Author: Gary Bernstein

About the Book:

The book is especially suited for students studying sports and recreation management within
business or social work focused courses, as well as students seeking an overview of sport
management principles within recreation or leisure study programs. Nonprofit Recreation and Sport
Organizations: Principles and Practices in Leadership and Management delivers viable and attractive
career alternatives in sports, recreation and leisure management. This text will educate and
expand the reader’s knowledge of the many career choices and options that exist for leisure,
recreation and sport administrators in the nonprofit world. It will provide excellent direction and
guidance for the sports and recreation manager and will help professionally prepare the reader in
their pursuit of best practices. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles
of management and their practical applications to sport, leisure and recreation organizations in
the nonprofit sector.

The nonprofit sector is filled with meaningful agencies and talented professionals that provide
thoughtful, worthwhile and caring services and programs to their clienteles in their respective
communities. Join me on this journey as we explore a possible new direction and option for you
as you pursue your vocation.
This book grows out of a void of available resources and texts that address the needs of the
leisure, sports and recreation professional in the nonprofit sector. There are a variety of textbooks
on the market today that address management theories and concepts; however we will balance
classroom learning with real life, actual sport and recreation management experiences in the
nonprofit sector. I have worked with nonprofit organizations for almost thirty years and the
people I have come in contact with have enriched my life significantly. I am impressed by how
much of what we value is made possible by nonprofit organizations and the individuals who
work and volunteer in them. Based upon my many practical experiences as an athletic director,
event & facility manager, fundraiser, consultant and CEO in nonprofit management settings, I
will share with you hands on and practical examples that work.
Nonprofit Recreation and Sport Organizations: Principles and Practices in Leadership and
Management will meet the needs of the reader with the development of hands on, how-to-guide
for educators in higher education as well as for professionals in the nonprofit sector. This text
will provide the reader with valuable information and examples that will bring proven real-life
experiences into your classroom and professional life. Specific and clear practical examples
along with actual insights will be shared throughout each chapter with additional materials and
resources available in the instructor’s guide.

There will be two unique features and themes that will be discussed and emphasized throughout
the text. These topics include the value of social responsibility and the skill of developing
positive relationships. It is my belief that the reason nonprofit agencies exist is to “make a
difference”, to improve the condition and to strengthen the community in which we live. It is
important that nonprofit organizations work in concert with corporations and businesses to
ensure that our communities stay safe and strong. For a nonprofit to survive it must have a
compelling mission, which is often matched with compelling jobs, which can significantly
improve the prospects for recruiting the best people with the best attitudes who can then deliver
on developing the most powerful relationships with ones constituents.
Many theories and concepts will be discussed and addressed, however the real unique feature
this text will offer are many detailed real-life examples and case studies of experiences the
author has had over the past three decades. Discussion questions and key terms will be
introduced in every chapter.
After spending many years as a nonprofit leader, I have had scores of experiences interacting
with folks of all ages, backgrounds, religions and interests. As you will all learn, there are a
multitude of ongoing pressures and challenges for a nonprofit leader. Whether it is balancing the
agency’s annual operating budget, supervising and managing a diverse staff, working with a
discriminating board of directors, or overseeing the multitude of facility and building concerns,
the agency executive certainly has to juggle a number of balls in the air at one time. However I
always felt that my main goal was to create a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment where
people could connect with people and where families could join together for play groups, special
events, and shared holiday celebrations.
Content areas will include: Leadership and Executive Management of staff and volunteers,
Human Resources & Personnel, Business operations, Fiscal Responsibility, Facility
Management, Youth Sports, Program Development, Special Event management, The importance
of developing collaborative efforts, Customer service, Major gift and capital campaigns, Social
Responsibility and the valuable skill in developing positive relationships with your constituents,
donors and students.

To assist lecturers and instructors, all chapters will be organized in a format that will allow them
to address and teach each content area in a weekly lesson format. Included in each chapter is a
list of discussion questions and case studies that will be offered. For the nonprofit manager, each
chapter will serve as a valuable resource guide and tool in their day-to-day work experience.
Many of my colleagues mention their nonprofit work environment as noncompetitive, nonthreatening,
and less pressured as advantages of working in the nonprofit sector. Because they
share a common cause, these professionals have a keen sense of closeness, cooperation, and
unity with co-workers. They can also enjoy more autonomy, variety, and challenge than many of
their colleagues in equivalent for-profit or government positions. A young college graduate can
be given a lot of responsibility right from the beginning. As a result, there can be greater
opportunities to make an impact in the organization earlier on in your career than in the for-profit
sector.

I hope you will consider a career in nonprofit work, one that has the potential in being enriching,
satisfying, challenging as well as rewarding.

Gary Bernstein

July 2016

Author Background:

Gary Bernstein
In his 29 years of outstanding professional service to the nonprofit
sector, Gary Bernstein has earned an impressive reputation for
leadership and management. His activities in the social service
sector include his role as CEO, consultant and visionary for a
number of nonprofit agencies nationwide. Gary’s many skills
encompass executive management and consulting, building
planning and facility design, board and donor development, capital fundraising, and fiscal
management.

Mr. Bernstein offers his students a most dynamic and memorable learning environment. Gary
Bernstein has been recognized and awarded Old Dominion Universities Most Inspirational
Faculty member in the College of Business in spring 2010 and in the Darden College of
Education in May 2011. While at the University of Louisville, Bernstein received numerous
Faculty Favorite Awards and was nominated for the Provost’s Exemplary Advising Award in
2014. Gary Bernstein received his Masters of Science degree in Sport Administration from the
University of North Texas in Denton, Texas and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health,
Physical Education & Recreation from Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock,
Pennsylvania.

Mr. Bernstein is a frequent speaker and consultant in the area of Fundraising, Governance and
Strategic Planning in nonprofit organizations. Mr. Bernstein’s main focus is advancing student
success at Long Island University-Brooklyn in the areas of Sports Fundraising, Sports
Marketing, Sport Administrative Theory and Managing Sports Programs in Nonprofit
Organizations. This text, Nonprofit Recreation and Sport Organizations: Principles and
Practices