A social entrepreneur strives to make the world a better place by finding new approaches that create social value and improve society. Over the years, the business world has perfected entrepreneurial techniques for financial gain. Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs: Enhancing the Performance of Your Enterprising Nonprofit explains how nonprofits can apply similar business entrepreneurial techniques to produce social value. The book provides the tools and resources needed to put these innovative concepts into practice.

Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs: Enhancing the Performance of Your Enterprising Nonprofit is the second book in a two part series by Gregory J. Dees, Jed Emerson, and Peter Economy. The first book, Enterprising Nonprofits: A Toolkit for Social Entrepreneurs (2001), covering core elements of effective social entrepreneurship, includes a broad range of topics (supplemented by a Web site, http://www.enterprisingnonprofits.org). This companion publication, Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs, adds more tools to the toolkit. It focuses on strategic issues such as assessing performance, developing viable earned income, and managing your board. This book challenges social sector organizations to think "outside the box," develop new skills, and adopt entrepreneurial approaches to management.

In addition to the three main authors, Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs contains chapters contributed by leaders in the field including James Heskett (Professor Emeritus at the Harvard Business School) and Jerry Kitzi (president of Social Venture Partners of Greater Kansas City). The book includes interviews with many of today's most successful social entrepreneurs and profiles of highly effective enterprising nonprofits.

This monograph presents practical ideas in an easy-to-read style. Case studies and examples illustrate key concepts while clever icons in the margin highlight important items. For example, a "core concept" icon designates an important new idea and an "action step" indicates an activity that will allow concepts to be put to use. An appendix refers to books and articles for further reading on material covered in each chapter.

The concept of social entrepreneurship is becoming more and more popular. However, little has been written on a practical level to help nonprofit organizations become more effective social entrepreneurs. Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs: Enhancing the Performance of Your Enterprising Nonprofitencourages nonprofits to apply the concepts to their own situation and see improved performance. It challenges nonprofits to alter their behavior, develop new skills, and think creatively.

For citations to additional reading on this topic, refer to Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject heading "Nonprofit organizations-management."