The 11 Questions Every Donor Asks
By Harvey McKinnon; 104 pages; published by Emerson & Church Publishers
October 14, 2008
There are lots of good books out there about fundraising. There a only a few great ones. Harvey McKinnon's latest offering is destined to become one of them. The 11 Questions Every Donor Asks gets to the core of what fundraising is all about - connecting with donors and inspiring them to give generously. In this slim volume, McKinnon zeros in on the key things every donor wants to know - Why me? Do I respect you? How much do you want? How will I be treated? - and provides the answers they crave. All of them. But don't take my word for it.
In the book's foreword, well-known fundraising guru Jerold Panas states, "It all seems so obvious now. I wonder why I hadn't made a list of these myself... I tried to think of another major question and I can't. The author has identified them all." And he has done so in a manner that is both entertaining and informative, offering real-life examples he's collected from friends and colleagues over the years. He even shares a story from his early days of fundraising, when a prospective donor brusquely asked, "Will you leave my office right now if I write a cheque for $1,000?"
As a fundraiser, as a board member, an executive director, or anyone else who speaks to donors, you'll want to read McKinnon's advice for yourself. It sheds light on what donors really want and need, and will no doubt help you refine your own responses the next time a donor poses one of these 11 key questions.
Buy the book:
Canada: buy through Amazon.ca
