Product Description

Getting tax-exempt status for your nonprofit organization is just the first step -- whether its mission will succeed depends entirely on your ability to raise money. Fortunately, Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits will show you how.

Featuring advice and stories from over 40 experienced fundraisers, foundation staffers, journalists and more, Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits explains how to:

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5787 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781413307481
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Gets into the best ways to keep the money flowing in, including using the Web and developing grass roots strategies." (Accounting Today 20080202)

"If you have room for only one book on your fundraising bookshelf, Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits should be that book. Author Ilona Bray... does a remarkable job giving key information about every aspect of fundraising without being too simplistic." (Advancing Philanthropy )

"Provides clear answers for nonprofits, with advice from fundraisers, foundation staffers and journalists." (San Diego Union-Tribune )

"Gets into the best ways to keep the money flowing in, including using the Web and developing grass roots strategies." -- Accounting Today

"If you have room for only one book on your fundraising bookshelf, Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits should be that book. Author Ilona Bray... does a remarkable job giving key information about every aspect of fundraising without being too simplistic." -- Advancing Philanthropy

"Provides clear answers for nonprofits, with advice from fundraisers, foundation staffers and journalists." -- San Diego Union-Tribune

About the Author
Ilona Bray is an author and legal editor at Nolo, specializing in real estate, immigration law, and nonprofit fundraising. She is co-author of Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home and also edits a number of Nolo's small business books. Bray's working background includes solo practice, nonprofit, and corporate stints, as well as long periods of volunteering, including an internship at Amnesty International's main legal office in London. She received her law degree and a Masters degree in East Asian (Chinese) Studies from the University of Washington.

Customer Reviews

A fundraising book for the small nonprofit, or one that is not well organized!
This is a great book for the small nonprofit that does not know much about fundraising. If it were for a more established nonprofit, then it would not have referred to major gifts as those starting at $500. I'm used to major gifts starting at $10,000 and going up well into the 6 figures.

This book explains how to do the following:

1. Work with individual donors
2. Plan special events
3. Solicit grants from foundations and corporations
4. Get media coverage (publicity)
5. Use the Internet to help in the fundraising process
6. Create print marketing materials like brochures, newsletters, and annual reports

All the above are important parts of a fundraising plan. One has to set goals, strategize how to attain the goals. Then attract individual donors and develop a rapport with those donors so they give more and more each year. Eventually those donors will become major donors, but that topic is best left for another book.

The book includes a good list of Web sites for prospect research. But the appendix materials didn't seem to be up to par.

All in all, this book provides grassroots strategies for struggling nonprofits. It is no-nonsense and well organized. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the basics about nonprofit fundraising. Topics beyond the scope of this book are planned giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, and endowments. But if you read this book and understand it, then you will be ready to learn about the other topics just mentioned. 5 stars!

Clear and Simple Explanations of What Works
There are a tremendous number of non-profits around. There are also a tremendous number of funding organizations. Your job as the fundraising manager (whatever your exact job title may be) is to put your particular non-profit together with one or more funding organizations to raise the money you need.

There is a basic set of fundraising skills and technologies that you can use to fund nearly any non-profit. Gone are the days (in most places) where you can put together some simply fund raising activity and gain enough money to get you through the year.

Here in one simple book is an excellent summary of all of the most modern techniques. It includes:

Developing a Plan that will include your goal, the assets you have to do fundraising, and a strategy to use these assets in the most profitable manner.

Attracting Individual Supporters, which means making your organization look wupport-worthy, understanding your supporters and attracting new ones.

Your best supporters are those that have given you money before. Here are the techniques to keep them giving.

These techniques and many more are discused here by an expert in the field. It should be required reading for anyone responsible for fund-raising in a worthy organization.

Good Book for Start-Up Non-Profits
I found this book VERY helpful. In fact, I was so fascinated with it, I couldn't put it down. It was like a good novel. I immediately changed some of my thank you letters and re-did my Corporate request for funding letter. I will continue to use it's suggestions. The book is well written and not full of 'filler info', but very solid recommendations that one can put to use right away.