Engine of Impact: Essentials of Strategic Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector

by William F. Meehan III, Kim Starkey Jonker, Jim Collins (Foreword by)

Overview

"As a philanthropist constantly grappling with how I can achieve more impact, I found Jonker and Meehan's insights to be provocative and engaging. They go beyond the typical rhetoric regarding 'what the nonprofit sector can learn from business' and give these organizations their due—with great advice. Nonprofits are dealing with often intractable societal problems of enormous complexity and uncertain revenue streams. These authors appreciate the weight on leaders' shoulders, while offering a detailed roadmap to maximize their impact. A must-read."

—Jeff Raikes, Co-Founder, Raikes Foundation, former CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Chairman, Stanford Board of Trustees

"No one knows the not-for-profit sector and its most effective leaders better than Meehan and Jonker. Their book is a master class on what it takes to drive meaningful impact. In tackling the fundamental questions—strategy and focus, discipline and accountability—the authors get to the heart of what every mission-focused leader needs to understand. Engine of Impact is a book to read and re-read—the definitive guide for all who aspire to lead high performing and high achieving organizations."

—Sally Osberg, President and CEO, Skoll Foundation, and co-author of Getting Beyond Better

"Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker have decades of experience in rigorously evaluating what makes organizations operate—or fail to operate—at a high level. In Engine of Impact, they leverage that deep knowledge to create a smart, compelling guide to doing good by leading well."

—Jamie Dimon, Chief Executive Officer, JPMorgan Chase

"Engine of Impact is an essential handbook for every aspiring social sector leader and philanthropist. Creating social impact is an art and a science, requiring investments of heart and mind. Meehan and Jonker's outstanding analysis combines the intense rigor of business strategy with the critical soft skills of courage and creativity to equip us with the toolkit necessary for transformative social change."

—Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Founder, laaf.org, author, Giving 2.0, Founder and Chairman, Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and Founder and Chairman, Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund

"Building and leading great non-profits is a socially vital—but managerially daunting—endeavor. Enter Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker who, in simple and lively prose, draw upon deep research and lived experience to deliver the essential field guide on how to do it right. All of us—donors, volunteers, board members, executives, citizens—are in their debt."

—Dominic Barton, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company

"In an era when the work of nonprofits is ever more essential, Meehan and Jonker deliver critical insights, strategic guidance, and inspirational lessons from the front lines. Readers will benefit enormously from their candor and clear-headed wisdom. We're awash in business books, but the nonprofit sector has been wanting for its own evidence-based guide. In Engine of Impact, they have it. I strongly recommend this book for nonprofit leaders, funders, and anyone seeking to optimize humanitarian impact."

—Jacquelline Fuller, President, Google.org

"This book will change most readers. Its style is very direct. It sees the future. It draws on both the classics and the authors' deep knowledge of our field. It is practical, and it cares."

—Bill Drayton, CEO & Chair, Ashoka

"Engine of Impact is an indispensable tool for today's nonprofit leader. Drawing on their considerable expertise and insight, Meehan and Jonker provide a framework for dedicated executives who are committed to building organizations that are worthy of their missions."

—Matt Bannick, Managing Partner, Omidyar Network

"The social sector has long needed a book like this one, which emphasizes a businesslike approach to doing good at scale. When the bottom line is measured by impact on human lives, the best intentions are never enough. By applying lessons in management excellence, this book will help nonprofits achieve significantly better results."

—Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson, BRAC

"Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker have written a playbook for those who are not satisfied with doing some good, but want to do as much good as they can with their time and talents. This is a vital topic, and I'm excited to see how the next generation of nonprofit leaders applies the ideas and insights in this book."

—Cari Tuna, President, Good Ventures, and Managing Director, Open Philanthropy Project

"Hard-hitting and willing to express decisive, experience-based views, this book is sophisticated, evidence- and ideas-based. A 'how and when to do it' guidebook, it is also a pleasure to read."

—Joel Fleishman, Professor of Law and Public Policy Sciences, Duke University, co-author, Give Smart

"Every engine needs a tune up from time to time. Even the strongest organizations will find value in Engine of Impact. With inspiring stories and cogent frameworks, Meehan and Jonker show us that social change is an art and a science that demands rigor and spirit. With guidance like this, we can find a path to a better world."

—Jacob Harold, President and CEO, GuideStar

"If you're a nonprofit leader who cares deeply and passionately for the people and causes you serve, you will love Engine of Impact. Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker are quintessential big thinkers, but their insights do not come from 'on high.' This is practical wisdom at a human scale, reinforced with great examples. You will come away from this book with real optimism that we are, indeed, entering a new era of impact."

