Saving Money in Nonprofit Organizations: More than 100 Money-Saving Ideas, Tips, and Strategies for Reducing Expenses Without Cutting Your Budget (Jossey-Bass Nonprofit and Public Management Series) [Paperback]

Gregory J. Dabel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787945153 | ISBN-13: 978-0787945152 | Publication Date: October 30, 1998 | Edition: 1st

A very practical, walk-away-with-dozens-of-new-ideas book for nonprofit managers who face the constant challenge of increasing income and reducing expenses. The author not only encourages good fiscal management, he motivates the reader and provides a road map for saving a lot of money.
--John Pearson, CEO, Christian Management Association

A straightforward, no-nonsense guide to streamlining expenses without sacrificing valuable programs and services.

Even in a good national economy, nonprofit organizations can have tight financial constraints. And since most nonprofits are already operating close to the fiscal balance line, they feel the financial pinch sooner and more acutely than business or government when the economy takes a downward spin.

This nuts-and-bolts resource will help you find ways to:

--Effectively balance your budget

--Minimize spending through thirty general money-saving principles and opportunities

--Maximize your organization's various assets

--Save money on personnel costs without firing anyone

--Reduce office equipment and supply costs

--Negotiate the best possible price with vendors--Develop long- and short-term strategies for expense reduction

--Create an action plan as well as a cost-saving team

The money-saving tips that Gregory Dabel presents in this useful guide will benefit even those organizations whose revenues are thriving. Saving Money in Nonprofit Organizations is for professionals who are ready to take action and improve their financial bottom lines.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A very practical, walk-away-with-dozens-of-new-ideas book for nonprofit managers who face the constant challenge of increasing income and reducing expenses. The author not only encourages good fiscal management, he motivates the reader and provides a road map for saving a lot of money." (John Pearson, CEO, Christian Management Association)

"You have heard of authors and publishers guaranteeing their books. How about a guarantee from a disinterested third party like me? If you can't find enough good ideas in this book to save its purchase price many times over, I will personally send you a check to refund what you spent. Greg Dabel's book is that practical." (Joel Belz, publisher, WORLD magazine)

"This is a superb book for the 1990s when money to run nonprofits is harder to come by. I heartily recommAnd the book. This book is an investment that will pay for itself almost immediately and will keep on saving money if its principles are put into action." (Bill Lyon, executive director, Match-Two Prisoner Outreach)

"Saving Money in Nonprofit Organizations is an excellent practical resource for small -and mid-sized nonprofit organizations. Greg Dabel's book will be used over and over by nonprofit managers." (Elizabeth Schaffer, staff consultant, Support Center for Nonprofit Management)

About the Author

GREGORY J. DABEL is head of the nonprofit consulting firm Stewardship Services. He frequently presents at workshops and conferences across the country sponsored by The National Alliance for Nonprofit Management (formerly known as Support Centers of America), the Christian Management Association, and others. Dabel is also an international correspondent for WORLD magazine and a columnist for the Sonoma West Times & News.

Product Details

• Paperback: 115 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (October 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787945153
• ISBN-13: 978-0787945152
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,336,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 15% Saved is 15% Earned, June 29, 2000

By 

Tim Siegel/Development Solutions (Takoma Park, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saving Money in Nonprofit Organizations: More than 100 Money-Saving Ideas, Tips, and Strategies for Reducing Expenses Without Cutting Your Budget (Jossey-Bass Nonprofit and Public Management Series) (Paperback)

The author does deliver on the promise to shave 15% off a nonprofit's budget. All of the 100+ tips (across a broad range of expense areas) for shaving costs are practical and require limited time or money to implement. Though any nonprofit organization will benefit from many of these tested ideas, organizations under $10 million in budget should especially be able to adopt many of the suggestions due to flatter heirarchies and quicker decisions by senior staff. I know of no other text that comes close to being so extensive or so practical.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book saves money AND an organization's existence, June 8, 2005

By 

Robin Orlowski "political activist" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving Money in Nonprofit Organizations: More than 100 Money-Saving Ideas, Tips, and Strategies for Reducing Expenses Without Cutting Your Budget (Jossey-Bass Nonprofit and Public Management Series) (Paperback)

The upside of working for a non-profit is getting to act on your beliefs for the public good while still getting paid. The downside is that working for the public good necessitates tight budgets. Changing the world IS expensive, but can be done with thoughtful planning.

Sharply at odds with a 'fat cat' image of politics, the non profit MUST know how to make the most use of their organization's resources in order to remain relevant to their service area and organization mission statements. Reading this book reminded me of an organization I had worked with because they started out with noble intentions, but ultimately folded only because the other staff did not understand the necessity of budgeting or how non-profits differ from private-sector corporate charity initiatives.

I'm sure that Dabel has his own horror stories of an organization which forgot to balance idealism with fiscal prudence, but such reminiscing is not the focus of this book. Instead, Dabel provides simple, ready-to-do steps which most non-profits can and should easily undertake. The best organization committed to the best cause in the world will be ineffective when it does not have money for campaign supplies or even an organizing space.

Although he does mention the role which volunteers and interns can play in advancing an organization's goals while lowering the economic overhead, Dabel did not appear to fully appreciate their potential range of contributions in an organization. Having both been an intern and then worked at numerous non-profit organizations where paid staff topped out around 4 people, I ardently believe that unpaid work cannot be underestimated as being one of those practical solutions.

Overall however, this was a good book. I would feel comfortable recommending it to both the non-profit co-worker/colleague and people (such as my family) who need a jargon-free book on the economic/social work environments of non-profits.

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't Put it Down, January 1, 2011

By 

Caprice L. Williams (Itasca, TX, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Saving Money in Nonprofit Organizations: More than 100 Money-Saving Ideas, Tips, and Strategies for Reducing Expenses Without Cutting Your Budget (Jossey-Bass Nonprofit and Public Management Series) (Paperback)

I love to read but within the first few pages if what I am reading does not grab my attention, I will not finish it. This book immediately grabbed my attention and I can't put it down. It gives insight on how a non-profit organization can save money by using simple task. Some of the ideas listed are common sense tactics but alot of the tips are things that a director of a non-profit would not think of doing to save money. This book is very easy to read and understand and it is not long and drawn out. I highly recommend this book.