Fundraising for Social Change [Paperback]

Kim Klein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0962022233 | ISBN-13: 978-0962022234 | Publication Date: June 1, 1996 | Edition: 3rd

Kim Klein, with 20 years' experience as a trainer, consultant and writer, has been called the "guru of grassroots fundraising." This classic text, now in its third edition, has everything you need to know to raise funds successfully for small to mid-sized organizations. Topics include direct mail, special events, and major donor programs, as well as raising money for endowments and capital campaigns. Fundraising for Social Change is perfect for organizations wanting to become self-sufficient.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviewer Kathy Cone writes: "This is the fundraising book nobody should be without, and it's as good and useful for professional fundraisers--like our development coordinator--as it is for novices and recalcitrant, procrastinating, fearful-of-rejection, "fundraising has to be my lowest priority" types like me....

"Klein has a genius for simplifying, for speaking straight, for making asking for money sound easy (whether by letter, phone call, or personal meeting), and making it seem almost like a lark. Get your own copy of this book and chain it to your desk." -- The Workbook, Vol. 22 #2, 1997

This is the fundraising book nobody should be without, and it's as good and useful for professional fundraisers--like our development coordinator--as it is for novices and recalcitrant, procrastinating, fearful-of-rejection, "fundraising has to be my lowest priority" types like me....

Klein has a genius for simplifying, for speaking straight, for making asking for money sound easy (whether by letter, phone call, or personal meeting), and making it seem almost like a lark. Get your own copy of this book and chain it to your desk. -- Kathy Cone, The Workbook, Vol. 22 #2, 1997

Review

"Kim is a legend and pioneer in fundraising for nonprofits of all sizes and types. She provides practical and timeless advice on a myriad topics. Her book should be on the shelf of every development director."
—Pam Williams, director of development, The Marin Humane Society

"This is my grassroots fundraising 'bible.' I refer to it when preparing for a new fundraising campaign and tell others to read it when they’re feeling overwhelmed. I know I would be lost if I didn’t have this book in my fundraising library."
—Rona Fernandez, development director, Californians for Justice

"Hawaii Community Foundation has brought Kim to the islands for over ten years to present her information-packed workshops on fundraising. Fundraising for Social Change brings Kim into the nonprofit organizations on a daily basis with the principles and practical tools needed for a successful long-term fundraising program."
—Lorraine Sato Tamaribuchi, foundation officer for Maui County, Hawaii Community Foundation --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: Chardon Pr; 3rd edition (June 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962022233
• ISBN-13: 978-0962022234
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,855,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is THE starter book for fundraisers, September 1, 2001

By 

S. Root (California gold country) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fundraising for Social Change (Paperback)

This book covers all types of fundraising--events, direct mail, phon-a-thons, personal requests and more. There is more than enough information on each of these topics to help you implement the strategy. She helps you to visualize your fundraising efforts within the entire context of your organization and over the years you will be in your community. Further, she reframes fundraising to help you understand that you are not "pitiful beggars" plaguing people with your requests for help, but actually helping people to make meaningful contributions to their community. I purchased several books on fundraising that turned out to be mistakes--and books on fundraising are not cheap. This book saved our organization its price within seconds of its purchase.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fundraising Startup Guide: The Nuts and Bolts to Building a Successful Fundraising Profit Center, December 29, 2007

By 

Jeff Lippincott "JLIPPIN" (Princeton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fundraising for Social Change (Kim Klein's Fundraising Series) (Paperback)

I love this book. It's been around for a while in one form or another. Currently it is in its 5th revision. And with each revision the author has refined it. As a result, it is very well written and outlined. It is also really good because the author is a fundraising practitioner and teaches what she does. She really knows her stuff when it comes to fundraising. At least that's the impression I get from reading her book.

Fundraising at a nonprofit, whether large or small, is basically a profit center. It's a business! This book treats it as a business and has the feel of a startup guide for that business. As a SCORE volunteer believe me when I say this book has the feel of a startup guide; I've read my fair share of startup guides for for-profits and counseled enough wanta-be entrepreneurs on how to start a business. This book is a startup guide.

So how is this book a startup guide? Well, it advocates preparing a written fundraising plan BEFORE you put together your fundraising office and start raising funds. It describes a "fundraising framework" that you must understand before you can prepare a sound and successful plan. Then it tells you about time-tested strategies for acquiring and keeping donors - the strategies that will enable your nonprofit to build a foundation or base of donors from which all successful fundraising will emanate. And next it tells you about the time-tested strategies for upgrading donors so they will (or can be expected to) give larger gifts as time moves forward. There are also sections that explain how to setup and manage a fundraising office, and how to prepare a budget and write a fundraising plan.

The book could have stopped there. That's all that a startup really needs to know and do to be successful at raising sufficient funds to provide its services and distribute its products. However, the author tells us more. She talks about feasibility studies and capital campaigns. And she talks about actually being a professional fundraiser, and about special or unique circumstances where traditional fundraising methods don't always work well.

I really have only one problem with this book. I would like it so much better if the author would change its title to something like - A Fundraising Startup Guide: The Nuts and Bolts to Building a Successful Fundraising Profit Center. I realize the author's background is in helping cash-strapped nonprofits that advocate social change, and that this book was initially created to help her help those organizations (and herself). But the book is not merely about nonprofits that advocate social change. And I wish the title would properly reflect what the book covers. 5 stars!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for any progressive organization staff member, December 12, 2005

By 

Jeff Paterson (Oakland, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fundraising for Social Change (Kim Klein's Fundraising Series) (Paperback)

This is a must read for any staff member of a small not for profit organization. It's a bit freeky how she knows so much about my group, and then cuts to the chase on how to address the problems identified.