—Mario Morino, Chairman, Morino Institute, Co-founder, Venture Philanthropy Partners, and author, Leap of Reason

"An inspiring and essential guide for every social entrepreneur."

—Paul Brest, Professor Emeritus, Stanford Law School, and co-author, Money Well Spent

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804796439
Publisher:	Stanford University Press
Publication date:	11/14/2017
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

William F. Meehan III is the Lafayette Partners Lecturer in Strategic Management at the Stanford UniversityGraduate School of Business and a Director Emeritus of McKinsey & Company. Kim Starkey Jonker is President and CEO of King Philanthropies, Lecturer in Management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and the former Executive Director of the Henry R. Kravis Prize in Nonprofit Leadership. Together, they co-authored the popular Stanford Social Innovation Review series, "Fundamentals, Not Fads."

Table of Contents

1. The Primacy of Mission
2. The Few Strategic Concepts That Matter
3. Count What Counts
4. Insight and Courage
5. Your Team of Teams: Building and Sustaining a High-Performing Organization
6. Money Matters: Funding as Essential Fuel
7. Board Governance: Do What Works
8. Scaling: Leveraging the Seven Essentials to Magnify Your Impact
Conclusion: Strategic Leadership: Now Is the Time

Editorial Reviews

"This is a fabulous book—and a necessary one. It takes vitally important insights that Meehan and Jonker have been teaching for many years and distils them into practical advice that will benefit anyone in the social sector who aspires to achieve an outsized impact."—Jonathan Levin, Dean, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University

"As a philanthropist constantly grappling with how I can achieve more impact, I found Jonker and Meehan's insights to be provocative and engaging. They go beyond the typical rhetoric regarding 'what the nonprofit sector can learn from business' and give these organizations their due—with great advice. Nonprofits are dealing with often intractable societal problems of enormous complexity and uncertain revenue streams. These authors appreciate the weight on leaders' shoulders, while offering a detailed roadmap to maximize their impact. A must-read."—Jeff Raikes, Co-Founder, Raikes Foundation, former CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Chairman, Stanford UniversityBoard of Trustees

"No one knows the not-for-profit sector and its most effective leaders better than Meehan and Jonker. Their book is a master class on what it takes to drive meaningful impact. In tackling the fundamental questions—strategy and focus, discipline and accountability—the authors get to the heart of what every mission-focused leader needs to understand. Engine of Impact is a book to read and re-read—the definitive guide for all who aspire to lead high-performing and high-achieving organizations."—Sally Osberg, former President and CEO, Skoll Foundation, and co-author of Getting Beyond Better

"Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker have decades of experience in rigorously evaluating what makes organizations operate—or fail to operate—at a high level. In Engine of Impact, they leverage that deep knowledge to create a smart, compelling guide to doing good by leading well."—Jamie Dimon, Chief Executive Officer, JPMorgan Chase

"Engine of Impact is an essential handbook for every aspiring social sector leader and philanthropist. Creating social impact is an art and a science, requiring investments of heart and mind. Meehan and Jonker's outstanding analysis combines the intense rigor of business strategy with the critical soft skills of courage and creativity to equip us with the toolkit necessary for transformative social change."—Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Founder, laaf.org, author, Giving 2.0, Founder and Chairman, Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and Founder and Board Chair Emeritus, Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund

"Building and leading great non-profits is a socially vital—but managerially daunting—endeavor. Enter Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker who, in simple and lively prose, draw upon deep research and lived experience to deliver the essential field guide on how to do it right. All of us—donors, volunteers, board members, executives, citizens—are in their debt."—Dominic Barton, Global Managing Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Company

"In an era when the work of nonprofits is ever more essential, Meehan and Jonker deliver critical insights, strategic guidance, and inspirational lessons from the front lines. Readers will benefit enormously from their candor and clear-headed wisdom. We're awash in business books, but the nonprofit sector has been wanting for its own evidence-based guide. In Engine of Impact, they have it. I strongly recommend this book for nonprofit leaders, funders, and anyone seeking to optimize humanitarian impact."—Jacquelline Fuller, President, Google.org

"This book will change most readers. Its style is very direct. It sees the future. It draws on both the classics and the authors' deep knowledge of our field. It is practical, and it cares."—Bill Drayton, CEO & Chair, Ashoka

"Engine of Impact is an indispensable tool for today's nonprofit leader. Drawing on their considerable expertise and insight, Meehan and Jonker provide a framework for dedicated executives who are committed to building organizations that are worthy of their missions."—Matt Bannick, former Managing Partner, Omidyar Network

