Charles Bronfman & Jeffrey Solomon 
The Art of Doing Good 
Where Passion Meets Action

How to turn personal passion into an organization with
impact



For anyone setting out to change the world, launching a
nonprofit venture can be a powerful way to enact change. Whether
bringing donated eyeglasses to children who have never seen
clearly, revamping inner city schools, or bringing solar cookers to
refugee camps, the act of doing good can be life-changing. Yet
starting a nonprofit?and running it well?can also pose challenges.
The Art of Doing Good is an essential companion for anyone
looking to start an organization that makes a real difference.



Drawing from their own leadership roles in the nonprofit world,
as well as interviews with 18 celebrated social innovators, the
authors prepare would-be social entrepreneurs with guidance and
real-world advice for sustaining the spirit, ambition, and
ingenuity to keep their vision alive and thriving.

* Features real-life stories of 18 notable social entrepreneurs
and the organizations they run, including Geoffrey Canada (Harlem
Children?s Zone), Darell Hammond (Ka BOOM!), and Michael Brown (City
Year)

* Reveals what particular issues nonprofit leaders can expect to
face throughout the lifespan of their organization and shares
strategies for meeting challenges

* Written by world-renowned philanthropists Bronfman and Solomon,
respectively cofounder and CEO of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman
Philanthropies and coauthors of The Art of Giving



With thoughtful and comprehensive insight on how the most
effective social ventures do good well, The Art of Doing Good
is essential reading for both new and experienced nonprofit
leaders.

Table of Content

PREFACE vii

INTRODUCTION: How to Change the World 1

PART ONE Sources of Inspiration

1 That Aha! Moment: When Inspiration Strikes 17

2 The Prequel: The Backstory: The History Behind the Idea 31

PART TWO Bringing Your Idea to Life

3 What It Takes: Can You Really Do This? 49

4 Getting off the Ground: At Some Point You Need to Get Real 65

5 Being the Brand: Identifying with Your Organization 77

6 The Pros and Cons of Partnerships: Do Your Research 85

7 Finding Support: Use Your Connections 95

8 Setting Goals and Keeping on Track: Start Small and Grow 109

9 Staffing Up: Your Most Vexing Resource: People! 125

10 Hard Knocks: Weathering the Storms 135

11 Preparing for Rollout: Ramping Up 149

PART THREE Managing the Organization

12 Becoming a Manager: The Change 161

13 The Board: How the Board Can Help 169

14 Transparency: No Secrets 179

15 Planning for the Future: What to Do Next 185

16 The Money Side: Money Is Not a Dirty Word 203

17 Making Your Exit: How Do You Know When It Is Time to Go? 215

EPILOGUE: The Value of Leadership 223

PART FOUR Resources

RESOURCE A: Index of Nonprofit Resources 229

RESOURCE B: Major Supporters of Capacity Building 261

NOTES 263

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 265

ABOUT THE AUTHORS 267

INDEX 271

About the author

Charles Bronfman, of the Seagram’s corporate family, was the founding owner of the Montreal Expos and is the chairman of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. Among his many philanthropic achievements is the creation of Birthright Israel and Historica. Bronfman has been awarded six honorary doctorates from universities in three countries for his humanitarian work. With Jeffrey Solomon, Bronfman is the coauthor of The Art of Giving.

Jeffrey Solomon, president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, has taught philanthropy at New York University and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Council on Foundations. Solomon has been chief operating officer of the United Jewish Appeal Federation in New York, and he is a founding trustee of the World Faiths Development Dialogue.

John Sedgwick is the author of eleven books, including the family memoir In My Blood, and has been a regular contributor to the Atlantic, Newsweek, and GQ.