May 15, 2003 | Read Time: 1 minute
Fundraising in Diverse Cultural and Giving Environments
edited by Robert E. Fogal
The most recent installment of the quarterly series New Directions in Philanthropic Fundraising, edited by Robert E. Fogal, executive director of the St. Mary’s Duluth Clinic Foundation, in Minnesota, is a compilation of essays about trends in giving by women, as well as by minority and religious groups, and suggestions on how charities can make their solicitations more appealing to a broad range of Americans.
Diana S. Newman, founder of the Philanthropic Resource Group, in Columbus, Ohio, writes that most charities direct their fund-raising efforts at wealthy white people. Because nonprofit organizations normally do not tailor their solicitations to a diverse audience, she says, they miss out on potential financial support from minority groups.
A common theme in the essays is that fund raisers should develop a better understanding of cultural differences in order to improve relationships with potential donors. Some essays mention, for example, that members of some minority groups might be uncomfortable discussing money, or being publicly acknowledged for their donations.
Another set of essays focuses on the lack of data on some types of giving. One essay, for example, says the money that Latinos send to their native countries is often not counted as philanthropy in research studies. Another essay, on how men and women and members of ethnic groups interpret survey questions, suggests how to structure questionnaires to capture more accurately a group’s giving behavior.
Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 989 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94103-1741; (415) 433-1740 or (888) 378-2537; fax (415) 433-0499 or (888) 481-2665; http://www.josseybass.com; 124 pages; $28; I.S.S.N. 1072-172X.
