While reviewing "The Ultimate Guide for New Nonprofit CEOs" by Brian Leventhal, I found it to be a valuable resource for individuals involved in the non-profit sector. The book's accessibility and the author's clear explanations make it easy to comprehend, and it delves into various critical aspects of non-profit management. It addresses challenges and issues that are often encountered in the non-profit world, offering practical insights and solutions. It was important for me to compare the book's wisdom with my own experiences, especially since I transitioned from a business background into the non-profit sector, bringing a unique perspective. The strategies and tips presented in the book are not only applicable to the non-profit sector but also have broader relevance, making the book a versatile resource for self-improvement, motivation, and process guidance.

The author's first-hand experience in the non-profit sector distinguishes the book, and it excels in addressing common challenges faced by non-profits, such as managing teams scattered across different locations and ensuring they remain aligned with the organization's mission and vision. The book's section on "measuring success" was particularly enlightening, as it delves into the unique nature of success assessment in the non-profit sector, which often differs from conventional business metrics.

While the book effectively addresses many aspects of non-profit management, one area where it could be more comprehensive is in tackling the challenges that stem from interactions with the community and the board. Smaller non-profit organizations or those led by individuals with limited experience may find that these issues are not fully addressed.

The Ultimate Guide for New Nonprofit CEO's by Brian Quail attempts to provide a framework for a new CEO to self on board as they join an organization. As the book points out a CEO has multiple areas of responsibility and the organization may lack the needed infrastructure or resources. While you won't learn how to be a CEO from reading this book, it is an enlightening read and will be useful to many as they undertake a new role and most will find his Five Frameworks helpful.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
This book is now available for purchase.

Comprehensive strategies for joining a non-profit, building on existing support, growing a volunteer team, and rekindling commitments to the mission. Prepare to take notes and implement suggestions Brian Quail offers throughout THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR NEW NONPROFIT CEOs.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for this ARC.
All views expressed in this review are my own and based on my reading of this book. Some of the initial comments were made as I progressed in this book and I have not tried editing them as it expresses my contiguous thoughts as I proceeded with the chapters.


This book was right up my alley having completed a stint as a leader of a non-profit and having faced frictions with the board and now leading one of my own. And having come from a background of business, my approach to the non-profit was different and one which brought rich results for the organization.
When I got this ARC my mind was clear as to what I would be getting in the book and to full credit to the author, it has focused light on lots of challenges and issues in a non-profit.
My interest was also to read and learn from a guiding light the managements and processes in a non-profit and to compare my own personal notes with the ones in the book and understand how much my own work over the years has resulted in similar information. I also wanted to learn what I may have missed or what more I could have understood about the industry, going forward in my own organization and to avoid repeating issues or problems that tend to crop up while running a non-profit. I also wanted to see how my own approach as an entrepreneur turned non-profit person which had a solid impact on our work measured up to a seasoned non-profit professional's approach.

The book is a process approach and a manual for non-profit leaders and not just CEO's, basically anyone who is in a leadership position in a non-profit and is interested in giving the organization wings. The tips mentioned in the book hold good for basically any business model and a reader can just read it as a self-help/motivation/process book. I don't think people from other industries will not find this helpful.
One of the major points of interest is that there are not many books like this written by a person from the sector so this stands out.

The book talks about multiple challenges faced by a non-profit and this pertains to the issue of heaving people at different locations and aligning them to the organization mission and vision is a tall ask. This is one of the primary points why non-profits flounder.
I loved the "measuring success" part because while businesses have their bottom line in red and black which dictates the path the organization needs to take, in a non-profit the impact is different and a successfully implemented program may actually end up as a failure because it misses its primary motive.

Brian's book is very clear about the process that needs to take place in the initial period to ensure that results come and the framework is a beautiful draft policy to follow.

Overall this is a book that one should take to heart and for me there were a few things that I felt could have been addressed in this book as they have a critical importance in the success of any newcomer.
In the non-profit industry there are three parts with the organization in the middle, the fund giver on one side, the management of the non-profit at one end and the community/beneficiary on the other. The book addresses how to go about in the organization but fails to address the rebuttals that come from the community and the board. The fund /grant giver is the vital part but the most easiest to address part of the trioka because the fund is given with a particular point in mind and as long the steps are in process they mostly do not involve too much unless they have a very philanthropic background. It is the community which pushes and in many cases the board/founders of the organization who turn out to be the ones who drag their feet for a variety of reasons.
In smaller organizations and organizations led by smaller people the board and management become a pain and these points are not addressed in this book.
This book still addresses a lot of issues and is actually tailor made for large professional set-ups where this is a hit.

I will still commend Brian on a very readable book and I have already started recommending this one in my community. I recommend it to readers.

From the Publisher:

The Ultimate Guide for New Nonprofit CEOs is a must-have for nonprofit CEOs and their boards to defy those dismal odds and succeed. In this book, Brian Quail unlocks the secret to long-term leadership excellence.

You’ll learn:

• the powerful blueprint for your first ninety days on the job;

• how to raise revenue beyond what you thought was otherwise possible;

• how using the Five Frameworks can solve your nonprofit’s biggest problems;

• to analyze numbers like a pro—even if you don’t like numbers;

• effective strategies to build your dream senior management team;

• how to use the Three Ts and Three Gs to measure and improve nonprofit performance.

The aftermath of the coronavirus, global economic uncertainty, and geo-political instability mean it’s more difficult than ever for today’s nonprofits to reach their ambitious goals.

This book supposes a lot, starting with the assumed support from the people who placed the CEO in the position. It does not talk about how to be a CEO and a caregiver or partner. How to be a CEO if the board does not support you or if the CEO experiences microaggressions within the community. Further, the book mentions the fact that people have moved to governing and leading virtually, but does not go in depth on how one can lead a nonprofit in an increasingly virtual world.

A pretty good primer for new CEOs of nonprofits. Quail sets up a framework for the first 90 days that is ambitious. Sprinkled with personal anecdotes, some helpful, some tangential.

It's an interesting book talking about multiple challenges you will face as a nonprofit CEO. I was particularly interested in the sections about weaving people's hearts together (my phrasing, definitely not his). Having people pointed at the same mission can be nearly impossible, but when you are running a nonprofit, it is vital to having a smoothly running organization. I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion.

I was interested in this because I work for a non-profit and there are more things I'd love to know about management and systems, and I found this book easy to read and understand and the author explains most of the points he raises quite well.
"Always have a measurement of success," is the one thing that stood out for me- as I read through the 5 frameworks. The very first focusing on those first ninety days in getting to know all there is about an organization- from the history to the people and the stories.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC. In the larger scale, I see this as a must read for anyone in management- and also the teams as well- so together as a team you can work on implementing policies and action points that lead to successful outcomes.