"Without a framework for thinking about the developmental stages of their nonprofit organization, those engaged with them are vulnerable to unnecessary struggles."

In the preface of The Five Life Stages of Nonprofit Organizations author Judith Sharken Simon writes that this book was created to address the dearth of material on transitional phases in nonprofit organizations. Contrastingly, she notes that a sizable body of research and information exists on similar processes in the corporate world. The goal set by the author and co-author is to present an evolutionary model for nonprofits that will be widely accepted by the third sector. Simon aptly applies the growth process of the natural world to that of an organization: "Unlike people ——— and fortunately, like many plants —— nonprofits have the capacity to regenerate, send out runners and new shoots, broad roots and branches, and even, as with some trees, generate new growth from their fallen trunks."

Judith Sharken Simon is a Senior Consultant with the Wilder Center for Communities of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has previously authored a book on focus groups and has been involved in collecting data, administering surveys, and conducting interviews for a variety of purposes. J. Terence Donovan, a partner with Personal Power Products, has been involved with the development of standardized assessment instruments for twenty years. The pairing of the two author's expertise results in a publication that provides an important evaluation tool for nonprofits in any stage of development.

Clear and user-friendly in style, this large format paperback with an inviting cover is current and appears to meet the needs of those for whom it is intended: leaders and managers, board members, development consultants and funders. Graphics, which consist of drawings and charts, help to simplify the phases an organization may expect to encounter. Bulleted "tips for success" at the end of each chapter make for easy referral. The narrative is further enhanced by the inclusion of case studies that help to humanize the theoretical material. Finally, the appendices include the well-designed assessment tool and a sample form with self-explanatory scoring instructions. The appendices also provide an extensive bibliography and notes on the assessment tool.

The Five Life Stages of Nonprofit Organizations is a book about shifting gears. Nonprofits need to know how to embrace change because change is surely coming. In order for an organization to feel more comfortable with the inevitability of change, this publication seeks to minimize the impact of stress, a natural occurrence proceeding from the transitional process. The authors ably bring their knowledge to bear on this subject, and they provide a useful tool for assessment and subsequent action.