Description
Book SynopsisAn entertaining, informative, and eminently useful guide that draws on psychology, data, and real-world experience to explain what really drives successful fundraising. In The Forgotten Foundations of Fundraising, Jeremy Beer and Jeff Cain, cofounders of American Philanthropic, a leading consulting firm for nonprofit organizations, offer practical lessons and unconventional wisdom for both nonprofit leaders and novices in the art and science of raising money. Drawing upon a wealth of experience, deploying an army of anecdotes, and using eye-opening American Philanthropic survey data, the authors provide a brisk, irreverent, and supremely useful introduction to fundraising for charities and nonprofits. The book explains the hows and whys of a variety of fundraising techniques, from direct mail to planned giving programs. It explores the benefits and pitfalls of prospect research, the keys to donor retention, and the essential elements of a healthy nonprofit culture. It gives insig
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Civil Society, Yes; Sheepskins on the Wall, No—or, the Cons of Being Pro 1
Chapter 2 DIRT: Who Gives and Why? 27
Chapter 3 The Wending Planner—or, It’s the Organization, Man 49
Chapter 4 Direct-Mail Prospecting—or, Where the Donors Are 81
Chapter 5 Cultivating Your Donor Garden: From Thank-Yous to House Files 107
Chapter 6 Getting to Know You: Meetings, Donor Clubs, and Planned Giving 133
Chapter 7 Assessing the Donor Party—and, Foundations Are People, Too! 169
Conclusion 195
Acknowledgments 199
About the Authors 201
Index 203
