The Sustainable Endowment

LOCAL AUTHOR

Wishing for the best outcome for all non-profit groups, James E. Demmert has written ten key principles to remember when it comes to running an effective and successful non-profit organization. Being an expert in non-profit investment management, Demmert has a few lines of credentials to back up his advice. Demmert has advice for readers on being a smart investor in their company, along with providing acronyms to help the reader remember ways to be SMART about their business, especially since the business/organization was originally established to help others. Within each chapter, there are words of encouragement from powerful figureheads. Along with encouragement are examples of positive and negative situations that are likely to arise during a normal workday. Starting at the beginning of the book, you will explore ways to establish a smoothly running foundation. A big part of that is knowing your staff and the members on your board in order to ensure that your organization is run smoothly and effectively. Next, you’ll explore your investment committee and investment manager, along with committee members and your board of directors. Money is always a hot topic, so understanding your spending policy and investment policy will help keep your organization above water, so you need to have both an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) and a Spending Policy. Understanding the stock market and various funds, especially in relation to how they have behaved in the past, will help with the booms and the busts from the stock market and with SMART investments. Each type of investment will have to be evaluated for the right risk level, if it is meant to be aggressive or conservative, and what your goals for that type of investment will be. Asset allocation, Rates of Return (RORs), and the bull and bear markets are other topics of discussion as well.

Full of graphs, charts, and insightful information, The Sustainable Endowment is a must-read for people who are interested in starting, or who have already established, a nonprofit organization. The purpose of nonprofit organizations is crucial for the well-being of our society to help those who are in need of help, through financial, physical, educational, or spiritual means. As a nonprofit organization, you are exempt from paying taxes, but with this benefit, it is crucial that you have (or establish) the means to handle your money well to keep the organization going for many years, to improve the quality of life for many more generations. With so much to think about when running a nonprofit, it is of high importance that you get the help you need anywhere and from anyone possible, and in this case, you are safe with James Demmert.