ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT Merger: Another Path Ahead Greater New York Fund/United Way 99 Park Avenue New York, NY 10016 $6.00,1981,40 pp. Here is a very timely publication which describes the advantages and the process for merging nonprofit and voluntary organizations. United Way of New York has adapted a policy of encouraging, but not demanding, merger processes for nonprofits as a way of cutting costs and unnecessary duplication of programs. The booklet desoibes several alternative methods of merging and includes several case studies. Public Involvement ManlUll James L. Creighton ABTBooks 55 Wheeler St. Cambridge, MA 02138 $19.50 hardcover, 1918, 333 pp. The Manual is a cookbook for citizen participation, which lays out in a clear, concise manner the hows and whys of structuring a citizen involvement program. One of the strengths of the manual is the logical, non-threatening manner in which the information is presented. For each participation technique desoibed, Creighton lists its strengths and weaknesses. Not only are the roles of the participants discussed, but also the role of the implementing agency and various participating decision makers. For citizen activists interested in initiating a participation program, the book may provide guidance in presenting an array of participation techniques to officials for their adoption. But in the cases where bureaucrats are suspect of citizen involvement, the Manual should contain another chapter which would outline techniques for challenging, sensitizing, and convincing public officials and staff that a solid public involvement program will improve the chances of success of a project or program underway. Grassroots Politics in the 1980s Institute for the Study of Labor and Economic Crisis Available from: Synthesis Publications PO Box 40099 San Francisco, CA 94140 $5.00,1982,110 pp. This is a detailed study of the Tax the Corporation Campaign which was successful in implementing a new tax policy in San Francisco for additional taxing of large corporations. The study is useful for others specifically interested in such a campaign, and the guide has much to say about organizing initiative petition drives in general. It is also a good model for how to put together a profile of such a campaign so that others may benefit from the experience. The Successful VolunUerOrganiZJJlion Joan Flanagan Contemporary Books 180 North Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60601 $8.95,1981,376 pp. You'll probably be exhausted after reading Joan Hanagan's book, but you'll know almost everything there is to know about establishing and running a volunteer organization. Based on a questionnaire sent to leaders of five hundred thriving nonprofit organizations and a wealth of Page 15 RAIN Dec. 82/Jan. 83 personal knowledge, Flanagan designs a comprehensive strategy for getting started and getting results. The book explains how to choose an organizational structure, incorporate, plan programs, hold meetings, choose board members,.hire staff, and raise money. People who would probably benefit most from reading this book would be novice organizers. However, even for an experienced veteran of nonprofit and community organizations the book can prove a valuable refresher. Keys to the Growth ofNeighborhood Development OrganiZJJlions Neil Mayer and Jennifer Blake The Urban Institute 2100 MSt., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 $7.50 paper, 1981, 96 pp. This breakthrough into the management and success of nonprofit organizations could be renamed Techniques to Survive and Thrive Even under Reaganomics. Funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), it helped establish the funding oiteria for 125 neighborhood development organizations (NDOs) through HUD's Reaganaxed Neighborhood Self-Help Development Program. The study covers four major topics: Key Characteristics for Success; Stages of Development; Funding Support and Technical Assistance; and Performance Measures. So many tips from the horse's mouth seem too good to be true inside one cover. One of the most relevant sections is called "Personal Relations with Funding Sources," and details the how-tos of acquiring funds. ACCESS: Organizational Reviews Block Grant CoaliJion 1000 Wisconsin Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007 202/333-0822 The Block Grant Coalition is made up of a number of national organizations and state coalitions concerned with the use of the major Federal Revenue sharing process, the Block Grant Program. They are now working with the U.s. Civil Rights Commission to assess the impact of Block Grant Programs at the state and local levels. The coalition is also developing model legislation for implementing Block Grant Programs which can be adapted bv states to match their local cunditions. . A publication, The Block Grant Briefing Book, and a regular newsletter are also published by the Coalition. National Center for Approprillte Technology (NCAT) P.O. Box 3838 Butte, MT 59702 The National Center for Appropriate Technology was recently saved from going the way of its now defunct parent agency, the Community Services Administration. NCAT survived by being awarded a major contract from the Federal Department of Energy to review and evaluate the best final reports coming out of the regional DOE Appropriate Technology Small Grants Program. From these, 15 "how-to" books based on the most successful models and technologies demonstrated through the Small Grants program are slated to be produced. Although no longer publishing the At Times, NCAT still has available many bibliographies and other publications. A free publications list is available. Cant. 011 next page
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