Nonprofits depend on fundraising to exist. The success or failure of many nonprofits depends on the ability to raise funds, because with the money to operate, the charitable mission and tax-exempt status won’t mean much. An organization may have the best of intentions, but without capital, and that means money, the success of the organization will be minimal in any case. That’s where a book like “Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real World Strategies That Work” comes in by Ilona Bray, JD. It is an extremely informative book, written in plain language, featuring tips and stories from over fifty experienced fundraisers, foundation employees, journalists, and more, on everything you need to know to raise money for your organization.

This book is truly your fundraising companion, and it sets out from the beginning what the book will do for you. Then it delves into very informative chapters. The first focuses on fundraising tools, people, skills, equipment, and technology. From there, Chapter Two helps you develop a fundraising plan. I think this is such an important step that it is often neglected.

From there, chapter three looks at how you can attract individual followers, and then in the next chapter, there are strategies to keep donors giving. Chapter six looks at major and mid-scale donors, while chapter seven focuses on afterlife funds, bequests, and inherited gifts. The following chapters cover special events and how they can help you successfully raise money for your organization.

Chapter nine discusses raising money through business or sales activities, while chapter ten provides information on seeking grants from foundations, corporations, and the government.

The next two chapters look at things that I didn’t really think about when I first received the book, but find that they are very important pieces of the puzzle and the plan. Chapter eleven deals with creating printed communication materials, such as brochures, newsletters, and annual reports. The next chapter is about designing your website to attract donors. The final chapter, thirteen, covers some dissemination strategies both on social and traditional networks.

Like most of Nolo’s books, there is an Appendix containing several worksheets (10 total) to help you with your fundraising, including: Fundraising Strategy Chart, Grant Priority Summary Chart, and a worksheet to verify your website’s fundraising effectiveness, among others.

I wanted this book because I’m involved with a nonprofit organization and may be taking on a much bigger role in fundraising next year. This is just the book that will help me create a fundraising plan and take the organization to the next level. Really many good strategies are provided. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to increase their nonprofit income to successfully fund their nonprofit mission.