Achieving Excellence in Fundraising (Essential Texts for Nonprofit and Public Leadership and Management)

The green, growing tip of this field is alive and well in some of the early pages of this venerated textbook. Now in its fourth edition, this encyclopedic body of knowledge was instrumental in making this work into a profession.It is reassuring to see leaders in the field push the boundaries for a deeper understanding of the human aspects of this work. Some may see this as returning to “home truths,” but rather these enduring insights may mark the leading edge of innovation.For example, Tim Seiler: “We do not “get" gifts...Fundraisers do not make “the ask,” which implies a confrontational situation between volunteers and fundraisers and the donors from whom they seek gifts. Fundraisers do not “target” donors, and they do not “move” them toward desired ends.”Tim tries to return us to an earlier day when board members and other volunteers were Seen as more effective than professionals in inviting investment. He confronts the staff-driven world that most organizations operate in these days, asserting that today “no solicitation is more compelling than one done by a volunteer advocate who personally solicits gifts to support a nonprofit to which she is passionately devoted…"Tim and later in the book, Jim Hodge, place much importance on the choice of language in this field. Not only for the words themselves, but for the mindset they connote, The vocabulary says everything about how the speaker holds themselves, the other, and in fact, humanity. The book is worth the price if only for these insights.(In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve known Tim and Jim for about 30 years. Rather than compromise this review, however, with the sense that I writing in support of my friends, I offer this note to say that I know them very well, and have experienced the attunement between what they say and who they are. This ethical dimension is worth pointing out because of how important it always was to Hank Russo, to whom this volume is dedicated. Jim and Tim are exemplars. I expect that more value can be found in other chapters that I have yet to dip into, wondering if they perhaps will be too conventional for me.)Jim calls us “agents of change.” He asks us to see "how the value systems of donors overlap with the core values and mission of the organization." (Notice which one he puts first.) He puts the “why of giving” in the primary focus before the “how.” To discern the values, he asks us to use inquiry."The wealthy, like all of us, are tired of being manipulated to make gifts. The proper stance to take in relationship-based philanthropy is not to manipulate but to inspire…”Questions can lead to self-inspiration, rather than relying on our external enthusiasm."What skills, then, do development professionals working in the area of major gifts need to succeed? Clearly, they require strong communication skills to help them understand the values and motivations of potential major benefactors .... Being a successful major gift officer and volunteer fund raiser does not require having all the answers about the prospective benefactor, but it does require that the development professionals and volunteers know all the right questions to ask …"Notice how advocates using “communication skills” to understand the donor, rather than to sell and tell. "Most of the strategic work of our profession is done prior to drafting a proposal or asking for a gift."Finally,I was encouraged by a bright star appearing in the book, when scholar-practitioner Genevieve Shaker, wrote on personal solicitation in "Knowing Yourself: The Psychology of Asking for Money:” "By coming to terms with their own personal attitudes … fundraisers can form an authentic and reflective approach.”Indeed, Genevieve opens the door to one of the greatest, and usually neglected realms for breakthroughs in this work of inviting investment: reflecting on our own personal experiences.

Product was in the condition it was advertised. Arrived on time.

I needed this book for a course I was taking for my Master's degree. Excellent book full of wonderful information.

Thorough and well documented. Found it to be a good primer esp as a first time executive director of a new not for profit

Just as described. Had to have this for a college class. Well worth the price compared to anywhere else! In very good condition!

The quintessential guide. This is my second purchase to have an updated edition. A must-have and must read (and re-read) for any serious development officer.

An excellent resource for fundraising professionals and students alike.

Great book about nonprofit fundraising and easy to read