Chris Carmody
www.carmodyandcompany.com

Obama has proposed the creation of a ‘Social Investment Fund Network’ and a ‘Social Entrepreneurship Agency for Non-Profits.’ The Social Investment Fund Network would be organized similarly to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, using “federal seed money to leverage private sector funding to improve local innovation, test the impact of new ideas and expand successful programs to scale” (for the whole policy paper, see http://obama.3cdn.net/3b3158f85f69a39217_hydpmvzbb.pdf). It would also bring many of the research tools that The Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy and The Center for Effective Philanthropy bring to existing philanthropic efforts.

The Chronicle for Philanthropy has published a guide for managing non-profits. The guide focuses on tools that are increasing useful as non-profits not only have to pursue their missions but also have to behave more and more like private sector businesses in order to be effective. The Chronicle’s guide has special sections covering executive coaching, turnaround consultants and brand marketing, to name a few categories.

Other resources for non-profits can be found at