The Fundraising Reader

Table of contents

1. Cover
2. Endorsement
3. Half-Title Page
4. Title Page
5. Copyright Page
6. Table of Contents
7. Editors’ introduction: thinking about fundraising
   1. I: The need for a fundraising reader
      1. Fundraising is essential yet largely invisible
   2. II: What this Reader covers
      1. What we mean by fundraising
      2. Aims of this Reader
   3. III: Notes on creating the Reader
      1. Acknowledgements
   4. Note
8. Section 1 What is Fundraising?
   1. Editors’ introduction
      1. Overview
      2. 1.1 What is fundraising?
      3. 1.2 Historical perspectives on fundraising
      4. 1.3 Misunderstandings of fundraising
      5. Discussion questions
   2. 1.1 What is fundraising?
      1. What is fundraising and why does it matter?
         1. Why charities fundraise
         2. The essential yet invisible role of fundraisers
         3. Research on the efficacy of fundraising
         4. The need to shift research attention to askers
      2. A philosophy of fundraising
         1. Organizations and their reasons for existing
         2. To govern or not to govern
         3. Institutionalizing fundraising
         4. Gift making as voluntary exchange
         5. Substituting pride for apology
         6. Fundraising as a servant to philanthropy
      3. What is fundraising? A USA perspective
      4. Is professional fundraising a job or a vocation?
   3. 1.2 Historical perspectives on fundraising
      1. Two thousand years of disreputable history
         1. Fundraising in late antiquity
         2. Fundraising in the Middle Ages
         3. Fundraising after the Reformation
         4. Modern fundraising
      2. The deep roots of fundraising
   4. 1.3 Misunderstandings of fundraising
      1. I am not a beggar
      2. Fundraising is not sales
      3. Fundraising is communication not marketing
      4. Why fundraising is fun
      5. In defense of fundraising
9. Section 2 Foundations of Fundraising Success
   1. Editors’ introduction
      1. Overview
      2. 1.1 Some fundraising basics
      3. 2.2 Engaging the whole organisation in fundraising
      4. 2.3 Developing a constituency of support
      5. 2.4 Vital ingredients for success
      6. Discussion questions
   2. 2.1 Some fundraising basics
      1. People give to people
      2. Introducing programmes, methods, and process
         1. Annual giving
            1. Major gifts
            2. Planned giving
            3. Corporate and foundation support
            4. Matching programs to needs
            5. Solicitation methods
            6. The fundraising pyramid
            7. The fundraising process
      3. The laws of raising money
      4. The nine cardinal principles of fundraising
         1. Cardinal principle I: institutional or organizational objectives must be established first
         2. Cardinal principle II: development objectives must be established to meet institutional goals
         3. Cardinal principle III: the kinds of support needed determine the kinds of fund-raising programs
         4. Cardinal principle IV: the institution must start with natural prospects
         5. Cardinal principle V: the case for the program must reflect the importance of the institution
         6. Cardinal principle VI: involvement is the key to leadership and support
         7. Cardinal principle VII: prospect research must be thorough and realistic
         8. Cardinal principle VIII: cultivation is the key to successful solicitation
         9. Cardinal principle IX: solicitation is successful only if cardinal principles I through VIII have been followed
      5. First steps in fundraising – a Russian perspective
         1. Irina Menshenina, 2020
         2. First tip: find a foothold in the chaos
         3. Second tip: gather people who have ever helped your organization in some way
         4. Third tip: if you have no previous experience in fundraising, organize a trial, or pilot, project
   3. 2.2 Engaging the whole organisation in fundraising
      1. The evolution of fundraising practice
         1. Appeal phase: Stage One — The passionate appeal
         2. Appeal phase: Stage Two — We need more money
         3. Fundraising phase: Stage Three — We need some help
         4. Fundraising phase: Stage Four — Leave it to us
         5. Stage 5: Let’s all work on this together
         6. Movement from stage to stage
         7. Implications for fundraising practitioners
      2. Involving your board members in fund development
         1. Role of the board
         2. Role of the individual board member
         3. Board member role in philanthropy and fund development
         4. In conclusion
      3. The fundraising cycle: the shortest book on fundraising, ever
         1. The fundraising cycle
            1. 4. Install efficient systems for records, monitoring and future consolidation.
