If you are not feeding new prospective major gift donors into your pipeline on a regular and systematic basis, sooner or later your efforts are going to stall. So, whether you are new to fundraising or have been active in the profession for years, this is a resource that can help you build new relationships and add good prospects to your portfolio. The book provides specific strategies that will increase your odds for success when you are ready to meet your donors. You will learn to "warm" your prospects so they are receptive to your outreach, to make allies of the gatekeepers who control access to the decision makers, and to conduct a qualification call that is both casual and purposeful. All of these methods are designed to initiate a comfortable and meaningful relationship that will one day result in a significant philanthropic investment.
Written for anyone involved in soliciting charitable contributions for nonprofit organizations, this guide explains how to employ simple, effective, proven techniques for seeking and finding larger donations; maximizing the results from fundraising volunteers; assisting donors in maximizing their philanthropic experience; and cultivating and soliciting gifts more confidently.
Amy Eisenstein guides you, in only five hours a week, to safely and surely meet the challenges of getting your organization ready for major gift fundraising, all the way up to that all-important ask--and beyond. If you've been in fundraising for any length of time, you've no doubt heard of the "90/10 Rule." In its simplest terms, it means that 90 percent of the funding comes from 10 percent of our donors. Yet far too often, the majority of our time is spent focused on low-yield fundraising activities, such as events. Amy argues that the key to successful long-term, sustainable fundraising lies in dramatically increasing your fundraising income from individual donors. And savvy fundraisers will do well to heed her advice. But how can you get started? With Amy at the helm, guiding you in developing your organization's major gifts program, you'll find it's absolutely doable. Amy doesn't pull any punches. She makes it clear, if you're going to succeed in major gifts, that everyone will need to be on board and that effective and consistent fundraising training is a must. It's a commitment. Throughout the book, she explains key fundraising concepts, the difference between major gifts and capital campaigns, how to determine exactly what constitutes a major gift for your organization, the importance of gift acceptance policies, job responsibilities for your major gift team, the role of online fundraising in major gifts fundraising, the role of direct mail, maintaining your database, and more. In short, she cuts to the chase to show you that major gift fundraising is something that, yes, you can do. It just takes focus and Amy's know-how, marvelously outlined within these pages. Part One-- You Can Raise Major Gifts in Only Five Hours per Week! Chapter One: The Secret to Successful Fundraising: Creating a Culture of Philanthropy and Professionalism at Your Organization Chapter Two: Creating Your Strategy Chapter Three: The Secret Weapon of Major Gifts: Engaging Your Board Chapter Four: Creating an Army of Advocates and the Role of Social Media Chapter Five: What Does Bulk Mail Have to Do with Major Gifts? Part Two-- Are You Ready to Ask for a Major Gift? Preparing to Ask Chapter Six: Who Will You Ask for Major Gifts? Chapter Seven: Researching Your Prospects: The Fine Line between Professional and Creepy Chapter Eight: The Art and Science of Getting a Meeting: How to Meet With People You Know--and with People You Don't Chapter Nine: How to Build Deeper Relationships with Major Gift Prospects Part Three-- The Moment of Truth: Asking and Beyond Chapter Ten: Get Ready to Ask Chapter Eleven: The Moment of Truth (Time to Ask) Chapter Twelve: More Than Simply Thank You Part Four-- Taking Your Organization to the Next Level Chapter Thirteen: Considering a Capital Campaign? Chapter Fourteen: Can a Small Shop Really Do Planned Giving? Chapter Fifteen: Moving on Up: Taking Your Organization to the Next Level
Praise for Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action "Fired-Up Fundraising is honest, realistic, practical, and inspiring. It transforms the whole concept of fundraising from obligation and drudgery into passion and fun. Every CEO, development director, development consultant, and board chair needs to have and use this book." —Charles F. (Chic) Dambach President and CEO, Alliance for Peacebuilding Former Senior Consultant, BoardSource "A breakthrough! Fired-Up Fundraising takes the mystery out of engaging your board in the ongoing work of fundraising. In this well-organized little book, Gail Perry lays out a commonsense, four-step process that will fire up your board and help you meet your fundraising goals, year after year." —Mal Warwick author of How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters "Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action is by far the best book I have ever read on how to involve board members in the entire process of fundraising, from identifying prospects, cultivating them, and finally making 'the ask.' Just as important, it is an invaluable guide on how to select, enlist, train and especially inspire board members so they take ownership of their institutions. Every nonprofit CEO and development officer should read this book." —Robert L. Gale President Emeritus, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges and founder of BoardSource (formerly known as the National Center for Nonprofit Boards) "This is the book for which EVERY nonprofit chief executive has been yearning since time immemorial. Every nonprofit needs money to survive and thrive, and every nonprofit has a board of trustees to help raise it, but few nonprofits come anywhere near using their boards to maximum benefit. Fired-Up Fundraising, a reader-friendly, realistic, and practical playbook written by a richly experienced, highly literate fundraiser turned consultant, takes readers by the hand and leads them step-by-step through eminently doable ways of inspiring the greatest possible engagement of-and return from-their trustees. It will instantly become the gold-standard guide for building successful boards." —Joel Fleishman Professor of Law and Public Policy and Director, The Foundation Research Program, Duke University
"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental story with a moral lesson about gift-giving, it has been popular for adaptation, especially for presentation at Christmas time.
