Fund Raising Realities Every Board Member Must Face
Jerold Panas sums it up best, when speaking of the Revised Edition
of Fund Raising Realities Every Board Member Must Face, one of the
top three bestselling fundraising books of all time:
As far as sound fundraising verities are concerned, for board members
this book is the Koran, the Talmud, and Deuteronomy all rolled into
one.
Indeed, if every board member of every nonprofit organization across
America read Lansdowne’s book, among the top five bestselling
fundraising books of all time, it’s no exaggeration to say
that millions upon millions of additional dollars would be raised.
How could it be otherwise when, after spending just one hour with this gem, board members everywhere would understand virtually everything they need to know about raising major gifts. Not more, not less. Just exactly what they need to do to be successful.
An expert communicator, Lansdowne distilled the essence of major gifts fund raising, put it in the context of 47 realities, and delivered it in unfailingly clear prose.
Nothing about this book will intimidate board members. It is brief, concise, easy to read, and free of all jargon. Further, it is a work that motivates, showing as it does just how doable raising big money is.
The appeal of Fund Raising Realities is that Lansdowne addresses every important principle and technique of fund raising, and explains each one in a succinct way board members will grasp immediately. In other words, Fund Raising Realities puts everyone on a level playing field - board member with board member, and board member with staff.
Put this book in your board’s hands, put it in your board orientation packet, put it anywhere you need the successful practice of fundraising masterfully illuminated.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Lansdowne, author of The Relentlessly Practical Guide to Raising
Serious Money, has spent his professional life in the nonprofit
sector, serving in development and administrative positions for
educational, cultural, and health organizations throughout the United
States.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Emerson and Church, Publishers, specializes in how-to books for
staff and boards at America’s nonprofit organizations. Selected
books include How to Write Knockout Proposals, by Joseph Barbato,
which received a Starred Review in Publishers Weekly (ISBN 1889102202);
The Relentlessly Practical Guide to Raising Serious Money, by David
Lansdowne, chosen by AmeriCorps as the best fundraising book in
America (ISBN 1889102199); and Asking, by Jerold Panas, one of the
bestselling fundraising books of all time (ISBN 1889102172).
January
The Pursuit of Happyness
This is a wonderful success story of determination and resourcefulness. The true story of a homeless father who rose up to own his own brokerage firm – it’s a tale of what we can accomplish if we stay focused on our goals and work as had as we can. Dreams can come true. Every day. The poignant true story of Chris Gardner, a Milwaukee African-American who escaped from his ex-convict mother and violent stepfather by joining the Navy and then becoming a San Francisco stockbroker, only to wind up as a homeless single father of a 19-month-old son is beautifully told. Be careful of some explicit and graphic language though. But….if you have a chance to see the movie as well, it is amazing! Take lots of tissues. JRBThe Foundation: A Great American Secret; How Private Wealth is Changing the World
A must read. I repeat – a must read. An important premise of the book is that foundations are operating more transparently and accountably these days, but we still have room for improvement. The author gives some suggestions, but I must admit I don’t agree with them all. One example of an idea I think I give a thumbs down to is to set up a board within the foundation to hear complaints from those who were denied funding – I don’t believe in funding complaints and I think it would be a waste of time.Joel L. Fleishman has been a Director of Boston Scientific since 1992 and is Professor of Law and Public Policy at Duke University. He has served as President of the Atlantic Philanthropic Service Company, the U.S. affiliate of Atlantic Philanthropies, and currently serves as a member of The John and Mary Markle Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Urban Institute, Chairman of The Visiting Committee of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and as a director of Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation. He has been around and he has experience.
As we know, foundations are peculiarly American. They have been the key to social change since their beginnings in the early 1800’s. Yet they are still cloaked in secrecy - their decision-making and operations are hard to make out to the point of anonymity - leaving them seemingly unaccountable to anyone.
Joel Fleishman has been in and around foundations for almost half a century...running them, sitting on their boards, and seeking grants from them. And in this groundbreaking book he explains the history of foundations tells the stories of the most successful foundation initiatives - and of those that have failed - and explains why it matters.
In the near future, it looks like the third sector is about to become more powerful than ever. This book shows how foundations can provide a vital spur to the engine of the American, and the world's, economy - if they are properly established and run.