         2. Targets
         3. Fundraisers
   4. 2.3 Developing a constituency of support
      1. Developing a constituency: where the fundraising begins
         1. Constituents are people, people are prospects
         2. The concept of ever-widening circles
         3. Characteristics of a constituency
         4. Building a constituency
         5. Conclusion
      2. Grassroots fundraising: you already know all the people you need to know to raise all the money you want to raise
         1. Why aren’t people being asked to give?
         2. Reversing the trend
         3. Starting with who you know
         4. Expanding the fundraising committee
      3. Fundraising in your own back yard: inviting clients to be donors
         1. Five things you can do to raise money from your clients
            1. 1. Don’t assume that people won’t or can’t donate.
            2. 2. Call it what you will … it’s still fundraising!
            3. 3. Educate everyone in the organization about how much it costs to do the work.
            4. 4. Be respectful of, and value, each person’s giving capacity.
            5. 5. Make fundraising a part of everyone’s job.
      4. Rediscovering and climbing the donor pyramid
   5. 2.4 Vital ingredients for success
      1. Relationship fundraising
         1. A total philosophy
         2. What relationship fundraising can do for you
         3. Welcome as a letter from a friend
         4. The nine keys to building a relationship
      2. Articulating a case for support
         1. Defining “case for support” and “case statement”
         2. Preparing the case for support
         3. Key information components of a case for support
            1. Mission statement
            2. Planning and evaluation
            3. Goals
            4. Objectives
            5. Governance
            6. Staffing
            7. Finances
            8. Programs and services
            9. Service delivery
            10. History
         4. Case statements
         5. Tailored to the audience and supporting the mission
         6. Conclusion
      3. Cultivating diversity in fundraising
10. Section 3 Understanding Fundraising Practice
    1. Editors’ introduction
       1. Overview
       2. 3.1 Fundraising planning, strategy, and campaigns
       3. 3.2 Working with major gifts
       4. 3.3 Working with many gifts
       5. 3.4 Working with corporate donors and partners
       6. Discussion questions
    2. 3.1 Fundraising planning, strategy and campaigns
       1. Creating and implementing a fundraising strategy
       2. The five strategies for fundraising success
          1. Getting acquainted with the five strategies
          2. Going for growth
          3. Enhancing involvement
          4. Increasing visibility
          5. Fine-tuning for efficiency
          6. Ensuring stability
       3. The fundraising audit
          1. The fundraising audit
          2. Macro factors
          3. Analysis of competitors
          4. Potential collaborators
          5. Market factors
          6. The internal environment
          7. Conducting an audit in a small charity
          8. The SWOT analysis
       4. Understanding fundraising campaigns
          1. Evolving purpose
          2. Underlying motivations
          3. Campaign phases
          4. Effectiveness
          5. CASE Campaign Standards
          6. Replacing the campaign
    3. 3.2 Working with major gifts
       1. The “stop and think” major gift
          1. The “stop and think” gift
          2. Getting something in return
          3. Get real
          4. Don’t talk – listen
          5. Don’t worry about the annual ask
       2. Dispelling the myths about major donor fundraising
          1. Five common weaknesses
             1. 1. Organisations really want money for existing work; major donors want to fund new work
             2. 2. Organisations do not really want donors to have the involvement they’d like
             3. 3. Organisations do not ask prospects closest to them to make stretch gifts. So these prospects do not become true leaders, able to leverage further gifts
             4. 4. There are few really experienced major donor fundraisers and even fewer really experienced organisations
             5. 5. Too often boards and senior teams think major donor fundraising is a quick fix and then lose faith
