From the Top Down, UK Edition

by Rob Jackson, Susan Ellis

Overview

A bestseller since the original US edition in 1986, FROM THE TOP DOWN was the first book to identify the critical link between the actions of an organisation's senior management and the overall success of volunteer engagement. It has been the go-to book for enlightened CEOs, senior managers and board members around the world wanting to improve the strategic integration of volunteering with their mission, and a guide for volunteer resources managers striving to influence "up" in their organisations. This latest edition is fully revised and adapted for readers in the United Kingdom. With UK-specific chapters on legal and financial issues, FROM THE TOP DOWN - UK EDITION is the essential guide for UK organisations to achieve maximum impact from the participation of volunteers.

FROM THE TOP DOWN will help you: • Articulate a vision and strategy for volunteer involvement • Make the most of the connection between those who give money and those who give time • Avoid tension between paid staff and volunteers • Tap into a wider range of community resources • Budget for and effectively resource volunteer engagement • Find the best person to lead on volunteering • Manage risk, legal and insurance issues realistically • Think about the true value of volunteers, not just what it would have cost to pay staff to do their work • Demonstrate consistent executive level commitment to volunteering that goes well beyond nice words.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940157625382
Publisher:	Energize, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	279
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

ROB JACKSON has worked in the volunteering movement for more than 20 years, during which time he has led and managed volunteers and volunteer programmes in education, advice, fundraising and children’s services settings at local, regional, and national levels.
Rob worked for Volunteering England for six years, most of which he spent as Director of Development and Innovation. Rob successfully generated over £3million of income, led a merger with Student Volunteering England, and oversaw the delivery of a number of strategic development projects in the volunteering field. Rob also provided the secretariat to the ground breaking Volunteer Rights Inquiry (
As well as his expertise in volunteerism, Rob has strong links with the fundraising world. He spent six years as a member of the Institute of Fundraising’s Standards Committee and Convention Board and chaired the Institute’s working party which developed the UK’s first code of good practice on volunteer fundraising.
In 2011 Rob established Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd ( and now provides consultancy, public speaking and training services on a range of topics, with strategic volunteer engagement remaining at the core of his work.

SUSAN J. ELLIS is founder and president of Energize, Inc., an international training, consulting, and publishing firm specialising in volunteerism based in the United States (www.energizeinc.com). Since 1977, she has been recognised as a noted expert in the field, giving presentations around the world (including all the countries in the United Kingdom many times). She is author of over a dozen authoritative books including The Volunteer Recruitment Book, By the People: A History of Americans as Volunteers, and The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook. She is the national columnist on volunteerism for The NonProfit Times, and publishing editor of e-Volunteerism: The Electronic Journal of the Volunteer Community.

Editorial Reviews

Whether you're leading an organisation that has involved volunteers for years or are just starting out, I am confident that you'll find something in this book for you. For me I believe that volunteers are not an add-on, but rather are integral and have been in all the charities I have led. Rob has done great things with Susan's early work, contextualising it for a UK audience while retaining the international element which, for me, adds real value and makes it an excellent read.

Barnardo's - Javed Kahn

This book is essential reading for all chief executives and senior managers, and indeed anyone interested in maximising the impact of volunteering within their organisations.

NCVO - Justin Davis Smith

Too often volunteer management and leadership is delegated to the most junior people in an organisation. This book highlights the important role those at the very top also need to play and gives practical advice on how to mobilise those senior leaders in support of volunteering. Like Rob and Susan themselves it's straight talking, pragmatic, informed and entertaining. If you have volunteers in your organisation you should read this book.

The National Trust - Helen Timbrell