The Mission Myth: Building Nonprofit Momentum Through Better Business

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Open Preview See a Problem? Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. What is the Mission Myth? Most nonprofits believe that to achieve success all they need is passion and heart. It is only when they integrate The Four Ms: Management Money Marketing Measurement that they will achieve optimal results. Here are strategies, anecdotes, and pracital tips for new levels of success - all derived from nonprofits that reached new heights. Offering validation, camaraderie, laughter, and hope, The Mission Myth helps you do good Paperback , pages.

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The Mission Myth: Building Nonprofit Momentum Through Better Business

May 21, Courtney rated it it was amazing. This book is aimed primarily at Executive Directors, but it included a lot of good info on applying private sector practices to nonprofits in an effort to step up our game in the sector. I really enjoyed it and got some great ideas. Dec 19, Victoria Mcvicker rated it liked it.

Well organized, good real-life examples, easy to absorb. Some info was pretty basic but for a first-time or inexperienced ED, this would be dynamite.

The Mission Myth: Building nonprofit momentum through better business

Lisa rated it really liked it Feb 27, Maryanne Lucas rated it it was ok Jan 24, J D rated it really liked it Apr 19, This is refreshing especially for heavy topics like money and management. Despite it being divided into 6 parts and 55 chapters, it is a highly actionable book in which you can readily synthesize and apply.

The Mission Myth is practical for the inquisitive, open-minded, yet busy nonprofit leader. It's a rare gem that no nonprofit should overlook. It was an investment in my career and sanity. Being an Executive Director can sometimes be a very lonely job. You're not in this alone. Deirdre has seen it all and done it all.

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Readers learn from her successes and failure. You walk away from the book with focus. I recommend this book for non profit leaders who are either just starting out, or who just need a reminder about what we are actually here to do. Deirdre has taken the nuts and bolts of non profit leadership, and broken it down into bite sized chapters. It's almost like a checklist of things we need to be sure we are doing, only it feels more like telling to a friend who has been there before and is on our side.

The Mission Myth is a refreshing, cut-to-the-chase narrative about the realities of the non-profit world. It is a wonderful read not only from the perspective of a non-profit manager, but also as a board member, employee or contractor. Deirdre gives the reader a great break down on improving yourself as a player in the industry with an experienced, fresh and explicit writing style.

This book is also a great reference to keep around for anytime you need a little no nonsense refresher! This book was very insightful and so helpful to understand the ends and outs of how a non profit can be run successfully. In the specific world of political nonprofits, I first heard it described as the Sir Galahad mistake: In her years as executive director of a major nonprofit charity, Deirdre Maloney confronted the Mission Myth, first and most painfully in herself, but also among board members, donors, staff, and volunteers.

She believes, and argues convincingly, that in order to be successful This really shouldn't be so revolutionary a proposal.

Follow the Author

After all, the distinction between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations is largely artificial. As Franz Oppenheimer, and A. Nock following him, pointed out, there are only two ways to interact with others in society, meet needs, and acquire wealth.

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One is through voluntary exchange what Oppenheimer called the "economic means" , the other is through force or the threat of force the "political means". Viewed this way, for-profit business in the absence of government-enforced monopolies and non-profit charity are both clearly part of the broader "voluntary sector," the major difference between the two being where they stand in relation to the political means -- specifically, to tax law.

It shouldn't be any surprise, then, that the keys to "building momentum" and achieving objectives should have some important similarities.

Deirdre Maloney doesn't engage in this kind of analysis in "The Mission Myth," though I think it provides important context for her basic premise. What she does do is provide some great insight and ready-to-use ideas for maximizing an organization's effectiveness using "the four M's" of management, money, marketing, and measurement. Other writers have covered some of these nonprofit-management topics in greater length, but part of what makes "The Mission Myth" so good is the author's brevity, clear language, and focus on action she has a great section on the power of succinct writing, but every chapter qualifies as an example of this.

The other part of what makes it so good is her use of examples from her own experience: These are not conclusions the author made up for the sake of selling a book or putting on a conference, but are the product of her own life in the trenches as a nonprofit manager.

My Wishlist

If there's one thing I know about people who work for charities, it's that they often don't have a lot of time for extra reading. But "The Mission Myth" is a title I urge them to make time for. If you're a board member, get a few copies for the ED and others in leadership positions. If you're a founder what Morton Blackwell, consistent with the above analysis, calls an "organizational entrepreneur" , do the same and underline chapters 7 and 13 in your own copy. One thing charities don't need is a glut of "management guru" books like that which infests the for-profit world.

Leilani rated it really liked it Oct 08, Holland Kitchell rated it it was amazing Mar 10, Andrew Rogers rated it it was amazing Sep 01, Jitka rated it really liked it Jul 26, Lucy rated it liked it Apr 03, Debra Beck rated it liked it Oct 10, Ann-Marie rated it really liked it Feb 02, Lori Webster marked it as to-read Apr 08, Katie marked it as to-read Apr 16, Written Melodies marked it as to-read May 01, Jen marked it as to-read May 29, Sara Dawn Wilkins marked it as to-read Jun 25, Karina marked it as to-read Aug 07, Justin marked it as to-read Aug 26, Camille marked it as to-read Aug 28, Amy Collins added it Jan 23, Charise Van Liew added it Mar 31, Pam marked it as to-read May 24, Kate Loar marked it as to-read Jun 20, Lisa Wilson marked it as to-read Aug 05, Sarah marked it as to-read Aug 16, Rita Casimiro marked it as to-read Jan 07, Jeffrey Lee is currently reading it May 09, Jamie marked it as to-read Sep 22,

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