Customer Reviews

Starting & Building a Nonprofit: A Practical Guide

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I was interested in learning everything that I needed to know about setting up a nonprofit organization, step-by-step. I wanted to know the right questions to ask an attorney and do as much of the groundwork as possible to help save costs.

Attorney Peri Pakroo has done a superb job. This book was EXCELLENTLY written, easy to understand, thorough, and presented in a concise format. I found the price to be quite reasonable considering that it ALSO contained a CD that had various checklists.

So much of forming a nonprofit organization is just following directions (but you NEED to FOLLOW the directions perfectly) and doing steps A-Z. (There are a LOT of steps!) "Starting and Building a Nonprofit...." made following these directions clear and straightforward to get you through each step.

At the same time, because they were featured together - I also ordered "Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Your Nonprofit Organization" by Ms. Cellaneous based on a lot of excellent reviews. In my opinion, it didn't begin to cover the process of all the steps needed to form an organization.

Thankfully, I ordered THIS book as well...because frankly, it was the only book I found I needed.

Very simple, and not very useful. I bought this first, thinking it was the cheaper Nolo Nonprofit book. In the first few chapters there are at least 6 or 7 little comments "*NOTE: SEE MANCUSO* for more information". So many notices that it reads like an ad for the Mancuso book. On that point, I agree, Mancuso is much more detailed and helpful.

The 'forms' provided on the CD rom are only computer versions of the checklists that are printed at the end of each chapter. Total waste of plastic.

This book is titled "Starting and Building a Nonprofit". Let me assure you that it does not contain enough information to do so. It seems fine at first glance, but then you start to notice the large number of references to other books in lieu of content when it comes time to actually do something intricate (like filing for 501(c)(3) status).

This book will not tell you how to file for 501(c)(3) status, a major milestone in formation of a nonprofit. In fact, it only devotes one tiny paragraph on the top right of page 29 to the subject, and this paragraph merely refers to another book. It won't tell you how to draft articles of incorporation or bylaws, yielding only another paragraph and another reference (and suggestion to consult a lawyer - while a good idea, this is not always a financially practical move for new organizations).

They don't tell you anything about trademarks, either. Another reference on page 10 is all the discussion you get.

I was hoping the chapter on marketing would be helpful as well, but no, all you get is another reference.

This sort of thing just happens again and again throughout the book. They seem to explain everything except the most vital information that you need to know.

The bottom line is that this book cannot stand on its own. I'd rather go with something more comprehensive.

I was interested in this book because so many of my clients and workshop attendees think they want to start a Non-Profit organization instead of a Business (for Profit). This book is a good introduction and general information resource. I will recommend it to my clients who are leaning toward Non instead of For-Profit. Many people (particularly the women and minorities that I work with) think it is easier to start and run a Non-Profit than a Business. The realistic explanations and comparisons in this book put that myth to rest. Peri Pakroo's book provides sound explanations and advice that help readers come to the right conclusion about Non or For-Profit. It covers important topics such as Naming, Incorporating, Tax-Exempt Status, Mission Definition, Strategic Planning and Budget Development. I found the Budget and the Fund Raising chapters especially beneficial because too many people think that "if I start it, they will give" and this is not a safe assumption to make. Another important and beneficial chapter is the one on Staff and Volunteers. Having consulted to and volunteered with many Non Profits I am often saddened to see worthwhile organizations and projects fail because of poor decisions about staffing and use of volunteers. This may not be the book for you if you are ready to start a Non Profit, but it is very helpful to those still in the thinking stage.

I am in the process of getting a non-profit started to administrate projects and seek grant funding to work in E. Africa, and this book has been AMAZING! Our group is experienced at aid work, but completely inexperienced with the details of how to set up the non-profit, and what things we need to know now to prevent later problems in attaining our 501(c)(3) designation. It is full of practical procedures, written in a simple and straightforward way, and has been very easy to follow. So far, we are sailing through the process with very little problem, mostly because of this info. I'd say this is a must for anyone starting a non-profit on their own without the help of expensive lawyers.

Last year I considered starting a nonprofit in my area that would work to curb the divorce rate. I understand marital issues but have no idea about the ins and outs of non-profits so I purchased this book and it was exactly what I needed. It covers the step-by-step process of getting your non-profit off the ground and is extremely easy to understand. Whether you're starting a small sports league, a club, or a larger community wide organization, this book will steer you in the right direction.

Even though this book is quite comprehensive, it would be good to surround yourself with people who understand the nonprofit world because it is impossible to know everything about running one. This was good advice given by the book and probably the most important thing I learned. The book will not make you an expert but you will be able to discuss the business intellectually.