"The social sector has long needed a book like this one, which emphasizes a businesslike approach to doing good at scale. When the bottom line is measured by impact on human lives, the best intentions are never enough. By applying lessons in management excellence, this book will help nonprofits achieve significantly better results."—Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson, BRAC

"Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker have written a playbook for those who are not satisfied with doing some good, but want to do as much good as they can with their time and talents. This is a vital topic, and I'm excited to see how the next generation of nonprofit leaders applies the ideas and insights in this book."—Cari Tuna, Co-founder and President, Good Ventures, and Managing Director, Open Philanthropy Project

"Hard-hitting and willing to express decisive, experience-based views, this book is sophisticated, evidence- and ideas-based. A 'how and when to do it' guidebook, it is also a pleasure to read."—Joel Fleishman, Professor of Law and Public Policy, Duke University, co-author, Give Smart

"Every engine needs a tune up from time to time. Even the strongest organizations will find value in Engine of Impact. With inspiring stories and cogent frameworks, Meehan and Jonker show us that social change is an art and a science that demands rigor and spirit. With guidance like this, we can find a path to a better world."—Jacob Harold, President and CEO, GuideStar

"If you're a nonprofit leader who cares deeply and passionately for the people and causes you serve, you will love Engine of Impact. Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker are quintessential big thinkers, but their insights do not come from 'on high.' This is practical wisdom at a human scale, reinforced with great examples. You will come away from this book with real optimism that we are, indeed, entering a new era of impact."—Mario Morino, Chairman, Morino Institute, Co-founder, Venture Philanthropy Partners, and author, Leap of Reason

"Meehan and Jonker have worked in the sector, studied their history, interviewed key players, and can compare and contrast what's known about the social sector with what's known about public agencies and corporate actors. The book is grounded in two careers worth of real work...If you, unlike me, appreciate the efficiency of the business book genre then by all means, read Engine of Impact. If you, like me, find the business section of the bookstore the easiest one to skip past, this is one of the rare books worth stopping for."—Lucy Bernholz, Philanthropy 2173

From the Publisher

"Meehan and Jonker have worked in the sector, studied their history, interviewed key players, and can compare and contrast what's known about the social sector with what's known about public agencies and corporate actors. The book is grounded in two careers worth of real work...If you, unlike me, appreciate the efficiency of the business book genre then by all means, read Engine of Impact. If you, like me, find the business section of the bookstore the easiest one to skip past, this is one of the rare books worth stopping for."

Philanthropy 2173 - Lucy Bernholz

"Hard-hitting and willing to express decisive, experience-based views, this book is sophisticated, evidence- and ideas-based. A 'how and when to do it' guidebook, it is also a pleasure to read."

Professor of Law and Public Policy, Duke University, co-author, Give Smart - Joel Fleishman

"Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker have decades of experience in rigorously evaluating what makes organizations operate—or fail to operate—at a high level. In Engine of Impact, they leverage that deep knowledge to create a smart, compelling guide to doing good by leading well."

JPMorgan Chase - Jamie Dimon

"This is a fabulous book—and a necessary one. It takes vitally important insights that Meehan and Jonker have been teaching for many years and distils them into practical advice that will benefit anyone in the social sector who aspires to achieve an outsized impact."

Stanford University - Jonathan Levin

"In an era when the work of nonprofits is ever more essential, Meehan and Jonker deliver critical insights, strategic guidance, and inspirational lessons from the front lines. Readers will benefit enormously from their candor and clear-headed wisdom. We're awash in business books, but the nonprofit sector has been wanting for its own evidence-based guide. In Engine of Impact, they have it. I strongly recommend this book for nonprofit leaders, funders, and anyone seeking to optimize humanitarian impact."

Google.org - Jacquelline Fuller

"The social sector has long needed a book like this one, which emphasizes a businesslike approach to doing good at scale. When the bottom line is measured by impact on human lives, the best intentions are never enough. By applying lessons in management excellence, this book will help nonprofits achieve significantly better results."

BRAC - Sir Fazle Hasan Abed

"Building and leading great non-profits is a socially vital—but managerially daunting—endeavor. Enter Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker who, in simple and lively prose, draw upon deep research and lived experience to deliver the essential field guide on how to do it right. All of us—donors, volunteers, board members, executives, citizens—are in their debt."

McKinsey & Company - Dominic Barton

"Engine of Impact is an essential handbook for every aspiring social sector leader and philanthropist. Creating social impact is an art and a science, requiring investments of heart and mind. Meehan and Jonker's outstanding analysis combines the intense rigor of business strategy with the critical soft skills of courage and creativity to equip us with the toolkit necessary for transformative social change."

