Abstract
This book by Gary Grobman provides a comprehensive survey of topics typically covered in an introductory course on nonprofit management. This “soup to nuts” approach results in 21 well-written and informative chapters beginning with a review of definitions, history, and theories of nonprofit and voluntary action. At the end of the book, 10 appendices contain useful case studies, illuminating concepts or methods described in the preceding chapters.
This fourth edition of the book contains a new chapter on marketing, some new cases, and updates and revisions to many of the substantive chapters. Up-to-date bibliographic references at the end of each chapter attest to the author’s efforts to keep the material fresh and current.
This truly is a handbook of nonprofit management, useful as a reference book for practitioners as well as a primary text in undergraduate or graduate courses. For an introductory graduate-level course, the book could be very effectively paired with other books reviewed here, especially Nonprofit Organizations and Civil Society in the United States or Managing Nonprofit Organizations in a Policy World (reviewed below).
Each chapter concludes with “Tips for Practitioners,” suggesting that the book might be useful in a mid-career master’s program, but instructors should weigh this positive feature against the fact that the content of the book is at an introductory level that may not appeal to experienced professionals. Nonetheless, many executives and board members will want to have the book on their reference shelf for occasional consultation.
The primary strength of this book is its versatility as a teaching text. The book leans toward the undergraduate audience, but with proper pairing with other texts and journal articles, it could be quite useful in an introductory graduate course as well. Moreover, it is evident that the author has given substantial thought to making this book a useful tool in the classroom. For example, discussion questions at the end of each chapter are designed to stimulate critical thinking and lively debate, not to quiz the students on the content of the chapter. The author also includes suggested activities and additional resources at the end of each chapter, giving the student and the instructor opportunities for self-directed learning, extending knowledge of the topics, and generating further examples.