June 12, 2003 | Read Time: 1 minute
Over Goal!: What You Must Know to Excel at Fundraising Today
by Kay Sprinkel Grace
This guide shows charities how to attract new donors as well as win back those who have contributed in the past. Kay Sprinkel Grace, of San Francisco, a fund-raising consultant and member of the faculty of the Fund Raising School at the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, in Indianapolis, writes that “competition is stiff” as charities appeal to donors, particularly because the economic downturn has left some people less able to give. To meet today’s fund-raising challenges, she says, nonprofit organizations must demonstrate compelling goals and good management skills.
Ms. Grace suggests that a charity carefully draft a mission statement reflecting not only what the group does, but also why it exists. Requests for support, she writes, should emphasize the group’s work — such as providing food, shelter, and counseling — rather than the group’s financial needs. To remind donors that their money is being put to good use, she says, a charity can use its Web site and newsletter to offer stories about people who have been helped.
Ms. Grace provides advice on compiling lists of prospective donors, conducting feasibility studies for fund-raising campaigns, hiring consultants, and training board members to solicit gifts. She also details the approaches that some nonprofit organizations have used to meet their fund-raising goals.
Publisher: Emerson & Church, Publishers, P.O. Box 338, Medfield, Mass. 02052; (508) 359-0019; fax (508) 359-2703; 256 pages; $24.95; I.S.B.N. 1-889102-14-8.
