Mega Gifts, Revised and Updated 2nd Edition, Who Gives Them, Who Gets Them [Paperback]

Jerold Panas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2005

Want to know what motivates donors to give big gifts? There is an easy way to find out. Ask them. That is what Jerold Panas did for his book, Mega Gifts: Who Gives Them, Who Gets Them. Rather than speculate about what prompted so and so to give $25,000, or $100,000 or $1,000,000, Panas rang them up and said, Can I come talk with you? Admittedly, that is easy for Panas who knows practically everyone save Benedict XVI. Panas winnowed his questions down to the most revealing: what prompts you to give, what about the person soliciting you is important, what do you look for in an organization, what immediately turns you off, to what extent do the board and CEO matter to you, how does an organization keep you giving, and a handful of others. The donors are surprisingly candid, which makes Mega Gifts a bit naughty, and what they say will unquestionably alter your approach to major gifts. And do not depair if you are aiming to solicit the Pope. Panas recently dined with the Archbishop of Canterbury, so he is clearly working his way up.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

• ONLY BOOK OF ITS KIND

No other book on the market plumbs the psychology of giving as Mega Gifts does. Jerold Panas, hailed by Newsweek as "the Robert Schuller of Fundraising," explores the motives and pressures that drive men and women to make gifts of consequential size.

Scores of books dwell on the techniques for soliciting donors, but only Mega Gifts focuses on the human dimension of giving – questioning the donors themselves to uncover their underlying motivations.

• NOTABLE INTERVIEWEES

For his research, Panas interviewed dozens of notable philanthropists, each of whom has given million-dollar gifts (some many times over). A sampling of the individuals:

Alex Spanos, owner of the San Diego Chargers professional football team, who contributed a quarter of a million dollars on the spot, in response to a three-minute phone call from someone he had never met.

James Gamble, grandson of the founder of Procter and Gamble, who recalls his father talking to him about ‘DB’s’ – Deductible Benevolences. Leo Beranek, co-founder of one of the world’s largest acoustical consulting firms, tells of his longstanding interest in music, leading eventually to his major support of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Malin Burnham, San Diego’s Philanthropist of the Year and America’s Cup luminary, discusses how he prefers to be asked for philanthropic gifts.

The reader will also find fascinating stories about:

• Paul Galvin, founder of Motorola • Cyril Magnin, department store magnate • Dewitt Wallace and Lila Acheson, co-founders of Reader’s Digest • Clement Stone, the guru of the Positive Mental Attitude • Edwin Whitehead, founder of the Whitehead Institute at MIT • Gerald Jennings, creator of the wheelchair prototype • Walter Haas, Jr., who for years headed Levi Strauss & Company, founded by his great grand uncle --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Hailed in Newsweek as "the Robert Schuller of fundraising," Jerold Panas is the author of nine books, many of them classics in the field.

These include: Making the Case, Asking, Finders Keepers, Wit, Wisdom & Moxie, Excel!, Boardroom Verities, Fundraising Almanac, and Born to Raise.

He is 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 AmericaÂ’s premier fundraising firms, Jerry lives with his wife, Felicity, in a 1710 Farmhouse in northwest Connecticut. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Emerson & Church (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889102008
• ISBN-13: 978-1889102009
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,513,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mega Gifts - Mega Helpful, September 3, 2005

By 

Roy Dillow (Chicago, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mega Gifts: 2nd Edition, Revised & Updated (Paperback)

This book was almost like listening to a professional and highly experienced fund raiser give his unvarnished perspective on the motivations and realities of raising Mega Gifts. A nice peak into the human nature of those fortunate enough to be in a position to make large gifts to worthy and perhaps not so worthy causes. I found the book to be very helpful being new to the field of fund raising, though experienced in dealing with powerful and wealthy people in other professional settings. Not a "How To" book in the strictest sense, but more a what is and what motivates type of book. Worth the read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mega Insightful, October 22, 2008

By 

Money Hunter (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mega Gifts: 2nd Edition, Revised & Updated (Paperback)

I do believe the reviewer above, LynHak, didn't understand the star system. She gives the book one star, but says her daughter-in-law, for whom she bought the book, says it's the BEST fundraising book she's ever read. I think she meant to give it five stars, which I believe it deserves.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars "best" book on fundraising, January 20, 2008

By 

Lynhak "gift/book lover" (Dayton OH) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mega Gifts: 2nd Edition, Revised & Updated (Paperback)

This book was a gift for my daughter in law, a fundraiser for a huge national organization. She stated it was the BEST book she has ever read on the subject. I might add, she ia a very successfull fundraiser.