Meet Erik Hanberg
Erik Hanberg has spent more than 20 years working with nonprofits. In addition to serving as the director of two nonprofits, he has served as an Interim ED twice and worked for nonprofits in marketing and fundraising. He has also served on more than a dozen boards and committees for more than a dozen organizations, often in leadership roles, and several times during a capital campaign. He also has twelve years of service in elected office.
Erik is the author of four books for nonprofits, focusing on nonprofit management, fundraising, social media, and board governance, which have collectively sold tens of thousands of copies. They’ve been praised as essential reads for nonprofits by Forbes.com, LinkedIn for Nonprofits, Kirkus Reviews, and thousands of executive directors and board members.
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Helpful books
The Little Book of Nonprofit Leadership
An Executive Director's Handbook for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits
What does an Executive Director actually do? And how can you lead your organization to a stronger place?
Nonprofit expert Erik Hanberg wrote The Little Book of Nonprofit Leadership to speak directly to Executive Directors of small (and very small) nonprofits who are asking these questions. EDs, especially at small nonprofits, tend to be dropped into the deep end of the pool with the expectation that they know how to swim. The Little Book of Nonprofit Leadership will be a welcome rescue line.
The book is filled with practical tips and big-picture ideas about:
- the basics of the job
- program, people, and money—the three essential areas that a nonprofit ED needs to master
- working with your board (including how to ask for a raise!)
- your first 100 days as a new ED
- a guide to being a part-time Executive Director
- and more, including access to bonus chapters and special resources!
Erik Hanberg has twenty years of nonprofit experience at organizations of all sizes. He’s channeled that experience into his four “little books” for nonprofits, which together have sold tens of thousands of copies.
The Little Book of Gold
Fundraising for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits
Recognized by Forbes.com as Top 12 Must-Read Book For Nonprofit Employees and by LinkedIn for Nonprofits as one of “9 books for your nonprofit reading list”
The Little Book of Gold is a practical and step-by-step guide to professional fundraising. It’s dedicated to helping small (and very small) non-profits unlock their fundraising potential. Avoid common pitfalls and get tips on proven methods that work. This book has helped thousands of nonprofits improve their fundraising.
This short guide helps new Executive Directors, active board chairs, and other key staff in charge of fundraising to learn the basics of professional and sustainable fundraising. Geared specifically for nonprofits with small and very small budgets (a few hundred thousand dollars a year down to the smallest budgets).
The Little Book of Boards
A Board Member's Handbook for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits
Named one of the “Five Best Books for Nonprofit Leaders” by CharityNet USA
Are you new to a board and have no idea what’s expected of you? Do you know what a board’s six key responsibilities are? Do you know what your relationship with the Executive Director should be? If not, this book is for you.
So many board members—especially of small nonprofits—want to support a nonprofit and readily accept the invitation to join the board. It’s only then that they discover they are in over their heads, with no idea of their expectations and responsibilities. The Little Book of Boards is here to throw that drowning board member a rope.
Told with a conversational style, this book will lead you through the basics of being on a board, how meetings work, and what’s expected between meetings. In addition, at the back of the book are several in-depth resources for understanding Roberts Rules of Order, bylaws, committee structures, board leadership, and much more. Perfect for any new board member—or for an entire board that is feeling lost—this book and its common sense approach will serve you every year you are on the board.
The Little Book of Likes
Social Media for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits
The Little Book of Likes is dedicated to helping small (and very small) nonprofits build an audience on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
This short guide leads Executive Directors and nonprofit marketing managers through the ins and outs of a simple social media strategy that is effective and sustainable. With real-world practical advice, it recognizes that nonprofit managers usually have better things to be doing than updating Facebook.
Like The Little Book of Gold, it was written specifically for small nonprofits as a “road map” to the often confusing and changing world of social media.
New material in the revised and expanded edition covers Facebook advertising, podcasting, and other tools to help make your social media work for you.
Revised and expanded in 2019!
Erik is an absolute joy to work with. He took the time to understand our organization and board dynamics weeks before the retreat and gave everyone the opportunity to voice their thoughts on retreat priorities and objectives. He even made time to talk to any staff or board member one-on-one, anonymously, to be sure that any behind-the-scenes concerns would be addressed. At the retreat itself, he was an excellent facilitator that helped us to lead ourselves through our visioning and next-step process. His recommendations came from deep experience and helped us to streamline and reimagine how we operate both logistically and in service of our mission. I can’t recommend him enough.