July 16, 1998 | Read Time: 4 minutes
The Complete Guide to Careers in Fund Raising By Margaret M. Holman and Jeanne Sigler
This book was written for the person who either wants to pursue fund raising or whose boss has just made it part of his or her job description.
Ms. Holman and Ms. Sigler, presidents of their respective New York-based consulting firms, contend that while most people fall into the profession “by accident,” successful fund raisers regularly draw upon a score of qualities that people in other professions might allow to atrophy.
They begin with an overview of the fund-raising profession, defining the types of work — such as prospect research, grant writing, and donor solicitation — expected of professionals. They outline 20 traits that help make one a successful fund raiser, such as perseverance and strong communications skills, and note that while people in other professions may possess those qualities, fund raisers must regularly employ all of them to excel.
Ms. Holman and Ms. Sigler summarize the duties required under different job titles, from the general (director of development) to the specific (special-events coordinator). They cover how to break into the profession, assess the potential of a job offer, negotiate a salary, and set one’s sights on more-challenging and lucrative work, including consulting. Publisher: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 4050 Westmark Drive, Dubuque, Iowa 52004-1840; (319) 589-1000 or (800) 228-0810; fax (319) 589-1046 or (800) 772-9165; 88 pages; $29.95; I.S.B.N. 0-7872-4172-5.
Foundations of the 1990s: A Directory of Newly Established Foundations Edited by Margaret Mary Feczko
This book profiles 9,158 private, community, and corporate foundations established after 1989 that hold collective assets of $16.8-billion and awarded $1.1-billion over the past year.
While those numbers are modest compared with total foundation assets and giving, the Foundation Center estimates that the newer funds represent 22 per cent of grant-making foundations operating in the United States today.
The entry for each foundation lists contact information, financial data, fields of interest, types of support, limitations, application information, and the names of key officers and trustees.
The information is indexed in six ways: by name, type of support, grant-making emphasis, city and state location, overseas giving, and donors, officers, and trustees. Publisher: The Foundation Center, Dept. SP, 79 Fifth Avenue, New York 10003-3076; (212) 807-3690 or (800) 424-9836; fax (212) 807-3677; World Wide-Web http://www.fdncenter.org; 1,345 pages; $150 plus $4.50 postage and handling; I.S.B.N. 0-87954-766-9.
Make a Note of It: Wit and Wisdom from Fund Raisers for Fund Raisers By William Olcott
This book contains insights from the pages of Fund Raising Management magazine, where the author served as editor for 11 years.
The 40 “Editor’s Notebook” columns collected here distill advice and commentary from fund-raising conferences and seminars and are complemented by five new essays by the author. Mr. Olcott, now a freelance writer, says his intent is to remind readers of enduring lessons.
For example, fund raisers need to tighten their focus when broaching causes that many people regard as too big to solve, such as homelessness. “Donors need to be reminded on a regular basis of past victories, however small,” he says.
The essays are grouped under sections that explore the nature of philanthropy, the fund-raising environment, major gifts, fund-raising techniques, leadership, management, communications, and ethics.
Mr. Olcott concludes with a section entitled “Taking Care of Yourself,” in which he provides fund raisers with tips for surviving stress and avoiding burn-out. Publisher: Bonus Books, 160 East Illinois Street, Chicago 60611; (312) 467-0424 or (800) 225-3775; fax (312) 467-9271; World-Wide Web http://www.bonus-books.com; 138 pages; $24.95; I.S.B.N. 1-56625-102-8.
Volunteering: 101 Ways You Can Improve the Worldand Your Life
By Douglas M. Lawson
Volunteering not only helps to cure society’s ills but also rates highly as a form of self-help, contends this author.
“Your happiness, health, and length of life literally depend on whether you are ready to share your time, talent, and treasure with others,” says Mr. Lawson, who runs a fund-raising and management-consulting firm in New York. He also wrote the 1991 book Give to Live: How Giving Can Change Your Life.
This book’s format consists of 101 questions that might be asked by volunteers or those considering volunteering, from “How can we teach volunteering to future generations?” to “How can volunteering enhance my dating life?”
Mr. Lawson organizes his questions under sections that examine the personal rewards of volunteering, that offer advice on giving one’s time to charitable programs, and that outline the benefits of volunteering abroad. Publisher: ALTI Publishing, P.O. Box 28025, San Diego 92198-0025; (619) 485-1616 or (800) 284-8537; fax (619) 485-9878; e-mail whilbig@altipublishing. com; 144 pages; $7.95; I.S.B.N. 1-883051-17-7
