Many activists, community organizers, and nonprofit professionals think of their program work as separate from their fundraising, and they probably find the idea of combining mission and money to be somewhat distasteful, if not downright evil. But according to author Andy Robinson business can be an instrument for social change.

Many progressive organizations across the United States are developing and selling goods and services that support and extend their missions. In doing so, they are discovering new strategies for educating their communities, activating their constituents, and expanding their budgets.

The stated purpose of Robinson's Selling Social Change (Without Selling Out) is "to help an organization increase its effectiveness and financial self-sufficiency by applying earned income strategies to its work." Throughout the book, Robinson, a former NonProfit Times columnist and consultant specializing in the needs of organizations promoting human rights, social justice, and environmental conservation, discusses the growing importance of social entrepreneurship in the nonprofit sector and identifies specific steps to help an organization generate more money from its programs, including how to: create an "entrepreneurial culture" within the organization; brainstorm and evaluate potential earned income projects; develop and use a business plan; raise enough money to get started; and successfully market its goods and services.

Twelve chapters and a series of worksheets guide readers through the process, step by step. From the introductory "Selling Your Cause Without Selling Out" to "Developing A Business Plan for Social Change" to "Finding Capital to Launch Your Venture" to "Lessons Learned Along the Way," Selling Social Change discusses corporate partnerships and the tax implications of earned income, and offers suggestions for managing an organization's venture once it's up and running. Finally, the author discusses several nonprofit enterprises that failed and discusses what can be learned from their mistakes.

Andy Robinson, who describes himself as "an anti-capitalist with great business instincts," has been raising money for social change since 1980. As a trainer and consultant, he has assisted nonprofits in forty states and Canada, leading workshops on fundraising, grantwriting, board development, strategic planning, marketing, and earned income strategies.

To locate citations for additional materials on this topic, refer to the Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject heading "Nonprofit organizations-entrepreneurship."