The Art of Doing Good: Where Passion Meets Action - Hardcover

Solomon, Jeffrey; Bronfman, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1118264355 ISBN 13: 9781118264355

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2012

Synopsis

How to turn personal passion into an organization with impact

For anyone setting out to change the world, launching a nonprofit venture can be a powerful way to enact change. Whether bringing donated eyeglasses to children who have never seen clearly, revamping inner city schools, or bringing solar cookers to refugee camps, the act of doing good can be life-changing. Yet starting a nonprofit?and running it well?can also pose challenges. The Art of Doing Good is an essential companion for anyone looking to start an organization that makes a real difference.

Drawing from their own leadership roles in the nonprofit world, as well as interviews with 18 celebrated social innovators, the authors prepare would-be social entrepreneurs with guidance and real-world advice for sustaining the spirit, ambition, and ingenuity to keep their vision alive and thriving.

• Features real-life stories of 18 notable social entrepreneurs and the organizations they run, including Geoffrey Canada (Harlem Children?s Zone), Darell Hammond (KaBOOM!), and Michael Brown (City Year)
  
• Reveals what particular issues nonprofit leaders can expect to face throughout the lifespan of their organization and shares strategies for meeting challenges
  
• Written by world-renowned philanthropists Bronfman and Solomon, respectively cofounder and CEO of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies and coauthors of The Art of Giving

With thoughtful and comprehensive insight on how the most effective social ventures do good well,The Art of Doing Good is essential reading for both new and experienced nonprofit leaders.

About this title

Review

Q & A with Authors Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon

Charles Bronfman Jeffrey Solomon Why did you write The Art of Doing Good?

When we wrote our first book, The Art of Giving, we aimed to help and guide those giving away money. Here, in The Art of Doing Good, we address those who want to give through their creativity and vision. In our own experience as philanthropists, we've seen firsthand how a nonprofit organization can fill an unmet or emerging need and quite literally create great change in individual lives, in communities, and even more broadly.

We live in an age and in an environment where entrepreneurs are driven to change the world through both for-profit and nonprofit channels. But we believe that visionaries whose product is lifting lives, reducing burdens, and serving a greater good need the direction and lessons of others who have already transformed an "a-ha" moment into an engine for change, effect, and joy. That is a big and challenging jump. The Art of Doing Good bridges that gap.

One of the many incredible challenges for those trying to make a social breakthrough is that it can be very lonely. It can be very difficult to find peers and mentors when you are forging new territory. So we see The Art of Doing Good as an informed companion on the road to creating impact. We hope it gives would-be social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders the tools, resources, and critical mindset to reach success.

Who should read The Art of Doing Good?

Clearly, there are multiple audiences for The Art of Doing Good. It is directed first at those who are looking to be social entrepreneurs. They have an idea to pursue and develop-with the potential to create a desirable, positive impact in the world. We want to help them fulfill that vision.

For those who have already established a nonprofit organization, The Art of Doing Good will help them question or review decisions they've made, such as how to reevaluate their mission statements, scale growth, and keep their passion intact even as it evolves. And of course it will be useful to students in nonprofit education, to stakeholders, and to nonprofit leaders in pursuit of professional development.

How did you choose the eighteen social entrepreneurs featured in The Art of Doing Good?

We evaluated a good many-literally hundreds-of social entrepreneurs. The ones chosen each vividly illustrate a critical point in the inception, creation, growth, and development of a social venture. Taken as a whole, they offer a cross-section of size, scope, reach, diversity, approach, and effect. For anyone with a vision for social entrepreneurship, these eighteen founders are peers whose struggles and successes can provide invaluable, universal lessons.

What commonalities and shared experiences did you find among the social entrepreneurs?

There are a number of common characteristics embodied by all successful social entrepreneurs, and these form the framework of The Art of Doing Good. In short, successful social entrepreneurs don't take no as a final answer, and they aren't afraid to ask for something and put themselves out there. This clearly emerged from the conversations we had with them. To a great extent, they are driven to overcome barriers. They implicitly realize that having an idea may not be enough unless one has the power to fuel it, grow it, and sustain it.

From the Back Cover

Praise for The Art of Doing Good

"A nuanced and thorough portrait of the phenomenon of generosity in action, by visionary practitioners not only of the art of doing good, but of the art of transforming society. If the world is to be repaired and redeemed, it will be through the work of Bronfman and Solmon, the visionaries they write about in this book, and the visionaries they will yet inspire."
—Frederick M. Lawrence, president, Brandeis University

"In The Art of Doing Good, Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon vividly describe the feelings of overwhelming challenge, unbridled passion, and consuming purpose that every social entrepreneur experiences when establishing a new organization. Providing inspiration and thoughtful advice, this book is for both aspiring social entrepreneurs and accomplished practitioners, helping them navigate the myriad trials and opportunities they will encounter as agents of change."
—Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, author, New York Times bestseller Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World

"Charles Bronfman's goodness is displayed through his inspiration, talent, and passion for philanthropy, and The Art of Doing Good is a masterpiece for all to enjoy—not just nonprofits alone. It is about how each and every one of us can leave our own mark in society through our own positive creations."
—Robert K. Kraft, chairman and CEO, New England Patriots and The Kraft Group

"Charles Bronfman and Jeff Solomon's new book crackles with compelling portraits of social change. Aspiring leaders will return to these stories again and again to find both inspiration and practical advice for their own journeys."
—Susan Wolf Ditkoff, partner and cohead, philanthropy practice, The Bridgespan Group

"Charles Bronfman has been involved in the charitable world for his entire life. His knowledge combined with his passion creates effective giving. Philanthropists will find his insights not only interesting, but helpful, as they move forward on their own path of giving."
—Bernie Marcus, chairman, The Marcus Foundation, and cofounder, The Home Depot

About this edition

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1118264355
• ISBN 13: 9781118264355
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288