High Impact Philanthropy
By Kay Sprinkel Grace and Alan L. Wendroff; published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
"People investing now in their communities are interested first in issues,
and second in the institutions or organizations that address those issues,"
says Kay Sprinkel Grace in her introduction to High Impact Philanthropy.
Keeping this in mind, the authors aim to guide organizations into opportunities
and through challenges so they will be prepared to attract and manage transformational
gifts; those gifts that have the capacity to "alter the programs, perceptions,
and future of an organization".
In order to do this, Grace and Wendroff begin by examining the new donor-centred
philanthropy that has begun to emerge in the nonprofit sector, particularly
in North America. They also take an in-depth look at the new donor-investors,
who they are, what motivates them, and how to identify them. Finally, armed
with this background knowledge, readers are provided with advice on how to
market their organizational values in the community, how to approach these
new donor-investors, and how best to cultivate an effective stewardship program
based on the needs of the donor.
One of the key points that is made throughout the book is that major gifts
are no longer the exclusive domain of large organizations. Even small, local
groups can benefit from the advice given, since according to the authors,
it is the issues addressed not the size of the organization that matters.
Many examples and case studies are presented to illustrate this point. Although
most examples are American, given the large number of transformational gifts
made in the US, the authors do stress that transformational giving is not
only a North American phenomenon, and that their advice can be applied to
any organization, regardless of geographic location. The book also offers
a task schedule to help organizations achieve high impact philanthropy, as
well as guidelines to assist in evaluating the impact of transformational
gifts they receive.
High Impact Philanthropy is an excellent primer on the new age of charitable
giving. It clearly explains the concept of transformational gifts, as opposed
to transactional, or 'chequebook' giving, which is increasingly becoming a
thing of the past. It also provides the tools to take advantage of this new
and growing trend in philanthropy, making it useful for any organization hoping
to attract major gifts.
Buy the book:
Canada: buy through Amazon.ca: CDN$26.25
International: buy through Amazon.com: US$24.47
