Digest: Studies, Books, Web Sites, and Other Publications

2003, 201 pages. Pearson Education Inc./Financial Times Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458, Pearson Education Inc.

2005, 32 pages. The Boston Foundation, Boston, MA, 02116

This study reports on the impact and roles of arts service organizations (ASOs) in the Boston area and nationwide. Considered "the unacknowledged gems of the cultural ecosystem," ASO services help other nonprofits to achieve certain economies of scale and to function as if they were larger operations. At the same time, many ASOs themselves do not have the budgets or staff capacities to make a real impact. The study outlines a strategy for supporting this segment of the cultural sector.

2005, 242 pages. University Press of New England, Lebanon, NH, 03766

2005, 32 pages. Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley , 1153 Lincoln Avenue, Suite I, San Jose

2005, 256 pages. University of Illinois Press , 1325 Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 68120-6903, 217-244-4689

In the author's own words, "This book is a report card on American Culture. Not the culture of Wal-Mart and the cineplex, but culture as it is lived closer to the ground, local culture, neighborhood culture... It is about dancing, not about watching somebody else dance on television. There is a big difference.”

2005, 20 pages. The Urban Institute, The Foundation Center, GuideStar.org, Washington, DC, 20037 www.urban.org

PDF available at The Urban Institute

2004, 283 pages. Lexington Books Lanham, MD, 20706

Based on a study of thirty multi-generational Canadian and U.S. family foundations, this book looks at "stages and transitions" in the lives of these foundations. It puts them into historical context, illustrates foundation development and transition, and focuses primarily on topics of governance, continuity, and how families organize themselves to reach their goals. Academic in tone, it is more an overview of how family foundations have evolved over time than a practical guide.

2004, 80 pages. Artrain USA Ann Arbor, MI, 48104

The essays that accompany this four-color exhibition catalog of "Native Views," an art show of contemporary works by Native American artists, explore how Native artists are influenced by popular culture. The exhibition, presented by Artrain USA, is housed in vintage rail cars and is touring the country via the nation's railways. Guest curator Joanna Osburn Bigfeather lends her perspective to the works along with the other essayists.

2005, 80 pages. Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley 1153 Lincoln Avenue, Suite I, San Jose

2004, 119 pages. The Global Business Network, 5900-X Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA, 94608, 510-547-6822,

PDF available for download at: The Global Business Network

Welcome to the future! This book aims to better prepare nonprofit leaders by familiarizing them with scenario thinking, a tool formerly in the exclusive domain of the business world. An offshoot of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation's Organizational Effectiveness Program, this guide can be downloaded either in its entirety or in independent sections.