About Solutions for Secretaries

About the Book

Most non-profit organizations are small. Yet they have to cope with the same issues as any other organization. Small NPO's are typically run by an all-volunteer board of directors. New officers and directors are likely to be willing and energetic, but are often uncertain about what they're supposed to do and what they need to know.

The Internet and libraries have all sorts of resources for nonprofits. But most of them are about specific issues, and directed at larger, established nonprofit corporations. It is easy in that environment to waste lots of time studying material that is quite beyond the scope of a little organization.

Solutions for Secretaries of Small NPO's was written to fill this gap. Whether starting a new organization, or recently elected to the board of an established small nonprofit, this single handbook broadly covers the essentials. It will be invaluable to you if your job is "Secretary" or "Secretary-Treasurer." But it's also a wonderful resource of all other board members, enabling everyone to understand the duties and responsibilities of an effective board of directors, how those challenges can be met, and who should be doing what.

About the Author

After retiring from a career as and electronic technician, engineer, manager, and ultimately a manufacturer with my own business, I entered the volunteer community. I discovered that there are all sorts of little nonprofits, doing this or that, most of which were established by some very well-meaning and enthusiastic founder, but languishing for lack of a helpful board. In fact, of the 1.6-million nonprofits in the U.S., about 550,000 of them were very small, with gross receipts of less than $25,000 per year. And the majority of these were, for all practical purposes, inactive.

After retirement, I also took up writing and self-publishing — for fun, and with the idea of sharing some of the things I'd learned the hard way over my sixty-five years. After serving on a few steering committees and nonprofit boards, it seemed clear that a practical, general-purpose handbook would be a great asset for the community of small nonprofit corporations.

I make no pretense of expertise. My intention is simply to share my experience with the hope that others will find it helpful. I'm sure you will.