Excerpt – “Mention foundations to anyone, and you'll probably get a blank stare. But ask the same person to name a social problem she'd like solved or a cause she cares about, and the odds are that some foundation is already deeply involved. What do the Environmental Protection Act, Sesame Street, the International Criminal Court, Human Rights Watch, TIAA/CREF, National Public
Strategic Decisions for Small Business: It's Just Noodles, This Ain't No Trattoria
During his over 15 years of business experience as an accountant, commercial banker, and consultant, R. Blake Hendrix noticed an information gap when it came to business strategy. Much of the research and discussion of strategic planning and the strategic theory taught in business schools and used in practice are designed for the Fortune 500 company- not the small business. However, the same theory and practices are equally as relevant and useful for the small business as well as the large. You just have to know how to properly apply them with the small business perspective in mind. In this book, Hendrix breaks down these economic, strategic, and game theory principles, explaining them in simplistic terms and presenting them in a format useful for the small businessperson. Through relaxed and amusing writing, Hendrix explains how to use the SaLT Method- the integration of strategy, logistics, and tactics- to accomplish your business’s goals and objectives. Providing a big picture perspective, as well as the framework to determine who you are, who you want to be and how to get there, this book can be a great tool for any small business or nonprofit.December
The Omnivore's Dilemma
How Americans eat. Fascinating, frustrating, and sadly true. Pollan examines our "national eating disorder" that plagues this country. And there's more - how do we treat the animals that provide our food? And what about the entire organic phenomina? Is it real, or just an excuse to charge more money?36 Billion is spent annually on marketing messages that train us to eat highly processed foods which duh....is where most of the money is made in the food industry. These ads teach us to eat the wrong foods, in the wrong places (like the car while we're driving). We are a nation and really a world that has become "cornified" and "soyfied". He talks about the corn lobby in Washington that is subsidized and has more power than we could ever imagine.
Regarding the high rate of obesity in this country? One of the reasons we are getting so fat and unhealthy is because of the amount of corn in our diet. Did you know that about 40,000 items in your local grocery contain corn?
We need 40-50 plants and animals to be healthy. But the basis of everything is corn and soy - so are we the society of corn?
He talks about corn - it's in everything - the entire food supply.
Strategic Giving
A very concise book on philanthropy with great insight into serious donors’ intentions and expectations. Previously published, author Peter Frumkin also wrote "On Being Nonprofit: A Conceptual and Policy Primer and Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy"Before coming to the LBJ School in 2005, and becoming Director of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service (following Curtis Meadows), Frumkin was an Associate Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he was affiliated with the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations. Frumkin has been a Senior Fellow of the New America Foundation, and has worked as a foundation program officer, a nonprofit manager, and program evaluator for both nonprofit and public agencies. He has lectured on philanthropy at universities throughout the country and served as a consultant to foundations and individual donors on strategy and evaluation.
Frumkin clearly maintains that philanthropy is a powerful way to convey ones private values and commitments in relations to meeting public needs. His in-depth description of contemporary philanthropy paints a picture of the complicated business of giving away money. He Identifies five essential elements donors must identify when developing a strategy for giving to better attain their goals: what kind of structure should a donor create to give, the degree of impact desired, the level of engagement and profile desired, timeline created, and the real purpose of the gift. A clear and concise read for those who are serious or planning on being serious about their philanthropy. JRB
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Obama says that a great take away from this book is the idea that we should “get involved in an issue that we're passionate about. It almost doesn’t matter what it is - improving the school system, developing strategies to wean ourselves off foreign oil, expanding health care for kids. We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result.” He believes that political groups can work together across ideological lines using common sense as our guide.As for education, Obama says, “Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children early in life. Obviously we all have a personal obligation to turn off the TV and read to our own children; but beyond that, participating in a literacy program, working with parents who themselves may have difficulty reading, helping their children with their literacy skills, can make a huge difference in a child's life.”Conservatives and liberals will gain much in terms of insight into a most interesting figure in America today by reading this book. Learn about all of our leaders current and future so that you can make good decisions.
