Customer Reviews

The Fundraising Habits of Supremely Successful Boards: A 59-minute Guide to Ensuring Your Organization's Future

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I serve on one non-profit Board, so naturally when I was browsing and
came across THE FUNDRAISING HABITS OF SUPREMELY
SUCCESSFUL BOARDS by Jerold Panas,
I just had to get it.

The fact that its subtitle promised me that I could read it in
59 minutes made it even more appealing . . . what's best of
all: the ideas contained in the book made sense . . . and
they work!

For example, there was this one:
Not only is it good manners to thank donors, it's fiscally prudent.
It costs a whopping 4 1/2 times the resources, staff and energy to
acquire a new donor as it is to keep a current one.

Nothing profound, yet something that we forget all too often--regardless
of our field of endeavor.

Then there was the following:
Givers give. Which explains why at the end of your campaign, if you're
short of goal, you cal on those who have already given. You don't go to
those who earlier said, "call on me later." Chances are they'll put
you off again.

Lastly, this tidbit really struck home:
From my 40 years of experience, I can say without question the first
and foremost reason people give is because your organization
changes lives or saves lives.

Although it took me less than an hour to read, I must admit to
going back to reread it because there were so many fine ideas
contained therein . . . in fact, I'm going to recommend THE
FUNDRAISING HABITS to my non-profit Board and, also,
to my friends who belong to other Boards.

Jerry Panas has written a book all of us in philanthropy will want to give to every member of our boards. How often during my twenty-five years of fundraising I have said: "Oh, what I wouldn't give for a stronger board!" What I was really saying was "I wish my board members would give our organization more financial support." And, time and again, I have made the excuse for our board members that they were not chosen because of their philanthropic generosity, but because of their area of expertise. Panas will never let us get away with this excuse again! He raises the bar both for philanthropy staff and for board members with "24 Fundraising Habits" that will change, for the better, our ability to develop effective board members and raise financial support for our organization's mission.

Previously, when we were planning our major gifts campaign, I used Panas' book, ASKING, to motivate my board. It did the trick. Figuring lightning might strike twice, I recently gave them a copy of FUNDRAISING HABITS. They liked it just as much. And they're in the early stages of modeling some of the behaviors Panas outlines. Definitely if you have a board that needs a fundraising "pump up", this book may help.

Jerry Panas has a remarkable ability to find the essence of things and then tell stories that bring those essentials to life. That's just what The Fundraising Habits of Supremely Successful Boards does. When I read the table of contents I knew what I needed to do to be a great board member. I must confess that I found the habits he suggests a bit daunting, but when I dive into each chapter and read the stories that perfectly exemplify each habit, I'm convinced of their importance. There are no bones about it, Jerry pushes us all to live up to a high standard of excellence. And in case you think Jerry's talking about someone other than you, he's included a short report card at the very end so you can assess your own behavior. It's a wonderful tool for all boards.

Being a bit of a writer myself, I know how hard it is to write simple, clear, compelling prose. Jerry's a master at this. What a gift. I'm so happy he shares it with us all.

This is an excellent book to help a board member clearly understand his responsibility to fund raising. This is an easy read and can be done quickly. Excellent book!

I'm a fan of the author. I've attended his seminars and purchased other books. This is just not up to the standards of usefulness and interest he typically delivers.

There is no meat to the book. It is just fluff on the qualities of a board or board member - integrity, loyalty, etc. - all soft stuff that anyone could figure out without much knowledge of the industry.

I'm a DOD for a non-profit and would not recommend this book to my Board or any other.

Jerold Panas has done it again, with a deeply insightful, yet infinitely practical little volume. Just about every page contains an applicable nugget of wisdom in the exciting quest to develop a dynamic volunteer board. Get this book -- it's a quick read, but one that is likely to change your outlook and energize your organization.

I know from long personal experience that most board members would rather lick a live hornet's nest than ask for a gift. And yet billions of dollars in major gifts are raised every year in the U.S. alone. So how's that getting done, exactly? Jerry Panas is a capital campaign colossus striding the globe. I would be very surprised if any other consultant on earth had had a hand in raising more money than Jerry. And his workshops on how to make the ask are legendary. In this book -- "A 59-minute guide" -- Jerry has isolated all the characteristics that build champion boards raising sweet mountains of philanthropy. Every executive director should read this book. Every board chair should read this book. Every professional fundraiser should read this book. For one thing, you'll be inspired. Jerry is a brilliant storyteller with an inexhaustible store of pointed anecdotes.