Nonprofit Fundraising 101

Raise more money for your cause! Based on expert advice and insights from a variety of respected industry experts, Nonprofit Fundraising 101 is an essential text for nonprofit professionals, volunteers, activists, and social entrepreneurs who want to leverage best practices to promote their cause. Built upon the success of the best-selling Nonprofit Management 101, this easy to digest book provides practical, comprehensive guidance for nonprofit fundraising around the globe. With tips and tools, expert advice, and real-world insights from almost fifty industry leaders, this robust resource addresses the entire spectrum of fundraising for nonprofits, including: Planning, hiring, and tracking progress Individual donors, major gifts, events, and direct mail Board and volunteer engagement Foundation and government grants Corporate partnerships Online and email fundraising Social media and mobile crowdfunding Earned income and social enterprise Written by and for front line practitioners and geared towards a global audience of emerging and established leaders, this field guide offers step-by-step formulas for success. Nonprofit Fundraising 101 features a foreword by fundraising guru and Soul of Money author Lynne Twist, insights from notable non-profit professionals such as CNN's Van Jones, and an afterword by Kiva.org Co-Founder & President Premal Shah. This book also provides indispensible ideas and diverse case studies ranging from grassroots efforts to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and advice for organizations of all sizes and focus. Chapters are brief and easily digestible, featuring extensive resources for additional learning, concrete best practices, and pitfalls to avoid. Enjoy this must-read manual to learn tried and true ways to raise more money for your cause, nonprofit, or charity.

A comprehensive handbook for leading a successful nonprofit This handbook can educate and empower a whole generation of nonprofit leaders and professionals by bringing together top experts in the field to share their knowledge and wisdom gained through experience. This book provides nonprofit professionals with the conceptual frameworks, practical knowledge, and concise guidance needed to succeed in the social sector. Designed as a handbook, the book is filled with sage advice and insights from a variety of trusted experts that can help nonprofit professionals prepare to achieve their organizational and personal goals, develop a better understanding of what they need to do to lead, support, and grow an effective organization. Addresses a wealth of topics including fundraising, Managing Technology, Marketing, Finances, Advocacy, Working with Boards Contributors are noted nonprofit experts who define the core capabilities needed to manage a successful nonprofit Author is the former Executive Director of Craigslist Foundation This important resource offers professionals key insights that will have a direct impact on improving their daily work.

Nonprofits are some of the scrappiest organizations you’ll ever experience. In many respects, they resemble start-ups. Think about it. Small groups (generally) of highly dedicated, focused believers coming together to achieve something greater than they could ever achieve on their own. They’re often cash-strapped, moving faster than their infrastructures can keep up with, and frequently learning and adapting as quickly as they can. The majority of nonprofit staff are able to do so much good with so few resources. The general public has come to expect nonprofits to behave this way. But one thing I’ve noticed is that unlike the corporate sector, there is little in the way of generally accepted “best practices” across the nonprofit sector. This results in organizations that serially make mistakes — often resulting in detrimental impacts to their staff, their donors, their revenue, and ultimately to the achievement of their mission. In 101 Biggest Mistakes Nonprofits Make and How You Can Avoid Them, you’ll hear directly from industry veterans who have over 300 years of combined experience inside nonprofit organizations and leading consulting firms serving nonprofits. They are experts in strategic planning, government relations, leadership, finance and administration, program development, marketing, and philanthropy. Contrary to what the title might suggest, this book is NOT an admonishment of the nonprofit sector and those who make their career within it. Far from it. I know that one of the least-funded areas in the nonprofit sector is staff training and development. That is at the core of what brought me to envision this book, to assemble this group of expert contributors, and to bring this work to market. Everyone makes mistakes, whether you work in the nonprofit sector, the commercial sector, or anywhere in between. In the corporate sector there are entire industries designed to provide coaching and teaching at all levels of an organization, even customized to market niches. These industries help teach leaders how to improve and do their jobs at the highest possible levels. There are also plenty of works outlining best practices in strategy, design, staffing, leadership, management, finance, etc. Roadmaps, if you will, to help corporate executives, leaders, and individual contributors avoid costly mistakes and maximize impact for their customers and businesses. The same can’t yet be said for the nonprofit sector. In this book I’ve compiled the 101 biggest mistakes that cost nonprofits the most, and given you expert recommendations to help you avoid making these mistakes yourself.

