice with journalists worldwide. Previously, Margie also handled public affairs for the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal planning agency for Washington, D.C., and was publications director at the Annenberg Washington Program, a communications policy think tank. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Georgetown University and completed an editing and publications program at Georgetown University.