Growing Local Value: How to Build Business Partnerships That Strengthen Your Community (Social Venture Network)
FROM THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET"While people often think of community activism in terms of philanthropy or  volunteer work, Hammel and Denhart show how every aspect of a  business--from product creation to employee recruitment to vendor selection  to raising capital--can be set up to benefit both the bottom line and the  local community.Each of the book's seven chapters offers lessons in building a meaningful  and profitable relationship with a key stakeholder group: customers,  investors, nonprofits, government, other businesses, employees and the  environment itself. Those lessons are illustrated by vivid case histories  drawn from a wide range of industries located all over the United States.  The authors are keenly aware of the challenges facing small and  medium-sized independent entrepreneurs; they tell what worked--and what  didn't.For this reader, it's these stories that make this book compelling. A few  examples: Rejuvenation Lighting in Portland, Oregon, established a  home-buying program for its employees. TAGS Hardware of Cambridge,  Massachusetts, mails every new resident in town a coupon offering a free  trash can and a duplicate house key and sends out "free light bulb cards"  to frequent customers. Hammel's Longfellow Clubs helped an inner-city  indoor/outdoor tennis club founded by African Americans to get back on its  feet with generous donations of time, money and expertise."