Last week I attended an inspiring book launch party for Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant. This book fills a hole in the vast library of successful business books because of its unique focus. The authors say that nonprofits, by their very definition, are different than traditional for-profit companies and must employ a variety of techniques in order to be successful. Their extensive, four-year book project included surveying nearly 3,000 nonprofit CEOs and interviewing 75 experts to determine the answer to the authors’ big question: What makes great nonprofits great?
One of the nonprofits selected was YouthBuild USA, a Boston-based youth and community development program that addresses core issues facing low-income communities, particularly those of young people ages 16-24. Its programs help these youth earn their GED or high school diploma while serving their communities by building affordable housing, hence learning valuable job skills in the process.
Congratulations, YouthBuild, for this well-deserved recognition. We at BobVila.com wish you continued success with the important work of helping transform the lives of troubled youth and building much-needed affordable homes.
Credit: Forces for Good is available now.