Founder, laaf.org, author, Giving 2.0, Founder and Chairman, Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and Foun - Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

"[This book] has the potential to revolutionize leadership for all nonprofit stakeholders, and thus increase impact for the clients and communities these nonprofit organizations serve."

Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Anne C. Briggs

"As a philanthropist constantly grappling with how I can achieve more impact, I found Jonker and Meehan's insights to be provocative and engaging. They go beyond the typical rhetoric regarding 'what the nonprofit sector can learn from business' and give these organizations their due—with great advice. Nonprofits are dealing with often intractable societal problems of enormous complexity and uncertain revenue streams. These authors appreciate the weight on leaders' shoulders, while offering a detailed roadmap to maximize their impact. A must-read."

Stanford Board of Trustees - Jeff Raikes

"Every engine needs a tune up from time to time. Even the strongest organizations will find value in Engine of Impact. With inspiring stories and cogent frameworks, Meehan and Jonker show us that social change is an art and a science that demands rigor and spirit. With guidance like this, we can find a path to a better world."

GuideStar - Jacob Harold

" Engine of Impact is an indispensable tool for today's nonprofit leader. Drawing on their considerable expertise and insight, Meehan and Jonker provide a framework for dedicated executives who are committed to building organizations that are worthy of their missions."

Omidyar Network - Matt Bannick

"If you're a nonprofit leader who cares deeply and passionately for the people and causes you serve, you will love Engine of Impact. Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker are quintessential big thinkers, but their insights do not come from 'on high.' This is practical wisdom at a human scale, reinforced with great examples. You will come away from this book with real optimism that we are, indeed, entering a new era of impact."

Chairman, Morino Institute, Co-founder, Venture Philanthropy Partners, and author, Leap of Reason - Mario Morino

" Engine of Impact is an essential handbook for every aspiring social sector leader and philanthropist. Creating social impact is an art and a science, requiring investments of heart and mind. Meehan and Jonker's outstanding analysis combines the intense rigor of business strategy with the critical soft skills of courage and creativity to equip us with the toolkit necessary for transformative social change."

Founder, laaf.org, author, Giving 2.0 , Founder and Chairman, Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and Fou - Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

"This book will change most readers. Its style is very direct. It sees the future. It draws on both the classics and the authors' deep knowledge of our field. It is practical, and it cares."

Ashoka - Bill Drayton

"No one knows the not-for-profit sector and its most effective leaders better than Meehan and Jonker. Their book is a master class on what it takes to drive meaningful impact. In tackling the fundamental questions—strategy and focus, discipline and accountability—the authors get to the heart of what every mission-focused leader needs to understand. Engine of Impact is a book to read and re-read—the definitive guide for all who aspire to lead high performing and high achieving organizations."

President and CEO, Skoll Foundation, and co-author of Getting Beyond Better - Sally Osberg

"Bill Meehan and Kim Jonker have written a playbook for those who are not satisfied with doing some good, but want to do as much good as they can with their time and talents. This is a vital topic, and I'm excited to see how the next generation of nonprofit leaders applies the ideas and insights in this book."

Open Philanthropy Project - Cari Tuna

"An inspiring and essential guide for every social entrepreneur."

Professor Emeritus, Stanford Law School, and co-author, Money Well Spent - Paul Brest

"This is a thoughtful book that looks at the current state of nonprofit management. Meehan and Jonker aptly help prioritize and curate best practices in the field, providing timely and pointed direction."

Clark Foundation - Doug Bauer

"Hard-hitting and willing to express decisive, experience-based views, this book is sophisticated, evidence- and ideas-based. A "how and when to do it" guidebook, it is also a pleasure to read."

Duke University and co-author, Give Smart - Joel Fleishman

"As a philanthropist constantly grappling with how I can achieve more impact, I found Jonker and Meehan's insights to be provocative and engaging. They go beyond the typical rhetoric regarding 'what the nonprofit sector can learn from business' and give these organizations their due—with great advice. Nonprofits are dealing with often intractable societal problems of enormous complexity and uncertain revenue streams. These authors appreciate the weight on leaders' shoulders, while offering a detailed roadmap to maximize their impact. A must-read."

Stanford UniversityBoard of Trustees - Jeff Raikes

"No one knows the not-for-profit sector and its most effective leaders better than Meehan and Jonker. Their book is a master class on what it takes to drive meaningful impact. In tackling the fundamental questions—strategy and focus, discipline and accountability—the authors get to the heart of what every mission-focused leader needs to understand. Engine of Impact is a book to read and re-read—the definitive guide for all who aspire to lead high-performing and high-achieving organizations."

former President and CEO, Skoll Foundation, and co-author of Getting Beyond Better - Sally Osberg