“It is truly amazing to see what a man of sincere faith can accomplish. I have seen Chris move mountains with his efforts to revive and bring hope to the citizens of Detroit. With his new book, Next Level Nonprofit, he is hoping to give other nonprofit organizations the tools to achieve similar impact. Chris would tell you that he has learned a lot through trial and error as well as through studying the best practices of successful for-profit companies. He has both the knowledge and experience to translate these best practices into the language and culture of the nonprofit world. The results of Chris’ development and use of Next Level Nonprofit speak for themselves. His organization’s achievements in Detroit neighborhoods are remarkable.”
— GORDON KUMMER President, The Lloyd and Mabel Johnson Foundation

“Are you convinced of the rightness of your mission yet bogged down by the unanticipated challenges of growth in a complex landscape? Next Level Nonprofit provides a lens—and a toolkit—to help the beleaguered nonprofit leader regain some sanity. With frankness, passion, and wisdom earned in the trenches, Chris Lambert shares what he’s learned the hard way, lending a hot rod to sharpen the iron of your organization’s culture, rituals, and collaborative potential. I found this book convicting, inspiring, and turbo-charging all at once.”
— ANN SNYDER Editor-in-Chief, Comment magazine

“In Next Level Nonprofit, Chris Lambert tackles the difficult issue of organizational effectiveness in nonprofit organizations. Using the computer operating system analogy, he proposes a systematic approach to developing the various processes that ensure a high-performing nonprofit. This is a useful handbook for staff and board members interested in an intentional application of a proven methodology.”
— DR. GENE TEMPEL Professor and Founding Dean Emeritus, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy President Emeritus, Indiana University Foundation

“Nonprofit leaders need more than big hearts to confront our world’s most pressing problems. They need a blueprint for operational excellence, and that’s just what Chris Lambert provides. In this highly actionable book, Chris translates his own experience and expertise in nonprofit leadership into accessible strategies that hit the bullseye for nonprofit leaders. Chris is a trusted guide for leaders striving to deliver on their missional promises and achieve significant impact.”
— PETER GREER President & CEO, HOPE International and coauthor of Mission Drift

“Too often, community organizations focus on the growth of specific programs and services, while leaving the health of the organization as a whole to stagnate. In his new book, Next Level Nonprofit, Chris Lambert identifies and shares a guide for community nonprofits to build to their optimal capacity. With his personal reflections and experiences as an innovator and strategic thinker—realized as the CEO of Life Remodeled in Detroit, Michigan—Chris presents a ‘how-to’ in developing best practices that truly impact the outputs and outcomes of an organization. From a funder’s perspective, this guide to organizational change and effective performance is a must-read for organizations big and small that can benefit from insightful, innovative, and tested leadership.”
— MARGO PERNICK Executive Director, The Jewish Fund

“It’s transforming dreams into reality. It’s turning vision into operations. And it’s weaving the personal, the business, and the passion together so every nonprofit can grow its impact and achieve its full potential. In Next Level Nonprofit, Chris Lambert takes us on the journey of how he turned a vision, something all of us have, into one of the best-managed and most impactful nonprofits Detroit has seen. Next Level Nonprofit is the playbook on how he got there. Yet it’s much more than a playbook. It’s an inside, unflinching experience of what a nonprofit—whether new or old, big or small—can do when they are strategic, accountable, and dare to do more. More than a book, it’s a gift for us all.”
— KEVIN ROACH CEO, MCHS Family of Services

“What I love about Next Level Nonprofit is the emphasis on people: ensuring folks are in the right roles, that they have power to dream and execute, that all are purpose-driven and clear on the plan. This is a go-to guide for the modern nonprofit leader, with practical, actionable methods to ensure your nonprofit operating system can increase both outcomes and impact.”
— ANGELIQUE POWER President & CEO, The Skillman Foundation

“Chris Lambert is a man of remarkable faith, tenacity, and determination. He lives a life of solidarity and boldness, which is bringing transformation to Detroit and beyond. I am moved and challenged by his intention and discipline in stewarding his time and his leadership of Life Remodeled by adapting and applying business best practices to the nonprofit sector. I am proud to know Chris and recommend his book and example to you.”
— ALEXANDER MCLEAN  Founder and CEO, Justice Defenders

“Lambert brings together solid business principles and approaches informed by prominent business and leadership experts. Drawing on his own experiences and insights, he provides a pragmatic model for nonprofits ready to move to the next level of organizational management.”
— DR. ALAN DRIMMER  President and CEO, Cleary University

“If you lead a nonprofit that has a proven track record with programs but struggles on the business side, Next Level Nonprofit will help you maximize the potential of your organization. I have seen how effective the Next Level Nonprofit tools are when used consistently, and I would encourage any organization looking to create strong infrastructure to start here.”
— DWAN DANDRIDGE  CEO, Black Leaders Detroit

“Being in senior leadership for longer than I care to bring attention to, I rely on longstanding tools that help me navigate every workplace climate. Next Level Nonprofit is one such tool. Through Next Level Nonprofit, Chris Lambert entices you to lead better, as you expand and challenge your organizational processes.  The book’s measurements and assessments invite you to pause—but never too long before validating what is good and making it OK to work on the not-so-good. Chris’ insights on building a dream team alone will change everything. Chris has energy and smarts that leave you with tangible takeaways to lead with humility and a refreshed mindset to take on every challenge with confidence.”
— LAURA VARON BROWN  CEO, Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit

“Too often planning and implementation in the nonprofit sector exist in separate spheres, at the expense of achieving greater impact. Next Level Nonprofit brings these two together with a bold methodology that empowers organizations to realize their full potential for positive change, while fostering and maintaining a healthy and supportive environment in which staff members can achieve their best. Next Level Nonprofit provides ‘a better how’ for clarifying and pursuing vision, recruiting and retaining talent, aligning mindsets and roles, and operating at a higher level of effectiveness—all with the determined ambition of making the world a better place.”
— PETER NICHOLSON  Founding Principal, Foresight Design Initiative

“As someone who built my career on helping people make wise investments, I find fulfillment in donating to philanthropic causes that are doing a lot with a little. The best-managed nonprofits make the most impact, and Next Level Nonprofit is an incredibly effective step-by-step manual for nonprofit organizational management.”
— DAVID T. PROVOST  President and CEO, Talmer Partners

“The incredible humans who work in the nonprofit sector have all the passion, dedication, and heart they need to fulfill their missions. Next Level Nonprofit ensures they also have the solid strategy, concrete organizational structure, and united team that will allow the focus to remain on lasting mission fulfillment. The Next Level Nonprofit structure is bringing all of that clearly into focus for our team, streamlining our energy and approach so we can truly make the impact that our community deserves.”
— ANDREA MEYER Executive Director, Center for Success Network

“While I am one who believes our sector and those who work so hard to repair our world should be defined by what we wake up for every morning (for-impact) instead of what we are not (non-profit), Chris Lambert and his team have assembled an extremely insightful guide. From seeking ‘Reindeer,’ to cultivating culture and capacity based on core values, to understanding the role of being a white leader in a predominantly Black city, the specific tools and examples shared throughout are tremendously valuable.”
— DOUG BITONTI STEWART Executive Director, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation