Find out what's normal for your nonprofit The life stage model is a powerful tool for understandingobjectivelyyour organization's current status and preparing to move it ahead to the future. In this guide, organization development consultant Judith Sharken Simon, MA, helps you understand where your organization is in its life. You'll learn about the very real challenges and problems facing your nonprofit at any given stage. Directors, board members, managers, and consultants can use this guide to: Put problems in context. Youll learn which problems are typical for your stage of development, and which ones point to potential dangers. Effectively manage transitions from one stage to the next. You'll know where you're headed, so you can bring the organization into its next stage of growth. Keep the organization on track, working at its best in any given stage. Watch for the warning signs of decline or dissolution. The Five Life Stages of Nonprofit Organizations includes the Nonprofit Life Stage Assessment (also sold separately). The Assessment allows you to plot and understand your organization's ""home stage"" and gauge your progress in seven areas of organization developmentgovernance, staff leadership, finance, administrative systems, staffing, products and services, and marketing. You'll find out how to capitalize on your organization's strengths and shore up its weaknesses. This unique guide also includes: Detailed descriptions of the five life stages, with examples of organizations at each stage; A case study showing how an organization typically moves through the stages; Opportunities and obstacles you're likely to run into; The critical events in each stage and why they're necessary for progress; Advice on what to focus on to move successfully to the next stage; Tips for handling governance, staff leadership, finance, administrative systems, staffing, products and services, and marketing; Guidance for consultants who use the Life Stage Assessment; Extensive bibliography and helpful resources. Use The Five Life Stages of Nonprofit Organizations to help you avoid unnecessary struggles and to act on opportunities to boost your organization's development.