Asking: A 59-minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift [Paperback]

Jerold Panas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2009 | ISBN-10: 1889102350 | ISBN-13: 978-1889102351 | Edition: Revised

It ranks right up there with public speaking. Nearly all of us fear it. And yet it is critical to our success. Asking for money. Now comes a book, Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Staff and Volunteers Must Know to Secure the Gift. And short of a medical elixir, it's the next best thing for emboldening you, your board members and volunteers to ask with skill, finesse and powerful results. Jerold Panas, who as a staff person, board member and volunteer has secured gifts ranging from $50 to $50 million, understands the art of asking perhaps better than anyone in America. He has harnessed all of his knowledge and experience and produced what has become America's bestselling book on the subject. Complements Fund Raising Realities Every Board Member Must Face, by David Lansdowne.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"ASKING is full of gems. No better blueprint for those of us embarking on the adventure of asking." -- Jerold Katz, Headmaster, The Park School

"Jerry Panas writing on asking is like Michael Jordan writing on shot-making or Warren Buffet on investing." -- Kenneth Gladish, National Executive Director, YMCA of the USA

"May become the Bible of fundraising. Another masterpiece by the master of modern philanthropy." --George Miller, President and CEO, United Methodist Higher Education Foundation

About the Author

In Born to Raise, the author wrote: "Someone once told me that my career would have five stages: 1) Who is Jerry Panas? 2) Get me Jerry Panas, 3) We need someone like Jerry Panas, 4) What we need is a young Jerry Panas, and 5) Who is Jerry Panas?"

Jerry believes he’s somewhere between stages two and three. "But," he says, "my friends indicate I’m somewhere in stage four, quickly approaching stage five!"

Hailed in Newsweek as "the Robert Schuller of fundraising," Jerry is the author of seven books, many of them classics in the field. He’s also a popular columnist for Contributions magazine and a familiar and favorite speaker at conferences and workshops throughout the nation.

A senior officer of one of America’s premier fundraising firms, Jerry lives with his wife, Felicity, in a 1710 Farmhouse in northwest Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 111 pages
• Publisher: Emerson & Church Publishers; Revised edition (February 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889102350
• ISBN-13: 978-1889102351
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Nonprofit Organizations & Charities
  • #21 in Books > Business & Investing > Skills > Running Meetings & Presentations
  • #26 in Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Sales & Selling

More About the Author

Jerold Panas is executive partner of Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners, one of the nationÂ’s largest firms specializing in campaign services and financial resource development. A popular lecturer, he is co-founder and chairman of the Institute for Charitable Giving, which specializes in training and coaching professionals in the field.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great basic advice and encouragement, September 17, 2003

By 

Michael Wyland "Nonprofit Consultant" (Sioux Falls, SD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift (Paperback)

The book's twenty-five chapters are only about three pages each, and cover topics such as "Great Opportunity Stands in Front of You, In the Form of Objections," "Thanks for Being a Friend," and "You Won't Get Milk From a Cow by Sending a Letter." Some of the advice is a little hokey and artfully cute, but it's all based on solid experience and it will work.

The appendices are almost as valuable as the rest of the book. They include sample letters to donors and prospects, how to deal with a prospective donor's
objections to making a gift, a side-by-side list of differences between annual giving and major gifts, and rough guidelines for prospecting donors for each
type of gift.

Objections are the stated reasons why a prospect is hesitant about making a gift. Objections aren't "no"; they are the last hurdles to saying "yes." One technique described in the book is the "feel, felt, found" approach to overcoming objections. Identifying with the prospect's objection ("feel"), placing it in the past tense (felt"), by demonstrating how others were able to overcome that objection ("found") is a powerful way to move the prospect toward making the desired gift.

The mix of techniques, hard information, and empowering inspiration makes this book valuable for professional as well as volunteer fund raisers. As I read it, I thought of several friends and colleagues (like you) who would appreciate its lessons, and I'm sure you will, too.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for anyone who needs to raise money, March 21, 2005

By 

Lois Carter Fay "Author and Editor, Marketing... (Harrisonburg, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift (Paperback)

In just 108 pages, Jerold Panas explains how to learn to obtain large gifts for charitable causes, whether you know the people or not. He sets down the process, provides multiple "conversations with donors" to help you learn to ask, handle objections and get the gift. In less ant an hour you can be well on your way to raising significant funds for your cause.

The author's examples and down-to-earth advice will be invaluable to you. This is a must for anyone who has to do fundraising.

Lois Carter Fay

http://www.MarketingIdeaShop.com and

http://www.WomenMarketing.com

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Demystifying, August 11, 2005

By 

John R. Mcintyre (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift (Paperback)

Fundraising is both art and science--and Jerry Panas is a master of both sides of the fundraising equation. This is a fast read with practical ideas that anyone raising charitable funds can use. Asking people for money can be terrifying if you're not (emotionally) prepared. Panas walks you through the process and builds your confidence---and makes plain that the act of asking is in itself the victory, because not asking is the failure. This takes the pressure off, and whether the gift comes from the first ask or the hundred-and-first, you're on your way to fundraising success.