Achieving Excellence in Fundraising is the go-to reference for fundraising principles, concepts, and techniques. With comprehensive guidance toward the fundraising role, this book reflects the latest advances in fundraising knowledge. Coverage includes evolving technologies, the importance of high net worth donors, global fundraising perspectives, results analysis and performance evaluation, accountability, and credentialing, with contributions from noted experts in the field. You'll gain essential insight into the practice of fundraising and the fundraising cycle, reinforced by ancillary discussion questions, case studies, and additional readings. With contributions from members of The Fund Raising School and the faculty of Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, this new edition includes detailed guidance on nonprofit accounting practices as defined by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, rounding out the complete, thorough coverage of the fundraising profession. Designed to provide both theory and practical knowledge, this book is an all-in-one resource for anyone who performs fundraising duties. Understand donor dynamics and craft an institutional development plan Explore essential marketing and solicitation techniques Learn effective volunteer recruitment, retention, and management strategies Fundraising merges a variety of fields including psychology, business management, accounting, and marketing, making it a unique role that requires a uniquely well rounded yet focused skillset. Amidst economic uncertainty and a widening wealth gap the world over, it's more important than ever for fundraisers to have a firm grasp on the tools at their disposal. Achieving Excellence in Fundraising is the ultimate guide to succeeding in this critical role.

The real-world guide to successfully funding your nonprofit program The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management is the comprehensive handbook for successful fundraising, with a practical focus that applies across the nonprofit sector. With a focus on planning, self-assessment, continual improvement, and high-payoff strategies, this book provides more than just ideas—it shows you the concrete, real-world actions that make it all happen, and gives you the tools you need to bring these concepts to life. This new fourth edition features the latest information about social media campaigning, internet fundraising, crowdfunding, and more. Timelines, checklists, and forms help you streamline management tasks to focus on effective development, and updated sample reports and budget information help you begin implementing these approaches quickly. The nonprofit world is becoming increasingly competitive in terms of funding, and fundraisers are being asked to perform miracles more than ever before. This book offers a time-tested framework for fundraising success, with step-by-step guidance through the entire process from prospect to program. Understand and apply the major principles and best practices of fundraising Manage information, resources, development, and volunteers Adopt new approaches to relationship-building and prospect identification Write grants and fundraising materials that make a rock-solid case for support There is never enough funding to go around. To survive and thrive, nonprofits must revitalize interest and generate more support. Gone are the days of door-knocking and bake sales; strategy is critical, and execution must be top-notch. The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management shows you the real-world strategies that get your programs funded.

Create a sustainable revenue model that can propel your mission-driven organization into the future Effective Fund Raising: The Trustee's Role and Beyond is the result of author F. Warren McFarlan’s two decades of research at Harvard Business School, along with over forty years of active social enterprise board service. This book offers a depth of knowledge and insight that will prove invaluable for trustees, donors, and others related to and responsible for the success of social enterprise. Social enterprise organizations have played a vibrant and important role in the USA for the past century. And yet, the business of fundraising has not become any easier or more elegant. In this book, you will discover how to help raise the financial resources that your organization needs to perform its good deeds. This book focuses on the steps and strategies you need to know to secure funding to fulfill your mission. Development is the lifeblood of most social enterprises, be they large or small. You’ll also discover how to harness the energies of the right people to ensure the long-term success of your development efforts. Learn why an effective, sustainable revenue model is critical to the success of even the most exciting mission-driven organization Understand the core elements of the revenue model, including governance, fees, the annual fund, capital fundraising campaigns, planned gifts, and more Develop a strong plan for sustaining your organization’s revenue, regardless of organization size Build the skill of asking for money and lead your organization to a revenue and philanthropy orientation Many social enterprise CEOs spend over half of their time on fundraising. Why? Simply put: without a sustainable revenue model, even the most exciting mission-driven organization will collapse. The dirty truth is that, with no fund raising, there is no social enterprise or enduring mission. This book will help you shoulder the burden of fundraising and ensure the long-term success of your venture.

Practical tools and techniques to incorporate ethical standards and practices in nonprofit fundraising Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy is a helpful and inspiring resource for nonprofits large and small, young and mature, local and international. The insightful guidance and case studies found within these pages will help you understand how to address specific ethical issues within your nonprofit and leave plenty of food for thought and discussion. Adds new materials on new business practice codes, the Ethics Assessment Inventory, coverage of new ethics standards Now includes an ethics assessment tool on the Ethical Fundraising, Second Edition companion website Considers essential topics including: appearance of impropriety, rights of donors, tainted money, using donations as intended, choosing a leadership role, ethical decision-making, restoring public confidence in the nonprofit sector, and the ethics of grant making and grant seeking Written by luminaries in the field of ethics in fundraising Explores a topic that all professional fundraisers must engage with in order to build the trust and confidence of the giving public Offers an invaluable collection of essays based on the rich experience of philanthropic leaders Presents wise reflections on the central role of ethics in fundraising Featuring contributions from a host of well-known and respected senior-level fundraising professionals, several of whom are members of the AFP Ethics Committee, Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy features a wealth of practical tools to help fundraising practitioners, board members, and governing boards implement these essential concepts into their own organizations.

CD-ROM contains: resources (charts, graphs, and checklists) and campaign samples.