Abstract
Fans of Hank Rosso’s 1991 classic fundraising primer Achieving Excellence in Fund Raising will be excited to get their hands on a copy of the long-awaited new edition curated by Eugene R. Tempel, Timothy L. Seiler, Eva E. Aldrich, and the team from the The Fund Raising School, Indiana University Foundation and the Center on Philanthropy in Indianapolis, Indiana. This third edition—published almost a decade after the most recent iteration in 2002—brings the work of over 30 scholars together in one tome, providing both depth of research and a wide breadth of fundraising topics. The collaborators honor Rosso’s legacy even as they bring his theories and concepts up to date through new research and developments in the sector.
The eight sections in the book mirror themes from previous editions, leading the reader from basic theory, through programmatic design (including annual fund, major gifts, campaigns, planned giving), mastering the donor relationship, working with volunteers, management and ethical standards. While the themes remain largely the same, the structure has been rearranged to facilitate fundraising professionals reviewing specific subject matter for their Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) exam and instructors using it as a textbook in the classroom. If indeed Rosso’s dream was to see fundraising become “a serious subject at colleges and universities” (p. xix), it is easy to think he would have been pleased by this new arrangement because it demonstrates just how far the field has come as a recognized, credentialed career path and academic discipline. Even the transition in spelling of the term “fund raising”—now cited as “fundraising”—is a testament to how the practice has evolved and the lingo worked its way into standard vernacular.
The third edition also provides new content for readers. Over the last 10 years, advancements in technology, the emergence of social media, a major economic downtown, the rise of new demographic groups, and the era of Big Philanthropy have had lasting impact on the fundraising environment. New chapter headings offer insight into topics that receive more in-depth treatment in this edition, such as High-Net-Worth Donors, Giving Differences Among Generations, Law and Fundraising, and Fundraising Credentialing. One chapter that receives a considerable overhaul in terms of new research is Chapter 14 on Women as Donors. Debra Mesch and Andrea Pactor write this section and integrate recent findings from several scholars, including Mesch’s own 2009 study conducted at the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy (p. 164). The findings point to differences in motivations for giving between men and women (p. 164), and show that women are more likely to be empathic to those in need, and to want to care for those less fortunate. The chapter sheds light on how married couples make philanthropic decisions, how women of different races and cultures view philanthropy, and the impact women are likely to make in philanthropy in the coming years. For the practitioner, the authors also provide a survey/guide for institutions to gauge their own level of engagement of women in charitable giving, with recommendations and tips for increasing such involvement.
Another area of expanded research can be found in Chapter 17 on Giving Differences Among the Generations. In the previous edition, the topic is given a scant page and a half, defining the different age groups (Veterans, Boomers, Generation X) and the historical influences that impact their giving practices. Contributors Melissa S. Brown and Xiaonan Kou now flesh out this concept into a rich discussion of each generational group (now including the Millennials), providing several tables and sets of data from a 2006 study at the Center on Philanthropy. Table 17.2 shows some fascinating statistics on the motivations for giving broken down by generation—a useful tool for front line fundraisers and annual fund managers who seek themes and affinities that will resonate with different segments of their donor base. Naturally, Millennials represent the newcomers in this edition, and it is appropriate that the authors shine the spotlight on this cohort’s motivations and preferences, holding up the Millennials and Gen Xers as the torchbearers for the next generation of major donors.
Rosso might be encouraged to note that section eight of the new edition is dedicated largely to Careers in Fundraising, from a historic overview of the first organized efforts to raise money on behalf of nonprofit entities up to the current trends of credentialing and CFRE preparation. Eva Aldrich’s treatment of this topic incorporates CFRE International’s useful comparison chart to help development professionals discern between the value of CFRE credentialing and certificate programs offered through a university or academic institution. Those pursuing the CFRE will be delighted to discover her study guide, a table of Domain/Task areas from the exam and where these subjects can be found in the book. The Domain areas and chapters line up neatly and it is clear how the new structure of the book was organized deliberately for this purpose.
Aldrich does not sugar-coat the challenges that continue to plague the sector in gaining respect as a recognized profession. In a rather bleak segment on The Future of Fundraising as a Profession, she acknowledges that although women continue to dominate the sector as the majority gender, they hold fewer positions of leadership and can be paid as much as US$20,000 less than their male counterparts (p. 433).
The section on International Perspectives on Fundraising reveals that development work is still seen as an emerging field outside of the North America, the United Kingdom, and Oceania. For the first time in 2009, CFRE International extended their job analysis research to a new sample of countries—Italy, Kenya, and Brazil—where the sector is just taking hold and starting to thrive, and these results are reported at length in this section.
If a need for charitable support, a culture of philanthropy, and a fleet of trained development professionals continues to grow overseas, as the chapter seems to suggest, it is precisely this area of scholarly research that stands to grow in importance over the next 10 years. Perhaps the fourth edition will see the topic of international fundraising as a formalized subspecialty, with data from a broader cross section of countries and a more seasoned group of respondents. But even with the data collected from the three countries surveyed in 2009, we see a glimmer of promise in global expansion and a more hopeful outlook of the future of fundraising as a profession.
