This special issue goes to press at a historic turning point. The United States has just elected its first African American president, and the nation's economy is in a tailspin. At such a moment of crisis and opportunity, our networks are most critical. Teaching the skills of advocacy and management, establishing a powerful collective voice, relaying timely and important information, tracking important trends in policy and funding—these are the tasks of an effective infrastructure for individual nonprofits—along with recruiting and deploying volunteers, developing and brokering loan funds for cash flow, and providing back-office services for organizations that want to focus more on program than on administration.


Preview the table of contents and sample articles from this issue on our Web site.