This publication contains 15 papers concerned with the establishment at colleges and universities of new major gift programs or the improvement of existing programs. The papers, all by development professionals in higher education, are as follows: (1) "An Introduction to the Major Gift Process" (Jon Cosovich); (2) "Strategic Management of a Major Gift Program" (David R. Dunlop); (3) "Developing Major Gift Staff" (Carol L. O'Brien); (4) "Setting Guidelines: Assessing and Directing Major Gift Staff for Optimal Results" (Don Myers); (5) "Prospect Research: Key Methods for Discovering and Targeting Donors" (John Gliha); (6) "Prospect Management: Tracking and Coordinating Information" (Carole W. Karsch); (7) "Prospect Identification and Assessment: Using Prospect Meetings and Peer Review" (Linda J. Marks); (8) "Using Volunteers in the Major Gift Program" (David G. Pond); (9) "Narrowing the Major Gift Market: Principal Gifts" (William F. Dailey, Lucretia L. Martin, and Dennis J. Caplis); (10) "An Effective Model of Principal Gift Program" (William H. Boardman Jr.); (11) "Developing Prospect Strategies" (Marjorie E. Millar); (12) "Factors of Engagement: Using Volunteer Committees and Special Events to Cultivate Donors" (Charlotte B. Heartt); (13) "Asking for Major Gifts" (A. H. "Bud" Edwards and William Outhouse); (14) "Major Gift Case Studies" (James W. Osterholt and Roger A. Meyer); (15) "Stewardship of Major Donors" (William R. Haden). Includes a bibliography of major donor research resources. (JB)
Ever feel like you're just spinning your wheels in the boardroom? That you aren't on the same page with other members of the board and senior staff? Do you sometimes wonder if you're really accomplishing the purpose for which the organization was created? If so, please realize this: You are not alone! The Intentional Board was written specifically with these frustrations in mind. It's written in a the conversational style common to all In the Trenches books published by CharityChannel Press. Intentional vs. Accidental Board Kent Stroman coined the term "accidental board" to describe the governance condition he has too-frequently encountered in his decades in the nonprofit field. It makes no difference how old or new. Large or small. Sophisticated or simple. Local or international. Boards tend to fall prey to the same reality that plagues every other entity: Left to their own devices, they will decay. And, unfortunately, most don't have to decline very far for the decay to become noticeable. Accidental boards result from the forces of human nature. A handful of well-intentioned individuals with a boatload of passion joins together to solve a specific problem. They form a nonprofit organization, and someone tells them they must have a board. No problem. Several of them know attorneys (maybe someone who practices family law) and ask for assistance. These kind and generous attorneys provide pro bono services--well beyond their area of expertise--to help get the organization started on the right foot. The formal structure for governing a charitable entity is born, and everyone goes happily about their respective business. But trouble is brewing. It's invisible. It's just below the surface. The governance capabilities of the board are not keeping up with the demands of the mission. The governance framework laid out in the bylaws is not aligned with the structure required of a charitable entity. And just like a Kansas tornado, the winds are shifting, and the shift goes unnoticed. Initially. Next thing we know Toto is flying. And, we're not in Kansas anymore! Yikes! Unless an intervention occurs, the result will be the formation of one more accidental board. A roomful of dedicated, generous, passionate members will gradually create a governance structure that does not work. If left untreated, this will eventually become a major distraction from the charitable programs and threaten the very existence of the organization. The intentional board, however, is the result of purposeful, deliberate action. In The Intentional Board, Stroman expertly weaves his powerful but easy-to-grasp 17 Laws of the Intentional Board to give you a framework for getting your board back on track. The intentional board is a journey--not a destination. It involves a collective striving for excellence. And it's a rewarding endeavor for all who are involved. No one who has served on an intentional board will ever be content returning to an accidental board. Rather, these enlightened board members will become change agents for transforming other organizations from survival to significance in their governance practices. Who Will Benefit? The Intentional Board is for anyone who wants a healthy, well-governed organization. It's indespensible for: Executive Directors Aspiring Executive Directors Board Chairs Board Members Prospective Board Members Governance Consultants Emerging Leaders Young Professionals Students of Nonprofit Leadership
Applying the principles of marketing to nonprofit organisations and the fundraising sector is vital for the modern fundraiser who wants to increase profitability and diversify their fundraising efforts in this challenging industry. This comprehensive how-to guide provides a thorough grounding in the principles underpinning professional practices and critically examines the key issues in fundraising policy, planning and implementation. This new edition of Fundraising Management builds on the successful previous editions by including an integrated theoretical framework to help fundraisers develop a critical and reflective approach to their practice. Also new to this edition are how-tos on budgeting and making a strong and compelling case for investment, two vital core skills, as well as comprehensive coverage of digital fundraising and fundraising through social media. The new edition also accounts for recent changes in the fundraising environment, notably in the UK, the introduction of a new fundraising regulator and new thinking on professional ethics. Combining scholarly analysis with practical real-life examples, Fundraising Management has been endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and is mapped to the Certificate and Diploma in Fundraising, making it the definitive guide to best practice both in the UK and globally. This is a clear, problem-solving guide that no fundraising student or professional should be without.
