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The Fine Art of Fundraising: Secrets for Successful Volunteers

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The Fine Art of Fundraising: Secrets For Successful Volunteers by fundraising visionary Carolyn Farb is a highly practical guide for raising charity funds. From a simple bake sale to a gala charity ball and a wide range of activities in between, The Fine Art of Fundraising presents a practical how-to recipe for success. The author has raised more than $30 million for nonprofits, political groups, arts organizations and more; her experience carries the distilled wisdom of a professional as she explains how to build community interest, what types of events are the best fundraisers, how to earn grants, endowments, and trusts, why making personal contact makes all the difference, how to plan events step-by-step from invitations to clean-up, and much more. An absolute "must-have" for anyone taking up the responsibility of seeing a worthy cause meet its philanthropic goal.

The successful "Dummy" guidebooks ("Cooking for Dummies", "Rocket Science for Dummies", etc.) could learn a thing or two from Ms. Farb. Her largesse, smarts and savvy are known around the world and she enlightens us all with a look at how superstar fundraising is really done. With her keen writing style, she takes us behind the curtain and we are a fly on a champagne glass in learning all the tricks of the trade of making money for organizations who need it most. She's a prolific volunteer who was donated millions of hours to causes that have so desperately needed her help. With those millions of hours have come millions of dollars of donations, too. Read this and become a Fundraising Superstar now!

There's no denying that these tips worked for Farb; what's more, they are straightforward and practical. Overall, a good resource guide for volunteers and volunteer managers in charge of executing fundraising projects on the local level.

THE FINE ART OF FUNDRAISING is the definitive resource for organizations and individuals involved in fundraising. Every aspect of successful fundraising is covered in this step-by-step guide that focuses on a variety of events ranging from bake sales and carwashes to large scale fashion shows and charity balls. Volunteers new to fundraising as well as seasoned volunteers, committee chairpersons, and organization staff persons will benefit from reading this comprehensive book before beginning any new fundraising project. As a volunteer involved in fundraising events for over 25 years I find this resource to be well organized, thorough, and always on target with practical advice that addresses the needs of volunteers at all levels.

Attracting and handling benefactors and in-kind donors, reaching corporate supporters, and applying for grants are some of the topics discussed by Dr. Carolyn Farb. Anyone who chairs an auction will find the two chapters devoted to the nitty-gritty of planning and executing silent and live auctions immensely valuable. Choosing entertainment, selecting a menu, decorating, public relations--they are all covered in this work. Of particular interest to volunteers are the samples from Dr. Farb's own fundraising successes: invitations, response forms, benefactor letters, menus, seating charts, media releases and many more.

Every organization involved in fundraising should have multiple copies of this book available for staff and volunteers. Fundraisers at all levels will benefit from the valuable tips and wealth of ideas shared in this extraordinary resource.

Dr. Farbs book is fantastic. I recommend this book for anyone just beginning in fundraising or charity events. Dr. Farbs book guides the amateur through promoting a cause, assembling committees, strategic planning, PR and so much more! The only complaint I have is that I did not buy it sooner!

I had the good fortune of meeting Dr.Farb at a book signing, 2 weeks before I was asked to chair the 40th annual Lunar Rendezvous Festival which celebrates the accomplishments of NASA and the community that surrounds it. Using her book as the basis for my organizational structure, we have implemented the "zero budget" principle and have enjoyed early successes. I highly recommend this book to anyone planning a charity fund raiser. It truly shows you how to avoid the expense pitfalls of throwing a major venue.

Whether you are a seasoned fundraising professional for a multi-million dollar non-profit or a volunteer embarking upon your first fundraising event, Carolyn Farb's book will be an invaluable addition to your learning library. The Fine Art of Fundraising provides you with an in-depth look at the tips and techniques that have made Carolyn Farb one of world's premier fundraising volunteers. Her incredible success stories and sound advice will inspire and equip you to realize your fundraising goals.

Carolyn Frab does an oustanding job explaining the heart and soul of an important aspect of fund raising. The book is an incredible investment.

This is very focused in helping a novice or experienced fund raiser to maintain and develop their passion for contributing their goals to help a charity organization achieve their mission.

We already had a good process for giving a fundraiser. But Carolyn's book made all the difference. We tweaked and polished what we were already doing using her ideas and upped our net by 30%.