Easy to read and follow, the strength of this work is in the historical context of philanthropy from a US perspective.
Michael Thatcher
President & CEO, Charity Navigator
Braided Threads offers a tour through the history of America’s charitable sector, giving texture to the story of social change as a way to understand this critical pillar of American society, helping us understand where we came from and where we are going.
Jacob Harold
President & CEO, GuideStar
Braided Threads provides an excellent history and explanation of the development, growth, and flowering of the nonprofit sector in the United States. Integrating original source material as well as commentary from several fields, including religion, philosophy, sociology, history, law, and more, Dr. Penna, indeed, braids disparate threads together to weave a compelling tapestry of the American nonprofit sector. Well-written and -researched, Braided Threads will reward readers, whether they are academicians, their students in class, or leaders or observers of the nonprofit sector.
-Jeffrey L. Brudney, Ph.D.
Betty and Dan Cameron Family Distinguished Professor of Innovation in the Nonprofit Sector
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Department of Public & International Affairs
Dr. Penna offers a thoughtful, well-researched overview of the evolution of the nonprofit sector in America. A concise and detailed review of key developments in our sector’s evolution over more than two centuries.
Jed Emerson
Senior Advisor, Gary Community Investment Company
Originator, Blended Value Concept
Senior Fellow with the Center for Social Investment, Heidelberg University
Winner of the 2012 Nautilus Gold Book Award
Twice selected by the NonProfit Times as one of the 50 Most Influential People in the Sector
Robert Penna offers us the story of American philanthropy from its ancient roots to its current reality. By tracing key themes, he aptly presents the evolving nature of our philanthropic adventure. Penna has done the nonprofit sector a great service and made its understanding more accessible to the broader public. A great resource for those who study and work in our sector, as well as those in the general public curious about where it all came from.
-Barry Silverberg
Director, Center for Nonprofit Studies, Austin Community College (CNS)
Former President & CEO, Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations (TANO)
Dr. Penna’s book, Braided Threads, provides us with a tremendous overview of the history of the U.S. nonprofit sector. The book is engaging, fascinating, and extremely well researched. It should be read by anyone working in -or planning to work in- the sector, as well as those donors who are supporting nonprofits. The book gives the reader great insights into the sector’s origins and rich history, as well as what is likely to come next in the evolution of this complex and enormous arena.
-Ken Berger
Executive Director of CTC Academy
Former President & CEO of Charity Navigator
Dr. Penna’s Braided Threads is the most comprehensive explanation yet of the philanthropic, political, religious, and social influences that have impacted the development of the nonprofit sector in America. A must-read for anyone seeking to better understand the sector’s roots and essential contributions to our nation.
-Stephen W. Rice
Director of Government Affairs & Communications
Independent Bankers Association of New York
This book is an indispensable resource for anybody interested in working in, funding, improving, or designing appropriate public policies for the world of nonprofit organizations.
-David Hunter, Ph.D.
Author, Working Hard & Working Well
Former Director of Assessment and Knowledge Development, Edna McConnell Clark Foundation