Books 10 and 11
10. Breaking night : a memoir of forgiveness, survival, and my journey from homeless to Harvard, by Liz Murray. Wow. I didn't think anything could be harder to read than Halse Anderson's "Wintergirls." This autobiography was well written, even lyrical, and the view so honest-- but it is very hard to read at times because it is a true story, and so heartbreaking. I guess part of me was angry-- the signs seemed so obvious: why didn't officials get involved sooner? The question is almost "why didn't they get involved, period??" Murray grew up, along with an older sister, to parents who were hooked on drugs. Her parents manage to remain sympathetic, but the things they do to get their fix are pretty horrible (selling her winter coat, hooking up with a man who turns out to be a child molester...) Murray relates many times when she and her sister went to bed hungry because her parents used the money they received from welfare on their next hit. Murray felt like an outcast at school because of her dirty clothes so frequently was truant. She managed to pass through her grade levels until high school. On her mother's death when she was 15, Murray took to the streets, relying on her friends for food and shelter (again I have to ask though-- why didn't the friends' parents report anything??) When she was 17, she realized she couldn't continue living the way she was, so she looked into schools again and was finally accepted into an alternate high school program. She manages to take enough classes -- getting straight A's -- and graduates in a year. All while homeless, living out of a backpack. Eventually she is accepted at Harvard and manages to get the grants and scholarships needed to attend. Her story is very inspiring... no, amazing. Do follow it with a comic chaser, though. As I said, this one was hard to get through, especially the first half.
11. Reliable fundraising in unreliable times : what good causes need to know to survive and thrive, Kim Klein. I checked this book out as a potential source and inspiration for writing grants. I'm investigating grant writing to continue the computer classes I had been teaching. Not sure if it was good for that purpose, but it's an excellent book for those who work in the nonprofit sector. Klein has a very conversational writing style and her book is full of good advice, compiled from her years in working the nonprofit sector. For the most part I found myself nodding in agreement with her suggestions and observations. I wanted to cheer when she hit on something I've thought for years, although she articulated far better than I could: That the emphasis on "administrative costs" in terms of determining the worthiness of a charity is overblown and can actually be harmful. I've always said- you get what you pay for. And if someone is working 40+ hours for a nonprofit they should be compensated for their effort and skills. I've always been a bit suspicious myself of nonprofits that claim to have a tiny administrative overheard. They are either a. very small or not "full time", b. overworking their volunteers or c. massaging the books. She also make some interesting observations on boards, their functions and -- mostly-- the problems with boards. While she is talking specifically about nonprofit boards, I'd say the same philosophies and issues come up with bodies such as school boards. But I digress.
I did disagree with a couple points, personally, like the issue with newsletters. I had to chuckle a bit. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but... does anyone really read those? Maybe it's because I'm a bit jaded-- so many organizations send newsletters to newspapers, either instead of a press release or thinking the papers will be interested (please, save yourself the postage-- newsletters are NOT a press release and no staffer is going to do anything but chuck them). But all in all, this should be a must-read for nonprofits, whether they are struggling or are, for now, doing well. Klein has actually written a series of books for nonprofits, and she does well with giving suggestions on fundraising in not just these uncertain economic times, but she points out that uncertainty is always going to be an issue.