A Fundraising Blueprint for Small Nonprofits

My first Google Hangout happened last month courtesy of Marc Pitman, founder of FundraisingCoach.com and a member of the FS Editorial Advisory Board. He was gathering some of his fellow contributors to “The Essential Fundraising Handbook for Small Nonprofits” and invited me to join them for a conversation. (Check it out at here.)

The book comprises individual chapters, each written by a different fundraising pro, covering topics such as boards, retention, awareness, special events, grants and major gifts. Other contributing authors are Betsy Baker, president of YourGrantAuthority.com; Kirsten Bullock, founder of TheNonprofitAcademy.com; Gayle Gifford, president of the Cause & Effect consulting firm; Pamela Grow, publisher of The Grow Report; consultants Lori Jacobwith and Sherry Truhlar; and Sandy Rees, creator of the Get Fully Funded System.

The book is laid out in chapters that can stand on their own, so readers needn’t carve out big chunks of time to read it front to back. Pick a chapter that addresses your need, and dig right in.

The Hangout conversation gave the authors who attended the opportunity to share key takeaways from his or her chapter, as well as a final bit of advice for fundraisers at small nonprofits. Some of their thoughts on the latter:

Marc Pitman: “One of the things that I had to do for my own sanity was create a spreadsheet, and I logged my time,” he says, adding that his spreadsheet listed all areas that he was responsible for, from major gifts to special events to “community things, because I was the only external face for the organization” and also internal obligations such as the 40 percent of his time that was dedicated to meetings and professional education, etc.

“I didn’t keep hours; I put in percentages because hours fluctuate,” he adds. “That’s what I did, every month, just kept track of it and totaled it up.”