Nonprofit Leaders Tracy Gary, Kimberly Weichel, Shannon Kollasch Launch Redesigning Nonprofits

Wealth in America is at a record high, so why isn’t giving? Why is the nonprofit sector undervalued and under-resourced when it is a key pillar of our democracy? These are some of the big questions in Redesigning Nonprofits: Catalysts for a Stronger Democracy (Wiley, $30), the new book from noted donor activist and philanthropic advisor Tracy Gary, women’s leadership and peacebuilding veteran Kimberly Weichel, and nonprofit strategist Shannon Kollasch, is arriving November 17.

The authors interviewed over 40 nonprofit and philanthropic leaders, including Kavita Ramdas, Darian Rodriguez-Heyman, Amy Sample Ward, Beth Kanter, Ebony Twilley Martin, Jensine Larsen, Cheryl Contee, Roselie Vasquez-Yetter, and noted Bay Area political activist Gary Lucks. From those interviews, the book argues that nonprofits quietly hold up American democracy while running on systems built for a different era. As government services shrink, nonprofits are taking on more without the money, staff or authority to match. The authors argue this is a design flaw in the sector, not a management failure, and one that can be fixed. Each chapter looks at one of five forces reshaping the world and pairs it with steps that leaders can take now. The foreword is by Sara Hudson, Interim CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Nonprofit Quarterly.

Co-author Tracy Gary notes, “I’ve been doing this for over 50 years, and I’ve never seen a time when nonprofits were asked to do so much with so little. We wanted to ask why the system was built this way and how we can rebuild it better.” Co-author Kimberly Weichel adds, “So many of the nonprofit leaders we talked with are struggling within a dysfunctional system. We wanted to give them, and the donors and board members who back them, something they can use immediately .”

Co-author Shannon Kollasch says, “A new generation of nonprofit leaders is coming into the sector, and they’re bringing tools, values, and leadership models that can be truly transformative. Redesigning Nonprofits shares this new wisdom and calls for us to work intergenerationally.”

The book has already won high praise from some of the biggest names in the field. The late Gloria Steinem said it “demonstrates that the future depends on women’s leadership and generosity.” Noted author and Nonprofit AF founder Vu Le calls it “an important book for these tumultuous times.” Vanessa Priya Daniel, author of Unrig the Game, says it “asks the question too few are willing to ask: What if the nonprofit model itself is the problem?” And director of the Charity Reform Initiative at the Institute for Policy Studies Chuck Collins says it “belongs on the desk of every donor, advisor, nonprofit leader and policymaker committed to using wealth for the common good.”

The Book Passage launch takes place Wednesday, November 18 at 6pm at their Marin bookstore, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, CA 94925, a beloved home for author events. RSVP for this free event here.

Tracy Gary has been a donor activist, fundraiser and philanthropic advisor for more than 50 years. She has started over 27 nonprofits, including the Women’s Foundation of California and the Women Donors Network, and served on 32 boards. She is also the author of Inspired Philanthropy, which has sold more than 44,000 copies in three editions. Kimberly Weichel is a Rotary Peace Fellow who has spent more than 30 years directing women’s leadership organizations and peacebuilding initiatives, including work with UN Women. Shannon Kollasch is program director at Amplifi Napa Valley and founder of Lumi Tutors, and she has advised Fortune 500 companies on strategy.

Redesigning Nonprofits: Catalysts for a Stronger Democracy (Wiley, hardcover $30.00 USA / $48.00 CAN, ISBN 978-1-394-41957-9, also available as an ebook) will be available November 17 at bookstores everywhere: see online order links at redesigningnonprofits.org. The authors are available for interviews, panels and speaking engagements.