Strategic Management in Non-Profit Organizations: An Administrator’s Handbook

Administrators and directors of non-profit organizations (NPOs) face most of the same challenges and problems that confront their counterparts in profit making organizations. And while there are certain concepts of administration that are fairly universal in nature, they have to be applied sensitively to the unique situations facing every NPO. Author Robert D. Hay suggests that there is a body of knowledge that can be mastered by NPO managers that can transform a hit-or-miss approach into a professional method for achieving professional results within the context of each NPO’s own unique environment, strengths and weaknesses, and managerial philosophy. Comprehensive in its approach, Strategic Management in Non-Profit Organizations covers not only the development of strategic management planning, but also its integration into the organization’s operative functions, such as operations, marketing, personnel, and finance. A distinctive feature of the book is a self-management evaluation of various objectives, strategies, and policies of the various functions which each non-profit organization has to perform. The self-evaluations will aid administrators not only in making strategic decisions but also in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of their performance in accomplishing the objectives.

The three introductory chapters of Part I provide essential background material on the nature of NPOs, the nature of management, and the nature of strategy. Part II is concerned with strategy formulation as it is conditioned by each NPO’s specific philosophy and goals. Integrating the overall mission into the operative functions of any NPO--operations, marketing, personnel, and financing functions--is addressed in Part III. In strategy implementation, the focus of Part IV, the major emphasis is placed on the managerial functions which have to be performed: planning, acquiring, organizing, leading, coordinating, and evaluating. Based on 15 years of research of 65 different non-profit organizations, Strategic Management of Non-Profit Organizations is an in-depth response to the needs expressed by these organizations. This volume will be profitably read by all who have a vital interest in providing the services of NPOs as well as those associated with public agencies.

ROBERT D. HAY is University Professor of Management at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He is a nationally recognized case researcher, a member of many professional organizations, and has published numerous articles and books, including Sports Law for Educational Institutions (Quorum, 1988).