January 28, The New York Times — Following is the first set of answers from Gordon J. Campbell, the president and chief executive of United Way of New York City. Mr. Campbell answered selected readers’ questions on how New York City nonprofits are coping with the recession and how New Yorkers can give back and…
Fundraising professionals should be on the lookout for these new books — one that offers guidance for grant seekers and one that aims to answer questions that all nonprofits need to be able to answer for their donors. New Guide for Grant Seekers “The Grantseeker’s Guide to Winning Proposals” provides 35 actual proposals for general operating support, program development, staff salaries, program evaluation and other needs. The book — geared toward helping development officers, nonprofit board members, fundraising consultants and volunteers seeking foundation grants — is available for $34.95 on the Foundation Center Web site. “Grantseekers often tell us that they want models
NEW YORK — Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors today released the first of three publications that examine the state of diversity in philanthropy. The series arrives as public pressure grows for foundations to be more responsive to underserved and diverse communities, and foundation leaders reconsider the many ways to incorporate diverse perspectives into solving our greatest challenges. Published with the goal of encouraging open dialogue in the field, highlighting accomplishments and promising programs, and recommending strategies to address institutional and field changes, the series will include quantitative data, analysis of model diversity programs and commentary by leaders in philanthropy and related fields. The first report, “Philanthropy
Laura Fredricks, vice president for philanthropy at Pace University in New York, presented a session a the AFP Annual Conference in Dallas earlier this year on turning annual donors into major-gift prospects. Vital to this strategy is identifying best prospects through prospect research. For starters, one of the most efficient ways to do initial research these days is through basic Internet search tools like Google, or the Foundation Center’s Web site, which enables Form 990 searches. Fredricks also recommends LexisNexis, which can unearth information on a person’s wealth, their assets, what assets they have that are publicly held, boards that they’re on, other organizations
Large nonprofits have the luxury of employing a prospect researcher, but what about fundraisers who don’t have an in-house pro? Sophisticated researchers can check several dozen Web sites while preparing an in-depth profile, but development officers can find simple facts about their donors by themselves, simply by searching several key Web sites. Below is a list of sites that development professionals can employ from their desktops to help answer some key questions in an organization’s search for information on its prospects. * How can I verify someone’s address and telephone number? Web site: www.zabasearch.com By entering the first and last