If the Tempel et al. volume is a collection of data-rich research targeted for fundraising scholars and practitioners in search of new credentials, Kim Klein’s sixth edition of Fundraising for Social Change is more of a how-to guide for the nonprofit professional who has taken on the role of fundraiser, among the many hats he/she wears in the workplace. Klein targets as her audience the small- to mid-sized grassroots organizations that may or may not have a traditional “fundraising shop”—in fact, she recognizes that many of the organizations she aims to help will have a budget of less than US$2.5 million and “one or two staff people and a large volunteer base” (p. 1).
Klein writes in the first person, and the informal tone gives one a sense of being in the author’s living room, having a friendly chat about fundraising and the nonprofit sector. Klein’s personality and humor are infused throughout the book’s 44 chapters, and while the voice—and some of the entertaining scenarios she offers—is less academic in nature, it is spot on for an audience that needs a user-friendly primer to dig in and get things started. For those who may feel intimidated by the prospect of asking for money, she makes the development process fun.
Klein reviews and updates her editions every 5 years to stay abreast of new trends and purge outdated content. She, too, praises the Millennial Generation—one of the first “digital native” cohorts—as “the most generous and engaged generation ever” (p. xiii) and seems, at times, to write with them in mind. In contrast to the Tempel et al. volume, where research and statistics are cited directly in the text, Klein has moved many of her resources and references online. “On the Web” callouts in the margins send the reader to the Jossey-Bass website, where, for the mere cost of providing an email address, readers can access specific articles, suggested reading, tip sheets, and websites with information about the sector. Certain manifestos of the industry are available for download here, such as the Donor Bill of Rights and the Code of Ethics from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and a printable pdf of the Foundation Center Cooperating Collections Network.
While the interactive component is an interesting enhancement to the sixth edition, web-savvy readers may question the selection of materials posted there. The concept of having AFP and Foundation Center resources located in one central place is handy, but it is not clear why this is considered “premium web content” when these resources are easily searchable and available online already. Similarly, the list of suggested books and websites is a simple Word document that contains no actual live links, and might as well be included as a resource section in the print version of the book. Marketers of this volume must ask themselves why readers would be motivated to log into the site for digital content if they still have to cut and paste a web address into a browser—when Googling or typing in the URL would be just as fast. Although Klein ostensibly modernizes this edition by making some content electronic and interactive, if this is an attempt to captivate the technologically native, digitally sophisticated Millennial generation, these efforts may fall short of being truly innovative and efficient.
More valuable as digital content, in my opinion, are the sample feasibility study reports provided by Klein and her associate Stephanie Roth, the sample feasibility surveys, which can be easily downloaded and adapted for other organizations, and the worksheet for creating an annual fundraising plan. I would like to see Klein and her editors go a step further in gleaning the book for useful tools and templates to bring online, such as the gift range chart and the gift pyramid for capital campaigns, which, if prepopulated with formulas in Excel, could be a huge time saver for busy fundraisers.
While Klein’s relaxed and often humorous writing style makes the content accessible to a broad range of users, it may leave researchers looking for more substantiated (as opposed to anecdotal) evidence behind her recommendations. For example, in the last chapter regarding the question of clean versus dirty money, she offers little methodology or nonprofit governance strategy for how to resolve these issues, suggesting that organizations should poll the staff and leadership about how it makes them feel to accept money from a dubious source. This may work in smaller organizations where there is less public scrutiny and risk for a donor relations fiasco, but even fledging organizations can benefit from establishing a formal Gift Acceptance Policy and routine protocol for how to manage sticky situations. A sample Gift Acceptance Policy or governance best practices checklist would be useful resources to provide on this section. Throughout the text, Klein openly acknowledges and discusses the feelings that can be evoked in the fundraiser and donor during the process of gift solicitation, yet acknowledges at the same time that “feelings are not facts. They come and go, and they are often not very logical” (p. 280).
Achieving Excellence in Fundraising and Fundraising for Social Change are both classics in the nonprofit development literature, and the sets of knowledge they offer are interlocking pieces in the puzzle of modern advancement theory and practice. Those seeking data-driven essays written by an array of established and emerging nonprofit scholars and researchers will find themselves in good company with the new edition from Tempel et al. Those working in grassroots organizations and seeking practical tips to get the job done will find the help they need in Klein’s easy-to-read and easy-to-apply approach. Though the texts serve different purposes and appeal to different audiences, the authors clearly have a mutual admiration for each other’s styles and strengths. Klein writes the chapter about grassroots fundraising for Tempel’s collection, and Rosso and Tempel are mentioned in Klein’s suggested reading as a fundamental guide to development practices. There is a reason why some books remain classics in the collective consciousness for many years: because they offer essential insights to the field even after long periods of growth and evolution. To be fully prepared to face the complex realities of today’s nonprofit sector, why not keep a copy of both of these excellent resources at your desk?