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Ask Without Fear: A Simple Guide to Connecting Donors to What Matters to Them Most
by Marc Pitman |
Ask without Fear can be read in a short period of time and is well worth the effort. Although much of the content may not be “news” to seasoned fund raising professionals, a quick review is always beneficial. I found myself underlining phrases and making a few notes in the margin. There is sound wisdom here as well as making us stop and think about what is the most important facet of our jobs—people.
— Marilyn Parker, Operations and Planned Giving Director, Benefis Healthcare Foundation
This primer offers helpful acronyms, charts and stories to guide the novice development director along the path to fundraising success. The book is not for trustees or donors but for the early-career fundraiser. Perhaps the most valuable element of the book is the author’s stories, which like every good fundraiser, Pitman has in abundance and uses to good effect. One would hope that future editions include information missing here. Pitman is one of the few fundraiser-cognoscenti of the new social media, such as Twitter. A discussion of this topic and its relevance to fundraising would make a helpful addition to the book.
— Gary Jaworski, Ph.D., Executive Director, American Hospital of Paris Foundation
This 90 page book is quick, easy to read and engaging; a good read for volunteers or development professionals. It has a number of myth busters, tips and addresses to useful tools on the web; however not all the websites listed were still available. The last chapter introduced the use of personality profiles in fund raising and this topic is difficult to cover fully in a short chapter. The book does an effective job of outlining the research and strategies that should be employed in all types of fund raising.
— Mark Larkin, CFRE, Executive Director, Centracare Health Foundation
NOTE: Those interested in reading more of Marc's ideas (including those involving social networking and media), can view his article in the May 09 AHP E-Connect, or visit his Web site for additional insight.
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How Doctors Think
by Jerome Groopman |
In How Doctors Think Jerome Groopman has melded a study of histories and experience to showcase responsibility in healthcare, with the centerpiece being that responsibility in both learning and caring is shared by physicians, patients and families. How Doctors Think is a quality read that offers the fundraiser insight into the minds and training of the physicians we work with each day to tell our stories and secure financial support from our community. It also offers the thoughtful development leader an opportunity to enhance the stewardship we provide to our donors. By educating our community about what role we play in our healthcare continuum and how the patient educates and participates with, our physicians in every patient visit, Groopman has produced a worthy read for the fundraising professional.
—Robert May, FAHP, Director, Mission Hospital Foundation
You don’t come away from this book with directly applicable ideas on fund-raising with physicians, but you do get fascinating insights into how they make their diagnoses (or err in doing so). It’s a good and extremely helpful read for patients who want to advocate for themselves more effectively.
—Ruth Benedict, Executive Director, Foundation, Finger Lakes Health
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The Executive Director's Survival Guide: Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader
by Mime Carlson and Margaret Donohoe |
Mim Carlson and Margaret Donohoe distilled more than 20 years each of executive director and board roles into this 2003 refreshing question and answer book designed to help executive directors manage time, expectations and role shifts. Included are real-life “Stories from the Field” and call-outs titled either Wisdom or Warning for easy reading. The breadth of this 258-page book is substantial, making it a must-have volume for the shelf of any development professional looking to expand their management and professional skills.
—Daphne Halpern, FAHP, Vice President of Development, Monmouth Medical Center Foundation
It will be apparent to all who occupy the chair of the executive director (or positions with other similar titles) why this book exists. The job indeed requires the skills of a survival show contender, the grace of a beauty pageant contestant and the business acumen of a corporate CEO. And perhaps the wisdom of Job. It is little wonder then that, as the authors of this “survival guide” report, burnout is common and average tenure on the job is declining. The book, associated website, and even seminars conducted by the authors provide the harried executive director with the resources to support and sustain a complex career choice.
I bought this book initially not as a book reviewer but because, as a relatively new executive director (3 years), I knew I needed help. I found the content relevant, the writing clear and the range of topics appropriate. With chapters and sections on executive director as “visionary,” “change agent,” “relationship builder” and “resource wizard,” among others, the book provides wise counsel on many of the facets of the job as I live it. The book is weaker on the subject of fundraising, with only a thin chapter on this increasingly important survival skill. It does not specifically address the unique issues facing leaders of hospital foundations. But the overall tone and content of the book is helpful and reassuring and can be recommended to both new and seasoned professionals.
- Gary Jaworski, Ph.D., Executive Director, American Hospital of Paris Foundation