October 2, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
NEW BOOKS
A Kaleidoscope of Prospect Development: The Shapes and Shades of Major Donor Prospecting
by Bobbie J. Strand
Though technology has rapidly advanced and fund raisers can now obtain and analyze a wealth of donor information, the key task remains the same: “How do we best equip frontline fund raisers to sit face-to-face with our potential supporters and successfully make the case for support?” writes Bobbie J. Strand, a fund-raising consultant.
Ms. Strand includes detailed chapters on approaches to finding potential donors, such as database screening, asking volunteers to identify people who give, and managing a cost-effective “pyramid” of support, with a base of annual gifts and a peak of major, pivotal gifts.
In one chapter, “How Much is Enough?,” Ms. Strand gives advice on finding important but elusive information about prospective donors that will allow the fund raiser to determine a reasonable solicitation amount. Ms. Strand includes a variety of sources a fund raiser might use to gather information about a potential donor’s real-estate holdings, inheritances and family wealth, family foundations, and donor-advised funds. Sample worksheets, such as one that estimates a donor’s giving capacity, can be found throughout the book.
Publisher: Council for Advancement and Support of Education, 1307 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20005-4701; (202) 328-2273; fax (202) 387-4973; conferences@case.org; http://www.case.org; 160 pages; $36.95 members, $48.95 nonmembers; ISBN 978-0-89964-412-7.