For those who are familiar with the non-profit industry, this book would be good to refreshen yourself on the basic principals, otherwise, you may want to consider How to Form A Nonprofit Corporation by Anthony Mancuso. The Pakroo book references it quite often and it seemingly handles laws of the nonprofit world in greater detail. Some reviewers of Pakroo believe you should just go straight to the Mancuso book. Not having read it, I can't say but this does make sense.

I wish it handled the sections on board meetings a little better. It discussed this in an extensive way but when a non-profit is just getting started, they won't be terribly formal. I didn't feel prepared to be the director of the meetings, but I suppose experience is the best teacher. I had to look up the rules of order on the internet to get a grasp of how things should be handled.

The book is inspirational and easy to read.

Nolo has a solid reputation in the business and law book field, so it comes as no surprise that Starting & Building a Nonprofit: A Practical Guide is a fairly comprehensive, easy-to-use guide for forming a nonprofit. The book describes the steps on should take when initially creating a nonprofit and during the first few years of a nonprofit's existence.

The topics presented in the book include naming your organization, developing a strategic plan, budgeting and finances, board of directors, staff and volunteers, insurance, contracts, traditional and online marketing, publishing, and legal assistance. The book also comes with a cd that contains a checklist for each major topic as well as examples of some common documents, such as a volunteer agreement. The author includes real and fictional examples, as well as tips on where to find additional resources for each topic covered.

While the book covers a wide array of topics, I did notice some fairly obvious subjects missing. Areas not covered include structuring your nonprofit's mission to avoid copious overlap with other organizations and locating an affordable and visible office location, among others. As a result, I found this guide highly informative, but I would definitely not suggest people use it as their sole resource when creating their nonprofit.

Found this manual and companion CD an excellent resource while I am in the process of converting a community organization into a non-profit. Aside from the practical advice of what you need to know, it also provides a warning for mistakes you must avoid.

Thoughtful, concise and essential. Highly recommended.

This book provides a general outline for starting a nonprofit. Some areas are covered in fairly good detail, others are skimmed over with references to other books. I think topics like trademarks and filing for 501(c) require a more detailed discussion than would be practical within the scope of this book. But there still could have been a bit more on some of the topics.

I did learn a lot from this book, especially about accounting for nonprofits. Overall, this is a good introduction and has given me a basic framework of knowledge and pointers to areas where I need to do more research.

Nonprofits provide important services and support many important missions both locally and globally. But it can be difficult to create and build a nonprofit that will serve its mission and make a difference. There are many differences between a for profit corporation and a nonprofit. Fortunately, Nolo, a company that makes the law accessible to anyone, has an excellent guide to help you get started or to help you continue along if you are started but having trouble building it to where you want it to go. The 4th Edition of "Starting & Building a Nonprofit A Practical Guide" by Peri H. Pakroo, J.D., is an essential guide to help you get your nonprofit up and running and, most importantly, keep it going.

Like most Nolo books, it is organized in an easy manner to allow the reader to gain the most information in a usable manner. The short introduction provides some nonprofit basics and a few words on running a nonprofit.

After the introduction, there are chapters that focus on naming and structuring your nonprofit, developing your strategic plan, developing your initial budget, your board of directors, your workforce of staff and volunteers, fundraising, risk management and insurance, understanding contracts and agreements, marketing your nonprofit, publishing informational materials, spreading the word online about your nonprofit, managing your finances, and getting professional help.

These chapters provide good general information. They provide the basics. However, you will want to learn more about some of these topics. Take fundraising for instance. This is a very important area for nonprofits, and Nolo actually has a couple of other books that focus just on this one topic. So while the chapter in this book provides some general guidance, you may want to further your reading in this area with additional resources. I also appreciate the chapter on getting professional help, because while this book is good with general information, there are some areas where you really should seek the advice of a professional and working with attorneys and accountants will be important for the nonprofit that wants to succeed.

The book comes with a CD-Rom that contains a number of forms and checklists to assist you with your organization. These forms and checklists go along with the various chapters in the book. There are also hard copies in the back of the book.

This is an easy book to read with a lot of good information to assist you with starting a nonprofit or if you are working at building a nonprofit, to create an efficient organization that will make a difference. It is not the only reference you will need, and in fact the book recommends other Nolo titles to help with forming a nonprofit corporation and fundraising. I do recommend this book as a starting place to anyone working with a nonprofit, especially board of directors, executive directors, or someone wanting to know what it takes to start one. And it is a good reference for an Executive Director or Board member to read and have on the shelf.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., Executive Director of the Community Dispute Resolution Center of Missoula County and author of a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer.