Mission-Based Management: Leading Your Not-For-Profit into the 21st Century

by Peter C. Brinckerhoff

Mission-Based Leading Your Not-For-Profit Into the 21st Century

Genres: Nonfiction

258 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1998

About the author

Peter C. Brinckerhoff is an expert on nonprofit management, award-winning author, trainer and consultant. Throughout his career he has promoted the concept that a not-for-profit organization is a mission-based business, in the business of doing its mission.

Brinckerhoff received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and his Master's Degree in Public Health Administration from Tulane University. Raised in Connecticut, Brinckerhoff and his family lived in Springfield, Illinois from 1977-2007. He and his wife now call Union Hall, Virginia home.

After a two year stint as a VISTA volunteer, followed by graduate school, Brinckerhoff served as a staff member and Executive Director of the West Central Illinois Health Systems Agency. In 1982, he formed Corporate Alternatives, Inc., the first consulting and training company in the United States dedicated exclusively to the management concerns of 501(c)(3) organizations. His work as a consultant, trainer and author on nonprofit issues has reached thousands of nonprofits throughout the world. From 1979 to the present, Brinckerhoff has served on boards of directors of many local, state, national and international nonprofits.

Brinckerhoff is most widely known for his work as award-winning author, with seven books and two workbooks in print, and over 60 articles published in the not-for-profit press. Three of his books, Mission-Based Management (1994), Financial Empowerment (1996) and Generations, The Challenge of a Lifetime for Your Nonprofit (2007), have been awarded the Terry McAdam Award from the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.[1] The award is given for "The Best New Nonprofit Book" each year. He is the only author to win the award multiple times.[2] Brinckerhoff's books are used as texts in courses at undergraduate and graduate nonprofit management programs in over 100 colleges and universities worldwide.

Brinckerhoff is also a speaker and lecturer, presenting his ideas on how to make not-for-profits more mission-effective to audiences throughout North America, Europe and Asia each year. He publishes the Mission-Based Management Newsletter[3] online monthly, and maintains the Mission-Based Management blog.[4]

From 2003-2007, Brinckerhoff served as Adjunct Professor of Nonprofit Management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He taught the core graduate course in the Nonprofit Management program at Kellogg. In addition, Brinckerhoff has guest lectured at the graduate level at Boston University, University of Colorado, University of Illinois, and Vanderbilt University.

Peter retired from public speaking and consulting in November, 2014

Reviews

[Saba Ziadlou]

A good read for nonprofit leaders with specific detail on organization management. Basing on the main idea that nonprofits are businesses with missions and not charities.

[Sydney]

A really great read for anyone in the nonprofit field! Good information on leadership, nonprofit culture, and innovative thinking. I highly recommend it!

[Judi]

This book was spot on for me - it was required reading for my final course in Correctional Ministries - Reentry Specialist. It provided so much of what was needed as we are forming a new ministry for housing women released from incarceration. I would highly recommend this book as a reading book AND as a reference book.

[Rachel]

While the book edition I read was a bit outdated in terms of cultural references and technology insights, overall, the body of information provided was helpful. I found myself jotting down notes to follow up with my colleagues on to investigate how things could be implemented within our organization.

[Brandon Stiver]

A foundational book for those that are working in or leading a non-profit. Brinckerhoff debunks all the typical assumptions and proclamations of what a non-profit ought to be. I would definitely describe this book as a paradigm shifter not only for those within a not-for-profit organization, but equally so for the public at large that funds, interacts and ultimately benefits from the work of the non-profit sector. A must read for those within non-profit as well as greater business sector and also for those that are engaging with such organizations on a regular basis.

[Brittany]

Quite outdated.