Book Review FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BOOK AT WEBSITE Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success by Alan Broadbent and Ratna Omidvar Reviewed by Danielle S. Russell seemed almost serendipitous, that Maytree a beacon of Diversity in the City of Toronto should release a book of Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for NonProfit Success just as this edition of Forum themed around Ethics and Diversity was being developed. The format of the book is easy to read and divided into small enough chunks that one can digest Good Ideas on a short TTC or GoTrain ride, an ideal book to be tucked into a briefcase or purse for those few minutes of waiting that creep into all of our days. Maytree puts on a series of lunch-and-learn sessions Good Ideas where they ask members of the community, both from the not-for-profit and for-profit worlds, to outline and explain their Good Ideas. Topics range from: Strategic Planning to Web 2.0. This book contains versions of those presentations that have been edited by Maytree chairman and CEO, Alan Broadbent, and Maytree President, Ratna Omidvar. Each topic begins with an introduction in which the expert explains his or her perspective, and provides anecdotal stories that either reinforce the Good Ideas to follow, or provide an understanding of how the presenter came to be an expert in the topic at hand. Under the first heading Reimagining Your Organization, Nick Saul, Executive Director of The Stop Community Food Centre, writes; Successfully reimagining a non-profit organization simple. Part determination, part optimism and part good fortune, the process requires a great board and staff, a lot of strategic listening, a willingness to take risks, and relentless incrementalism for all change takes time. 28 FORUM July 2012 Quarter When I arrived a The Stop in 1998, it was a straightforward food bank: three staff members in a small space, a few programs and a very modest budget. Today a full-fledged community food centre with 35 to 40 staff, two locations, multiple programs and a budget ten times what it once was. There is no silver bullet, no that got us there. But there are some ideas refined along the way that help articulate our approach to change. Each of the Good Ideas is explained with one or two paragraphs to illustrate the point in a case-study format. As a book-end, Maytree provides the final set of Good Ideas Diversifying Your Board: 1. Start the Conversation; 2. Develop a Board Diversity Policy; 3. Recruit a More Inclusive Board; 4. Create a Welcoming Environment for New Board Members; and, 5. Track, Monitor and Evaluate Progress. The fourth Good Idea is described as; You now have new board members. What can you do to create a welcoming and supportive environment? This starts with ensuring that meetings are scheduled so as not to interfere with major cultural holidays, that childcare needs are addressed and that venues are accessible. The following activities are good governance practices in general and are particularly effective in supporting diverse board members: onduct a board orientation ave a mentoring program in place ffer governance and diversity training eep board members engaged and active.