Dimensions
159 x 232 x 21mm
The way we see the world can change the world. Such is the power of paradigms. Consider these situations:
- Why does a deserving charity struggle to make ends meet while another which squanders money, thrive? Because there is a structural disconnect between revenue and expenses in the nonprofit world.
- Is continuous growth the hallmark of a successful charity? No, it's just the opposite - the ultimate aim of a nonprofit is to be extinct.
- Would you use volunteers if it actually cost you more than hiring paid skilled staff? Yes, if engagement with the community is crucial.
These and other mental models of the nonprofit space may change your mind on how charities should think, work and act.
For the last four years, Willie Cheng has been sharing his take on the paradigms of "doing good" in various publications. Some of these have stirred and moved the charity scene in Singapore. With the international nonprofit scene moving from an era of "Just Doing Good" to one of "Doing Good Well," he has compiled and adapted these writings into this book.
The book covers 20 topics in the areas of nonprofit structure, nonprofit management, giving and social innovation. At one level it's "Charity 101." At another level, it challenges the reader with uncommon thinking on these nonprofit concepts. It provides a different twist to what one might regards as straightforward notions such as mission, staff compensation, governance and corporate social responsibility. And it surprises and intrigues even as it seeks to explain charity-specific issues such as charitableness, bridging the rich/poor divide, informed giving and social entrepreneurship.
The book is a strategic review of not just the status quo but also the enormous potential in the nonprofit world. The theme of the book is change. Inasmuch as charities are about changing society for the better, the book seeks to set the stage for those inside and outside the nonprofit sector, to start asking the questions that would help the sector itself change for the better.
