Forces for Good--love this book. A sentence I read recently is dominating my thinking, from Gloria Steinem on her 75th birthday (yes, 75), that a fundamental new understanding will have entered our culture in the next 25 years: Since the means we choose are the ends we get, we know that war doesn't create peace (Ms, Fall 2009, p 44). Its the part about the means we choose are the ends we get that I am reading in the Forces book.  Marketing like entreprenneurs leaves me a bit worried (ch 3) but  ch5 about Nurturing Non-Profit Networks is inspirational. Great concepts applied: Grow the field.  Share credit and power. Act collectively. OMG. 

Like the post applying the reading to UNICEF, I am always thinking of our national early childhood asociation and looking for parallels. NAEYC is a large organization seemingly trying all (most) the strategies in the book. On the marketing side, it defers to Zero to Three who has come to prominence with studying media and then capitalizing on the hard-won skills. (Z to 3 shares knowledge too, but it has brand recognition that NAEYC doesn't have--and NAEYC wisely doesn't try to eclipse it.)  NAEYC is a nation-wide affiliate organization, devoting much energy to raising the capacity of every state and local affiliate--in ever more sophisticated ways of sharing knowledge/skills--all for the end of building the field. It does "inspire evangelists" and works to bring effective voices to prominence, but also spends a lot of energy giving voice to mid-level professionals and unknown researchers, all the while building the field. The structure of selecting the governing board is designed to bring people with constituencies already behind them, from diverse parts of the country and sectors fo the field, truly valuing diversity--but also building the organization by bringing connected people into the leadership structure.