Yours for the Asking: An Indispensable Guide to Fundraising and Management

Acknowledgments xv

About the Author xxi

Introduction xxiii

CHAPTER 1

Fundraising: A Call to Alms, A Call to Action 1

America’s Charitable Potential 6

Activating Philanthropy: The 92nd Street Y 9

Galvanizing Giving: The International Rescue Committee 10

Fundraising on Steroids: Lincoln Center 11

A Call to Alms, A Call to Action 15

CHAPTER 2

Soliciting Individual Prospects 17

America’s Astonishing Affluence 19

Trustee Engagement and Support 23

Volunteer Service: Beyond the Board 29

Engaging Volunteers: A Management Priority 31

A CEO’s Modus Operandi 33

Attitude and Temperament 35

Overcoming Economic Bad News and Psychological Resistance 37

To Ask: Popping the Question 38

Qualities of Excellent Fundraisers 41

Ready, Set, Ask 42

CHAPTER 3

Asking, Face to Face 43

Appointment Secured: Now What? 45

Please and Thank You 46

Donor Recognition: Here to Stay 47

Merit Matters: The Formal Written Request 48

The Lure of the Challenge Grant 49

The Generational Divide 50

Confessions of a CEO 52

The Written Proposal: A Prizewinning Example 54

Obstacles to Overcome 61

Individual Donor Checklist: Some Vital Questions 62

CHAPTER 4

The Institutional Donor: Corporations and Foundations 65

The Corporation and the Small Business 66

The Parlance of Corporate Aid 67

Corporate Support Magnified 69

Small Business, Large Impact 70

The Corporation: Pathway to Affluent Donors 71

Winning Business Support 72

The Lincoln Center Experience 76

Take a Walk, Read Widely 80

The Foundation 81

CHAPTER 5

Technique: Special Events and Direct Mail 85

Special Events 86

Direct Mail Fundraising 94

CHAPTER 6

Tough Questions: Candid Answers 99

Emerging Nonprofits: Newer, Smaller 100

The Philanthropic Postmortem: Critiquing Performance 102

Fundraising in Stormy Weather 104

Fundraising: Who is in Charge and When 106

Fundraising Myths and Realities 108

A CEO’s Two Friends: The Watch and the List 111

Four Hall of Fame Fundraisers: My Nominees 113

Donations that can Cost Too Much 118

CHAPTER 7

A Passport to Successful Fundraising: Lessons of a Lifetime 121

1. Diversify Funding Sources 122

2. Diversify Funding Methods 122

3. It’s the Board of Directors, Stupid 122

4. Advice and Money: The Relationship 123

5. Fundraising: Anytime, Anywhere, Any Season 123

6. The Solicitor’s Magic Words 123

7. The Right Way to Ask 123

8. Shoe Leather Trumps Mail 124

9. No is Not an Answer 124

10. Baseball, Not a College Exam 124

11. Fundraising as Apple Pie 124

12. Fundraising is a Team Effort 125

13. Practice, Practice 125

14. Philanthropy is Biography 125

15. Speed and Agility Matter 125

16. The Corporate/Nonprofit Meeting Place 126

17. The School of Hard Knocks 126

18. Early Money: The Best Kind 126

19. Donors Crave Recognition 126

20. Philanthropists Need Help 127

21. Merit Matters 127

22. Reputation: Hard to Acquire, Easy to Squander 127

23. Communicate, Early and Often 128

24. Roles that Fundraisers Play 128

25. Plan and Prepare 128

26. Spread the Gospel 129

27. Fundraising is All about Tomorrow 130

28. Leaving a Legacy 130

CHAPTER 8

Humor and Fundraising 133

The Relentlessness of Fundraisers 134

The Elusiveness of Prospects 135

Fundraising is Heavy Lifting 135

The Imperative of Donor Recognition 136

The Lore of Frank Bennack, Jr. 137

Politics is Inexpensive 138

Major Prospects Enjoy Healthy Egos 138

Self-Deprecating Humor: It Wears Well 138

A Classic: Many Variations on a Theme 139

She was One of a Kind: Beverly Sills—Part A 139

She was One of a Kind: Beverly Sills—Part B 140

She was One of a Kind: Beverly Sills—Part C 141

An Excusable Lateness 142

Introducing a Gala Honoree 143

The Ask Reduced to its Essentials 143

Intellectual Flight and an Empty Wall No More 145

The Philanthropic Marine Corps 147

CHAPTER 9

Fundraising: Dimensions of the Future 149

The Board of Directors Transformed 150

Willie Sutton goes Global 151

Philanthropic Converts Become Proselytizers 155

Underperforming Businesses 155

E-Philanthropy: Unrealized Potential 158

Think Big: It’s a New Millennium 160

CHAPTER 10

Quotations that Matter 163

Bibliography 173

Appendix I. Fundraising on Steroids: Lincoln Center 179

Appendix II. Nonprofit Board of Directors Size: A National Sampler and Lincoln Center 185

Appendix III. Governance at Lincoln Center: 2007 187

Appendix IV. Three Direct Mail Home Runs from the

International Rescue Committee 189

Notes 199

Index 203