Nonprofit Fundraising 101

Nonprofit Fundraising 101

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Darien Rodriguez Heyman for several years and proud to be one of Nonprofit Fundraising 101‘s Publication Partners. The book was “written by and for front line practitioners and geared towards a global audience of emerging and established leaders.”

“You don’t have to know all the answers, you just need to know where to find them.”

Nonprofit Fundraising 101 starts out with this quote from Albert Einstein and describes itself as a “reference manual” to apply as needed. Among the many notable interviewees whose expertise is tapped in the book: Steve MacLaughlin,  Kim Klein, Kay Sprinkel Grace, Mal Warwick, Kivi Leroux Miller, Beth Kanter, and John Haydon.

Heyman summarizes three important common themes and ideas that appear throughout the book.

Plan for Success: …Planning is the lynchpin of any nonprofit’s success …. Take a moment to step back and envision your path before you dive into any activity or project to ensure you’re as impactful as possible. ..

 

Meet People Where They’re at: … you cannot expect donors to come to you; you need to court and steward them where – and how – they’re most comfortable. …

 

It’s Not About You: … The most successful nonprofits and fundraisers communicate not about their work, needs, or impact, but rather about the impact the donor or prospect makes possible. … people want to be part of a winning team, so framing your work as powerfully as possible is critical.

And quoting Sprinkel Grace:

“People don’t give to you; they give through you.”

 

“People don’t give to you because you have needs. They give to you because you meet needs.”

Nonprofit Fundraising 101 is full of great ideas from some of the leading fundraising experts. I particularly enjoyed reading the chapters covering event-based fundraising, social media and crowdfunding, cause marketing partnerships, and earned income strategies.

One area that I’d like to see more coverage of in a future edition: legal compliance. Here are some links to articles we’ve written covering fundraising legal issues:

Giving Tuesday: 10 Legal Tips for Nonprofits

Nonprofit Radio: Crowdfunding

Top 5 Fundraising Legal Tips

6 More Fundraising Legal Tips

Major Gifts – Part II: Considerations for Legal Compliance and Avoiding Lawsuits