August 23, 2001 | Read Time: 1 minute
Hidden Assets: Revolutionize Your Development Program With a Volunteer-Driven Approach
by Diane L. Hodiak and John S. Ryan
Volunteers can do more than contribute their time and energy to nonprofit organizations—they can serve as fund raisers themselves, say the authors of this book.
Contrary to popular belief, not all volunteers shy away from fund-raising duties. The key is identifying those “whose involvement is characterized by longevity and regularity, as well as those who have an emotional or personal involvement with the organization’s mission,” write Diane L. Hodiak, a consultant specializing in marketing, fund development, planning, and public relations, and John S. Ryan, former vice president and director of planned giving for the University of Minnesota Foundation.
Dedicated volunteers can help charities conduct what the authors call “affinity fund raising”: identifying people familiar with the organization; listening to and responding to their interests, values, and beliefs; and asking them to participate in ways that validate their interests. Sometimes volunteers can more effectively communicate with this group of potential donors, the authors write, because “their conviction and altruism is the candle that ignites the fire.”
Part One discusses how volunteers can strengthen donor relationships and how to assess a charity’s potential for conducting affinity fund raising. In Part Two, the authors cover how to prepare the organization for volunteer fund-raising efforts, including training volunteers to conduct interviews with donors and identify the most promising prospects. Part Three contains suggestions and real-life examples of volunteers who have raised money for campaigns, special projects, and annual-gift drives.
The book is based on more than 2,500 interviews and contains sample agendas and forms and assessment and training tools.
Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 350 Sansome Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94104; (415) 433-1740 or (800) 956-7739; fax (415) 433-0499 or (800) 605-2665; http://www.josseybass.com; 109 pages; $27.95; I.S.B.N. 0-7879-5351-2.
