Today, for the 2nd installment of the Leadership Reader, I wanted to highlight a book about money. Many of you have talked with me about the challenges of funding your programs and the need to explore new ways to bring in operating dollars. Grants are always a good avenue to pursue, but they often come with serious restrictions on how the money can be used. Fundraising, on the otherhand, allows you much more freedom and flexibility in alotting those dollars to areas grants often don’t cover, like general operating funds or travel for education and conferences.
The Accidental Fundraiser: A Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Money for Your Cause (Stephanie Roth and Mimi Ho) is a terrific resource for program managers. Written by two veteran non-profit fundraisers, this is a straight-forward and well-organized primer. Aside from giving great information about fundraising basics and creative strategies, it also has a whole section on resources, with sample forms and blank worksheets to use for your own fundraising efforts.
It retails for $19.95 and is also available as an e-book (directly from the publisher), for those of you who would prefer to keep it as a resource on your computer. However, I noticed it listed for under $6 used on Amazon, so I’m sure there are bargains to be found if you’re looking for them.