Managing Human Service Organizations

This volume grew out of a series of highly respected management training programs for executive directors of nonprofit corporations. The contributing authors have participated in training and consulting activities under the sponsorship of La Salle University's Nonprofit Management Development Center and thus provide a unique source of field-tested advice and management information for executive directors and other top level managers of human service organizations. Unlike books which suggest that all organizations should be run in basically the same way, Miller and her colleagues have provided conceptual frameworks to help managers think broadly about different aspects of managing their particular organizations, as well as specific suggestions, tools, and techniques drawn from these frameworks.

The volume is divided into four sections that correspond to different areas of management function. Beginning with general management, the contributors discuss such issues as strategic planning, organizational structure, effective leadership, and the nonprofit board of directors. The following section focuses on fiscal management and administration and includes chapters on a framework of accounting for human service agencies, the development of a financial reporting system, and the use of accounting data as a management tool. Turning to operational functions, the contributors look at marketing perspectives for community service agencies, operations planning and control, management information systems, and evaluating program outcomes. The book concludes with examinations of effective communication within the organization and managing volunteers. The text is accompanied by numerous explanatory exhibits and figures.