             6. Myth 1: Major donor fundraising is for the biggest and best-known charities
             7. Myth 2: Major donor fundraising is only as good as your prospect research
             8. Myth 3: Your supporter base is the right place to look for prospects
             9. Myth 4: Asking is the job of the volunteer
             10. Myth 5: It takes a long time to get a major gift
             11. Myth 6: Successful capital campaigns are about securing the right lead gift early and working top down
             12. Myth 7: Capital campaigns have a sequential private and public phase
             13. Myth 8: You only have one chance to get the major gift
             14. Myth 9: ‘The rich are different from you and me, yes they have more money’ – F Scott Fitzgerald
       3. Legacy fundraising: let’s not talk of death
          1. Deceased bequest donor stories
          2. Living bequest donor stories
          3. Results
          4. Discussion
          5. Implications for professional practice
       4. What is a philanthropic foundation?
       5. Hallmarks of a great grant application
          1. Hallmark 1: Understanding the particular grant-making trust and tailoring applications
          2. Hallmark 2: A strong idea
          3. Hallmark 3: Competent people
          4. Hallmark 4: Clear and succinct language
          5. Hallmark 5: Finances in order
    4. 3.3 Working with many gifts
       1. Relationship marketing and branding analyzed
          1. Unprofitable donors
          2. Branding of nonprofit organisations
          3. Nonprofit brand personality and image
       2. Community fundraising, a jewel in the crown
          1. What is community fundraising?
          2. Why invest in community fundraising?
          3. Types of community fundraising
             1. 1. Mass participation appeals
             2. 2. DIY activities
             3. 3. Fundraising groups
          4. Developing a community fundraising strategy
          5. Objectives and targets
          6. Volunteer-led versus staff-led fundraising
          7. Types of volunteer
          8. Event organisers
          9. Event volunteers
          10. Office volunteers
          11. Professional volunteers
          12. Specialist volunteers
          13. Celebrities and influencers
          14. Deciding what volunteers can do
          15. Stewardship of volunteers
       3. Understanding the pros and cons of special events
          1. What are special events?
          2. Reviewing your existing strategy
          3. Key questions to consider
          4. Identifying the primary goal or aspiration
          5. Setting specific objectives and targets
          6. Some tools for strategic analysis
          7. PEST analysis
          8. Boston Matrix
          9. Cash cows
          10. Rising stars
          11. Problem children
          12. Dogs
          13. The product life-cycle
       4. How to make your writing interesting
          1. How to interest people: a checklist
          2. Secret to response: the offer is king
          3. Don’t bury your offer
          4. What’s in an offer?
          5. Heifer’s four-footed offers: making the intangible real
          6. Anecdotes bring your success vividly to life
       5. The champion effect in peer-to-peer fundraising
    5. 3.4 Working with corporate donors and partners
       1. What, why and how do companies give?
          1. Why do corporations give?
             1. 1. Corporate productivity or neoclassical model
             2. 2. Ethical or altruistic model
             3. 3. Political model
             4. 4. Stakeholder model
          2. Forms of business support
       2. Corporate partnerships: no cash cow
          1. From philanthropic support to strategic partnerships
          2. Focus on value, not cash
          3. Put the customer first
          4. Adopt an organisational approach
          5. Corporate partnerships as a platform
       3. Seven tips for securing corporate sponsorship
          1. Introduction
             1. 1. Dedicate personnel
             2. 2. Price yourself right
             3. 3. Create a killer deck
             4. 4. Fill the pipeline
             5. 5. Be flexible
             6. 6. Have a conversation
             7. 7. Keep your sponsors happy
11. Section 4 Fundraising Theory and Ethics
    1. Editors’ introduction
       1. Overview
       2. 4.1 Theories in fundraising
       3. 4.2 Ethics in fundraising
       4. 4.3 Donor, fundraiser, and beneficiary rights
       5. Discussion questions
    2. 4.1 Theories in fundraising
       1. Theory in fundraising
          1. Theoretical approaches
             1. The big picture: systems theory, boundary spanning, and resource dependence
             2. Social exchanges: gift theory and reciprocity
             3. Positive identification: the identification theory of care and social identity theory
          2. Conclusion
       2. Testing fundraising practices and techniques
       3. Understanding individual donors
          1. Resources for giving
          2. How socio-demographic characteristics relate to giving
          3. The complex dynamics of individual giving behavior
             1. The opportunity to give
             2. Values
             3. Costs and benefits
             4. Efficacy
          4. Implications for practice: assessing donor motivations
       4. Are overhead costs a good guide for charitable giving?
          1. Do donors care about overhead costs?
          2. Should donors care about overhead costs?
          3. What effects does the focus on overhead costs have?
          4. Potential alternatives to overhead cost ratios
          5. Limitations and gaps
          6. Summary and policy advice
       5. Conflicts and strategies of eliciting emotions for fundraisers
          1. Emotions and the practice of fundraisers
          2. Findings
             1. Ethics and effectiveness
             2. Conflict at the level of the voluntary sector
             3. Conflict at the level of the voluntary organisation
             4. Conflict at the level of the individual fundraiser
          3. Conclusions
       6. A critical fundraising perspective: understanding the beneficiary experience
          1. Who benefits
