‘Packed with hard-won insights based on the author's longstanding and unrivalled personal experience working in the civil society organization field, and drawn from his wide-ranging knowledge of relevant ideas, concepts and literature, this book is unlike any other you will read on the real worlds of civil society organizations. Read it -- and be inspired!’
Professor David Lewis, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics & Political Science
‘Unravelling civil society and then explaining how to make developmental organizations effective is a tricky challenge. It takes a person of Richard Holloway’s insights and experience to do so in a real-life, practical way. Avoiding confusing theories and jargon, this book’s comprehensive guidance draws on and revisits proven ideas and tools that can feed confidence about what to do and how in the messy work for sustainable change towards social justice. It is not just recommended reading to those new to the field. Old hands would do well to reflect on the text as they deal with disruptive forces that are the daily reality of management with pressures to “follow the (foreign) money”, often at the cost of identity and values.’
Alan Fowler is an emeritus professor of the International Institute of Social Studies in the Hague.
‘Richard Holloway has distilled key lessons from decades of experience with strengthening civil society organizations around the world in this book. It offers practical advice for building civil society organizations to foster constructive social change in many different contexts.’
L. David Brown, Senior Research Fellow (retired), Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Harvard University
‘Congratulations! This is an invaluable book for those working in civil society organizations. It provides those whose hands are on the helms excellent guidelines on how to plan and execute their CSOs' work, mobilize the resources needed and dodge the dangers that confront them. It is written by one of today’s most able development practitioners and the sheer immensity and diversity of his experience is evident in every page of this compelling book.’
John Clark, Chair of Board, Partnership for Transparency Fund

Richard Holloway
Richard Holloway has worked with CSOs for over 40 years in 30 countries of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific. He has worked with grassroots organizations, international NGOS, governments, and multilateral and bilateral donors on issues concerning civil society.