April 3, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
NEW BOOKS
Winning Gifts: Make Your Donors Feel Like Winners
by Thomas D. Wilson
“Ideally, the philanthropic fund-raising professional will be able to balance the urgent, immediate needs of the institution with the lifelong, personal values of the donor,” writes Thomas D. Wilson, a fund-raising consultant.
“If we can match the donor’s philanthropic values with the organization’s needs, then asking for a philanthropic investment isn’t taking money away from the donor but rather doing the donor a favor,” he adds.
Mr. Wilson describes six steps in fund raising: Identify potential benefactors, introduce them to the organization, learn about their motivations and interests, communicate with the donors, engage them in the group’s work, and recognize their generosity.
The book is divided into two parts. The first section deals with getting to know a donor, building a relationship, and learning the donor’s values; the second half is devoted to asking for the gift and thanking the donor. At the end of each chapter are three tasks to help readers apply what they’ve learned to their fund-raising program.
“If done correctly, fund raising is the job of presenting attractive opportunities to donors,” Mr. Wilson writes.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 111 River Street, Fourth Floor, Hoboken, N.J. 07030; (201) 748-6000; fax (201) 748-6088; http://www.wiley.com; 316 pages; $34.95; ISBN 978-0-470-12834-3.