          2. Who decides?
          3. The experience of beneficiaries
          4. An alternative approach to fundraising
    3. 4.2 Ethics in fundraising
       1. Rights-balancing fundraising ethics
          1. Ethical theory 101
             1. Trustism
             2. Donor centrism
             3. Service of philanthropy
       2. Fundraising as an ethical act
          1. Fundraisers can serve as moral trainers
          2. Fundamental relationship between fundraising and moral development
          3. Charitable giving and the maxim of altruism
          4. Fundraisers can bring great good to great numbers of people
          5. Fundraisers can redistribute power
          6. Fundraisers can enable humans to feel responsible for one another
          7. Fundraisers can break down our natural selfishness
       3. The color of ethics
          1. 1 Organizational mission
          2. 2 Relationships
          3. 3 Integrity
             1. Using the ethical decision-making chart
       4. Decision making in ethics
          1. Everyday application of values
          2. Decision-making process
       5. A fundraiser’s guide to ethical decision-making
          1. Codes of ethics
          2. Decision-making models
          3. Conclusion
       6. Tainted money and tainted donors
    4. 4.3 Donor, fundraiser, and beneficiary rights
       1. A Donor Bill of Rights
          1. I. To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
          2. II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgement in its stewardship responsibilities.
          3. III. To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
          4. IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they are given.
          5. V. To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.
          6. VI. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
          7. VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
          8. VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors [fundraising consultants].
          9. IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
          10. X. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
          11. Conclusion
       2. The Fundraiser Bill of Rights
          1. I. Fundraisers have the right to a decision-making role in determining if a donation should be declined if the gift has conditions that contradict the organization’s mission and/or the clients the organization serves.
          2. II. Fundraisers have a right to a respectful, equitable and transparent professional relationship with the organization they serve and with the donors of the organization.
          3. III. Fundraisers have a right to be included in the continuous audit of an organization’s policies and practices to ensure equity and protection.
          4. IV. Fundraisers have a right to develop a “response” plan that the institution will support.
          5. V. Fundraisers have the right to stop working with a donor based on the donor’s behavior toward their gender, sexual orientation, race, ability or any identity based cause for discrimination.
          6. Moving forward in shifting the fundraising rights narrative
       3. Ethical fundraising and beneficiary rights
          1. A foundation of trust
          2. Professional ethics
          3. Ethical behavior
          4. Applying ethics
          5. Ethics and social justice
          6. Conclusion
12. Section 5 Being a Fundraiser
    1. Editors’ introduction
       1. Overview
       2. 5.1 Who raises funds for a living?
       3. 5.2 What do fundraisers do?
       4. 5.3 The ideal fundraiser
       5. 5.4 The challenges of being a fundraiser
       6. Discussion questions
    2. 5.1 Who raises funds for a living?
       1. Why more people should choose a career in fundraising
          1. Why fundraising is cool
          2. Becoming a fundraiser
          3. Join the front lines
       2. Why is fundraising seen as women’s work?
          1. Looking through a gender lens at fundraisers’ daily work
          2. Looking through a gender lens at fundraising management
          3. Looking through a gender lens at for-profit “professionalization”
       3. Are fundraisers philanthropic?
          1. Researching fundraisers
          2. Fundraisers’ charitable behavior
          3. Giving before asking
    3. 5.2 What do fundraisers do?
       1. Fundraising as emotional labour and gratitude work
          1. The three ‘Fs’: a new framework to explain what fundraisers do
          2. Fundraising as a form of emotional labour
          3. Fundraising as gratitude work
       2. Getting to ‘yes’ and dealing with ‘no’
          1. 1. Introduction of solicitation meeting
          2. 2. Dialogue during solicitation meeting
          3. 3. Description of the needs to be met and donor benefits
          4. 4. Conclusion of meeting: requesting the Gift
          5. Defusing objections
       3. Living for, or off, philanthropy?
    4. 5.3 The ideal fundraiser
       1. What are the best fundraisers like?
          1. What fund raisers see as their best
          2. Personal characteristics
          3. Skills
          4. Professional knowledge
       2. What makes an ideal fundraiser?
       3. A major donor’s view on good communication for all donors
    5. 5.4 The challenges of being a fundraiser
       1. Fundraising’s identity crisis
       2. Fundraisers’ experiences of sexual harassment
          1. Sexual harassment, gender, and power
          2. Findings
             1. 1. The sexual nature of fundraising
             2. 2. Donors wielding power
             3. 3. Employer pressure or complicity
             4. 4. An impossible situation with no way out
          3. Conclusion
       3. My love for philanthropy as a black fundraiser
       4. Finding new fundraising ideas
          1. Internal sources of new fundraising ideas
          2. External sources of new fundraising ideas
          3. External sources
       5. Neglected fundraisers in the charitable triad
13. Section 6 Trends and Debates about Making Fundraising Better
    1. Editors’ introduction
       1. Overview
       2. 6.1 Moving to a mission-aligned fundraising culture
       3. 6.2 Donor-centric or community-centric fundraising?
