I Read a Book: Begging for Change

I just finished Robert Egger's great book, Begging for Change. I poured through it in about 3 days. Robert is someone who gets it.

By 'it' I mean the way things are going. In the nonprofit world, as he accurately points out, you’ve got to have one eye on the future and one eye on the present. You simultaneously have to know what needs exist today and what will be changing tomorrow.

This is no easy task, especially given the way nonprofits are structured today. Many are moving towards a more corporate look and feel to gain efficiency. While that may be beneficial in some case, it is not a blueprint for success for every organization. In the nonprofit world, nothing is cookie cutter.

Egger understands the trends that are emerging in this sector, and he goes deeper than pure analysis, offering suggestions and models for things that work. Having successfully begun not just a nonprofit, but an entire movement, Egger's voice needs to be heard by every nonprofit employee, executive, board member, volunteer, and donor.

He's also a nice guy. I had the pleasure of meeting him and briefly sharing some ideas together a few weeks ago in Birmingham. He clearly understands the need to engage young people in philanthropy, and knows that to do so, different tools are needed.

This is a book well worth reading, especially if you work or volunteer regularly in the nonprofit world. I'll be sharing some of Egger's ideas, as well as my own, this Thursday. So, if you're interested in learning more about some emerging trends for nonprofits, as well as how volunteers can help transition great organizations, then you should come to lunch.