Building Hope Leadership In The Nonprofit World by John Bateson

Building Hope Leadership In The Nonprofit World by John Bateson

Building Hope is a combination of a memoir and business management book. John Bateson is the director of the Contra Costa County Crisis Management Center in California. He is a well recognized leader in the nonprofit sector. The Contra Costa County Crisis Management Center focuses on preventing suicide.

Each chapter in the book covers a specific aspect of leadership in nonprofits and gives real life examples of how to manage different circumstances in the nonprofit world. Some of the topics covered are; selecting board members, soliciting donations, hiring staff, marketing plans, long range plans, and cultural competency.

John Bateson integrates many ideas and acronyms into his book. For example there is the Platinum Rule, "Treat Others As They Wish To Be Treated", and YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard).

His experiences in the agency are interesting and poignant. In one instance he tells the story of Minerva, a person who overcame her drug addiction and eventually got a job at the crisis center moving up into a management position.

The writing is very dense. Every page tells a story or tries to make a point. The style is informal, anecdotal, and very personal. The author comes across as someone who cares about other people. This book is both an excellent book about management and an interesting personal story. The book includes an index to a variety of different topics. It is published by Praeger publishers in 2008.