       4. 6.3 Continuity and change in fundraising approaches
       5. 6.4 The impact of science and technology
       6. 6.5 Trends and predictions
       7. Discussion questions
    2. 6.1 Moving to a mission-aligned fundraising culture
       1. Culture eats strategy for breakfast
       2. We must invest in fundraising to make it inclusive
       3. Unlocking my authentic voice
       4. Answers on grant proposals if nonprofits were brutally honest with funders
    3. 6.2 Donor-centric or community-centric fundraising?
       1. The donor is the hero of the story
          1. We have a story problem
          2. The wrong story
          3. The wrong story in metrics
          4. The right story
          5. Plot means change
          6. The secret to donor retention: finish the story
          7. Finish the story: experimental evidence
          8. The secret to major gift success: finish the story
          9. Conclusion
       2. How donor-centrism perpetuates inequity
    4. 6.3 Continuity and change in fundraising approaches
       1. Direct mail: dead, or more alive than ever?
       2. Modern grantmaking for grant seekers
          1. What’s the connection between a funder’s service quality and discrimination?
          2. OK, so what does a Modern Grantmaking customer experience look like?
       3. Donor advised funds: an important new player in the fundraising sector
          1. Grantmaking
          2. Opening a DAF account
          3. Making grant recommendations
          4. Fundraising approaches for DAF donors
          5. Cultivation
          6. Solicitation
          7. Acknowledgement and stewardship
          8. Critiques of DAFs
          9. Speed of grantmaking
          10. Transparency
          11. Trust and conflicts of interest
          12. Conclusion
    5. 6.4 The impact of science and technology
       1. Using behaviour science to nudge donors: does it work and is it ethical?
          1. The ethics of using behavioral science in fundraising
          2. How to RAISE more money
          3. Make it relevant
          4. Make it appealing
          5. Offer a gift to receive a gift
          6. Create a sense of achievement
          7. Increase perceived value
          8. Make it intuitive
          9. Create mental reference points
          10. Make it social
          11. Create shared social identities
          12. Use contextually relevant messages
          13. Make it easy
          14. Put important information upfront
          15. Repeat your request
          16. Conclusion
       2. What is the potential of crowdfunding?
          1. Key characteristics
          2. Project-based, specific and transparent
          3. Social information
          4. Developments in crowdfunding worldwide
          5. Philanthropic crowdfunding deserves more (academic) attention
       3. How artificial intelligence can help unlock human generosity
          1. What is artificial intelligence?
          2. Why artificial intelligence will be a disruptive technology for giving
       4. Using YouTube for disaster fundraising appeals
          1. Volunteering in the post-humanitarian world
          2. Grassroots appeals on YouTube
          3. The emotional engagement
          4. Agency of the viewer
          5. Authenticity and trust-building
          6. Viewer-comments on the amateur fundraising videos
          7. Conclusion
    6. 6.5 Trends and predictions
       1. Seven trends to watch
          1. Trend 1: There is a continuing growth of great wealth and some of it is being diverted to philanthropy
          2. Trend 2: Nonprofit innovations, in fundraising and elsewhere, are no longer coming just from the United States or Europe
          3. Trend 3: Indigenous NGOs/NPOs continue to grow in number throughout the world, but there are some leviathans emerging
          4. Trend 4: There is considerable debate worldwide about the role of philanthropy and the role of the state
          5. Trend 5: Fundraising is becoming more professional and professionalized
          6. Trend 6: Everyone agrees that new and social technologies are important, but they disagree on how
          7. Trend 7: Philanthropy thrives best when there are codified civil society structures and regulations for nonprofit agencies
       2. Surviving the next financial crisis
       3. What will fundraising look like in 2045?
          1. Demographic shifts: impacts on local services and volunteers
          2. Technological change: global reach and local efficiencies
          3. Resources: funding from government and corporates
          4. Resources: support from volunteers
          5. Future scenarios for the charity sector in 2045
          6. Government-funded elite
          7. Corporate cooperation
          8. Home grown
          9. Crowd-sourced
          10. Discussion and conclusions
14. Sources and copyright information
15. Index