Larry C. Johnson: The 8 Principles of Sustainable Fundraising

FS: What are some key takeaways from the book?
LJ: The key takeaway, the absolute No. 1 is that in order to be successful in fundraising, you must discern first what the operating principles are — what's really going on with the situation here that I'm looking at. Then adopt the right mental framework, a framework of investing, a framework of win-win, not taking, and then, and only then, think about the process. So much of what we see in the fundraising world, the focus is immediately on the process: solicit this way, communicate this way, do this, use these words. That's all well and good, but without the other steps before that, you're just sort of shooting in the dark.