What Counts: Social Accounting for NonProfits and Cooperatives [Paperback]

Jack Quarter (Author), Laurie Mook (Author), Betty Jane Richmond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0130463051 | ISBN-13: 978-0130463050 | Edition: 1

Social accounting focuses on the effects of an organization on its communities of interest—this book specifically focuses on non-profit firms and cooperatives. Quarter/Mook/Richmond look at how nonprofits and cooperatives create value and how they can measure their social performance. The book makes extensive use of models that can be applied by nonprofits and cooperatives. The models are explained in detail and there is a how-to chapter that is oriented towards managers and directors of nonprofits and cooperatives. These models include volunteer contributions and other social inputs that normally are not given a monetary value within financial statements. For anyone who «keeps the books» for nonprofit organizations and cooperatives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As more people become concerned about the social impact of economic activities ... communities want to understand and recognize what the social economy does for them in creating social cohesion. This book makes a central contribution for people wishing to meet these needs. It belongs, its pages turned and reflected upon, in the boardrooms and among the memberships of all cooperatives and, indeed, all like-minded institutions." — Ian MacPherson, Director, British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies

"This book is very significant in providing the beginnings of an alternative social accounting that can actually be described conceptually, with procedures spelled out in a 'how-to-do' manner. I cannot rave enough about the significance and value of this book." — Thomasina Borkman, George Mason University

"With new questions arising every day to challenge the contributions that nonprofits make to our communities, it is essential that we have the tools to clearly demonstrate our worth. This book holds out the promise that we can meet this challenge. For those of us on the firing line, Quarter, Mook, and Richmond give us the ammunition we need to answer the communities' questions." — Bill Benet, Executive Director, Rochester Council on Occupational Safety and Health

From the Back Cover

How do nonprofit organizations add value to communities? How can they create social capital out of the dollars invested in them? Can nonprofits and cooperatives measure their social performance and make their business case? How can nonprofits justify the public's trust in them? How can nonprofits measure their outputs with more accuracy?

What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives answers these questions and more. Jack Quarter, Laurie Mook, and Betty Jane Richmond from the University of Toronto go beyond traditional accounting and tell the story of nonprofit and cooperative performance.

Touted by many sector leaders, both domestically and internationally, this book will appeal to:

• Nonprofit and Cooperative Managers, Members, Staff, and Boards
• Instructors in Nonprofit Management, Business, Public Administration, Community Development, Cooperative Studies, and Accounting
• Volunteer Coordinators
• Government Funders, Donors, Foundations
• Social Researchers and Policy-Makers

What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives starts where accounting leaves off, with methods for calculating

• Outputs
• Volunteer Value
• Social Return on Investment
• Value Added

Learn how social accounting has evolved and how it is used today. How can social accounting include social indicators and add to the full performance story for social organizations? Go no further. Quarter, Mook, and Richmond provide answers and insight to this emerging field.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (November 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130463051
• ISBN-13: 978-0130463050
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,882,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Surprised by poor production quality, October 30, 2007

By 

julie (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Counts: Social Accounting for NonProfits and Cooperatives (Paperback)

I haven't gotten a chance to delve into the content yet, but I was surprised by the poor production quality on this book given the cover price. Looks like it was typeset in Word and printed on a laser printer.