Kathy Drucquer Duff discusses probing questions comprehensively in her book Productive Conversations with Donors: A Handbook for Frontline Fundraisers. This book provides fundraisers with new approaches for being inquisitive and persistent in an authentic manner. Learn how to use probing questions to: Thank a consistent donor Engage new prospects or "never donors" Engage young alumni Re-engage lapsed donors Re-educate donors Discover what motivates the "sometimes donor" Expand your network of connections Included are specific strategies for guiding donor conversations to inspire major gifts, planned gifts, and gifts from parents. The Second Edition includes new chapters and new examples and strategies throughout the book.

Do you want to master the art of seduction for social good? Date Your Donors teaches you how to approach the most attractive charitable partners, make them fall in love with your mission, and say "I Do" when you ask them for their time and money.

The world of the golden donors-the rich and influential philanthropic foundations-is quite likely the least known and yet most pervasive of all the invisible money and power networks in America. Nielsen explores the 36 largest of the 22,000 currently active foundations. He takes the reader inside each of the giants to analyze its people, policies, and performance. From the most famous, Ford and MacArthur, to the most obscure, Mabee and Moody, the author lets in daylight and lets out the bats as well as the butterflies. Golden Donors is a journey through 36 fiefdoms, each of which controls upwards of $250 million dollars, beyond the reach of the IRS, in order to encourage medical research, support cultural and artistic endeavors, and not least, to buttress immensely expensive educational institutions. Which of the great foundations in recent years have been spectacular successes and which are failures? Is today's leadership in the third-stream economy equal to the task? Are foundations, seedbeds or killing grounds of new social and political ideas? And what is the federal government, and a variety of administrations, doing to help or harm this new economy? Nielsen provides many surprising and some quite startling answers for the millions of Americans whose lives the golden donors directly or indirectly affect. When Golden Donors first appeared, A. Bartlett Giamatti praised it as an historical guide, a shrewd critique, and an impassioned warning. "This remarkable book on the nation's largest foundations must be read by anyone concerned with America's unique not-for-profit sector and the quality of our national life." Kingman Brewster saw the book as "a revealing mirror held up to the faces of big philanthropy...a must book for foundation creators and leaders." Thornton F. Bradsahw said, "Golden Donors describes the large American foundations, what they are how they got that way, and wherein lies their strength and their potential. The book is wise, witty, and perceptive-indispensable reading." Waldemar A. Nielsen was born in Pennsylvania, educated in Missouri and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He served as a naval officer, diplomat, expert on Africa, foundation officer and trustee, and foreign affairs analyst. He has written for The New Yorker, Harper's, and other publications. A leading counselor on philanthropy policy, Nielsen has advised a number of present and former clients, including John D. Rockefeller 3rd, J. Paul Getty, and Robert O. Anderson, as well as major corporations and foundations.

"Supported by dozens of studies over twenty years involving tens of thousands of donors, 'Donor-Centered Fundraising' paints a candid picture of why donors stop giving, and what it will take to preserve their ongoing loyalty in the future. In clear language and backed by statistical evidence, the book explores the pitfalls of the fundraising industry's traditional approaches to donor communication and recognition and clarifies what donors want but seldom get from the charities they support."--Publisher description.

Winner of the Association of Fundraising Professionals 2014 Skystone Partners Research Prize in Philanthropy and Fundraising Traditionally, institutions have relied on wealthy White men to reach their fundraising goals. But as state investment in public higher education lessens and institutions look to philanthropy to move from excellence to eminence, advancement officers continually need to engage all populations, including many that have historically been excluded from fundraising strategies. Based on theory, research, and past practice, Expanding the Donor Base in Higher Education explores how colleges and universities can build culturally sensitive fundraising and engagement strategies. This edited book presents emerging research on different communities that have not traditionally been approached for fundraising—including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) alumni, African Americans, Latinos, graduate students, young alumni, women, and faculty donors. Chapters discuss and analyze successful programs and provide practical suggestions and strategies to create and implement fundraising programs that engage these new donor populations. Expanding the Donor Base in Higher Education is an essential resource for any institution looking to expand their pool of donors and cultivate a more philanthropic mindset among alumni and students.

How donors change the world through the six catalytic practices of high-impact philanthropy Do More Than Give provides a blueprint for individuals, philanthropists, and foundation leaders to increase their impact. Based on Forces for Good, this groundbreaking book demonstrates how the six practices of high-impact nonprofits apply to donors aiming to advance social causes. Rather than focus on the mechanics of effective grantmaking, reporting, or evaluation, this book instead proposes that donors can become proactive catalysts for change by rising to meet the challenges of our increasingly interdependent world. Key principles include: going beyond check writing/traditional volunteering; advocating for change; leveraging business; forging peer networks; empowering individuals; leading adaptively; and developing learning organizations. Contains robust case studies depicting every type of philanthropy (corporate, community, operating, specialized, and large private and family foundations) Includes easy to use "Key Takeaways" tailored for donors at the "beginner" and "experienced" levels of catalytic philanthropy Authors are internationally-acclaimed philanthropic, nonprofit, and corporate social responsibility strategy experts who frequently speak and train on high-impact philanthropy In good economic times or bad, this book provides guidance for givers to increase the impact of their charitable resources and go beyond check-writing to help solve problems and change the world.

A practical guide to philanthropy at all levels of giving that seeks to educate and inspire A majority of American households give to charity in some form or another--from local donations to food banks, religious organizations, or schools, to contributions to prevent disease or protect basic freedoms. Whether you're in a position to give $1 or $1 million, every giver needs to answer the same question: How do I channel my giving effectively to make the greatest difference? In Giving Done Right, Phil Buchanan, the president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, arms donors with what it takes to do more good more quickly and to avoid predictable errors that lead too many astray. This crucial book will reveal the secrets and lessons learned from some of the biggest givers, from the work of software entrepreneur Tim Gill and his foundation to expand rights for LGBTQ people to the efforts of a midwestern entrepreneur whose faith told him he must do something about childhood slavery in Ghana. It busts commonly held myths and challenging the idea that "business thinking" holds the answer to effective philanthropy. And it offers the intellectual frameworks, data-driven insights, tools, and practical examples to allow readers to understand exactly what it takes to make a difference.