September 6, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
NEW BOOKS
Over Goal!: What You Must Know to Excel at Fundraising Today, Second Edition
by Kay Sprinkel Grace
“What are the best strategies for creating new performance standards for nonprofits? How can we meet donor and client demands, build boards that will have energy and vision, and navigate the rough waters of a new century and a seemingly new economy?” asks Kay Sprinkel Grace, a nonprofit consultant, in her introduction to this book.
In the following 40 chapters, Ms. Grace attempts to answer her own questions, discussing what makes a charity a “solid investment” for donors and how to create a valuable, dedicated board of directors.
Good organizational governance and successful fund raising are “inseparable,” writes Ms. Grace. Many of her chapters reflect this idea, discussing the need for collaboration and communication between board members, volunteers, and the administrative staff.
Another chapter explores how to appease donors angered about a mistake a charity has made — misspelling a name, announcing the wrong amount of a gift, or directing money to a program not specified by the donor.
Ms. Grace emphasizes the importance of keeping an updated database and offering a timely apology and explanation.
“Set your goals. Aim high,” concludes Ms. Grace. “And always remember that those goals aren’t just about money, they are about creating the environment in which staff, volunteers, donors, and others feel a part of your vision and are resolute in their commitment to help you achieve it.”
Publisher: Emerson & Church, P.O. Box 338, Medfield, Mass. 02052; (508) 359-0019; fax (508) 359-2703; http://www.emersonandchurch.com; 288 pages; $24.95; ISBN 1-889102-28-8.
