Peri Pakroo

My first impression after reading this work was that it would make an excellent textbook for the subject matter. That is, it gives a thorough overview, but doesn't really suffice if you want, or need, to set up your own nonprofit entity. The university I work at employs a couple of business professors whose courses specialize in the nonprofit sector, and I will be recommending this book to both of them.

Nolo, and other publishers, offer a number of other books that cover the issues of setting up a nonprofit that an interested "non-profiteer" should consult before actually proceeding (e.g., How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation; Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work; Nonprofit Fundraising Registration: The 50 State Guide).

This specific book touches upon all of the necessary components of establishing a nonprofit, from naming your organization to fundraising to understanding contracts. The most likely market for this book would be those starting out in absolute ignorance (ignorance means "not knowing" and does not mean "stupid"). If you are inexperienced and in the initial stages of setting up a nonprofit organization, this is a must read from cover to cover.

The three appendices are what I would describe as "padded." Appendix A explains how to use the CD-ROM, an object that pretty much just contains the checklists in the book in Rich Text Format (RTF) and some software for reading them. I just opened up the appropriate folder, "Nonprofit Startup Forms," and started reading the 16 total documents. Appendix B lists the URLs for the state agencies (usually the Secretary of State office) involved in regulating nonprofits. This is another subject area that you'd be better advised to consult separate, more thorough works.

Appendix C contains the checklists and forms referenced in the body of the text and works as a sort of outline for the whole process.

This is not a bad book, but you won't be able to use this as a sole source for actually setting up your organization. It's a solid, and accurate overview of the process, and if you are starting at ground zero, this is a pretty good place to begin.

Note: The reviewer received a free copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program (review also appears there).… (more)