November
A Passion for Parties
Tis the season for parties and fundraisers! You will find many creative ways to host your organizations most creative bash in this visually pleasing book. With more than 40 recipes and a list of resources, this is a book full of both practical advice and inspirations for your next fundraiser!Effective Fundraising For Nonprofits: Real World Strategies That Work
If you’re looking for a down-and-dirty book on fundraising, this is it! It provides the basic steps that everyone from recent college grads to highly seasoned professionals should know about raising money for their worthy organizations. Read this if you want to know the best grassroots solutions for nonprofits, how to work with individual donors, plan special events, and market your organization. What are you waiting for? Go get it now!The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Thomas Friedman describes "flat" as "connected"….connections by computer has leveled the playing field, giving individuals the ability to collaborate and compete in real time with mega corporations globally. The new technology has opened up borders, encouraged new dialogue and connected people around the world and it is instantaneous.Global competition just ups the bar on quality – we are all required to deliver more and better products and ideas to the table.
In his updated book he added some new and relevant ideas. First, he sees this phenomena happening because we are experiencing a societal shift and opportunity to grow due to new technology…almost like a new industrial revolution.
He also sees “uploading” as the cool new communications system that gives any willing participant the ability to blog, instant message, take part in new knowledge networking tools like Wikipedia and podcasting to passionately share personal experiences with the entire world. Ideas have the opportunity to mushroom into much more than ever before.
Freidman shares ideas on exactly what it will take for the new middle class to survive and compete in the new business climate, without getting trampled. In fact, Friedman says when he was little his parents reminded him to finish his supper because people in China and India were starving. Today, he tells his daughters, “Girls, finish your homework – people in China and India are starving for your jobs!” He reiterates that jobs go to the most productive workers who do the best work, at the cheapest prices wherever they are around the globe. Mediocrity is not an option…the world is demanding the best.
This book delivers and urgent message to all of us in the United States . It’s time to get moving now in order to be able to compete in the world today. “it’s essential that we stay as pen and as flexible as possible,” says Friedman. America has always had this great ability to tear down what doesn’t work and build it back stronger and better – our resiliency is unique. Developing strong research networks in our colleges and universities is necessary to foster innovation and growth.
Wow – another great book – let’s push for Freidman to deliver another update in a couple of years. - JRB
October
The Joy of Fundraising
Terry Axelrod says, “Fundraising is the chronic nemesis of every nonprofit.” This book will erase those thoughts from your vocabulary!Welcome to the new reality of fundraising! I love it! In a small, easy to read book full of great tips and hopeful solutions, Axelrod writes about simplification, timing, fun-raising, what to expect from boards and new ways of recognition. She has developed a mission-driven, low pressure approach to cultivating donors and thus creating a network of people who are passionate about the work your organization does.
Ask yourself these questions. Do you want committed and passionate donors? Do you want to be on that fundraising treadmill every day of every year? Do you want to have fun with fundraising and be joyful about your goals?
“The old reality of fundraising begins with the idea that money is scarce, so we must constantly compete, beg, and muscle our way to success,” says Terry Axelrod. She says this is a myth, and she describes the way to find joy and abundance in fundraising. - JRB
Freakonomics
I think we all need to look at the world with different eyes. Most people try to measure success or failure by looking at the economics of a situation - trying to find answers by studying numbers - even though numbers can tell half the story. Many times we need to look beneath the surface for the real reasons why things are happening in society today.Clever young social economists Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, the authors of Freakonomics, observe things in a different way....looking for spicy motivation behind all sorts of behavior. They think about and observe circumstances in order to look at them in a very thoughtful way.
For example, we talk about good parenting every day - but Levitt tells us that a day-care center fined parents $3 per child when they showed up late to pick up their children. Of course, they hoped this would encourage parents to come on time....while in fact, the number of parents showing up late doubled when parents legitimized the cost as "parents could buy off their guilt."
And Levitt hands Jane Roe (of Roe vs. Wade) credit for reducing the number of millions of potential criminals born into America today. His research showed that legalized abortion led to less unwanted children that would be born into poverty and destitution - which ultimately (2 decades later) led to less crime. In fact, he says it had far greater impact than even gun control or the improved economy. Although this is shocking - it seems to be valid.
So remember, it’s not always wise to jump too fast – wait, watch and think. Don't look for quick answers...or make snap decisions - sometimes it is good to look deeper. - JRB
