University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The Little Book of Nonprofit Leadership
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The Little Book of Nonprofit Leadership

An Executive Director's Handbook for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits

Erik Hanberg
Erik Hanberg, 2021
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Erik Hanberg offers an excellent how-to manual for executive directors of non-profits – essential reading for those who lead or hope to lead small, community-based non-profits, and for their board members. The author provides concrete examples of the challenges facing leaders of small non-profits and deals with the nitty-gritty of managing staff, working with the board of directors, fundraising and preparing a budget. Hanberg includes sample budgets, models of emails to essential stakeholders, and talking points to use with donors and senior board members. He even suggests strategies leaders can use to ask for a raise.

Summary

Executive directors of non-profits need to understand their job description and be flexible, as needed.

The work of executive directors of small non-profits testifies to their personal devotion to their organization’s cause or services. These smaller not-for-profit organizations have budgets of less than $1 million – often far less – so salaries may be modest. Yet, good executive directors are passionate about their agency’s mission. 

Committed to that purpose, these dedicated leaders risk forgetting that their main executive role is to lead and manage. Their job is not to work at the non-profit, but to work on it. 

For example, consider this fictitious case history: Linda, the executive director of the Smallville Historical Society, loves history and grew up in Smallville. After a short career working for an insurance company and taking time at home to raise her children, Linda took her current job as head of the Historical Society. The non-profit’s main focus is to educate local students about the town’s early days by offering school groups tours of its historic frontier cabin.

About the Author

Erik Hanberg has 20 years of nonprofit experience at organizations of all sizes.

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