Like Roger Craver says in his foreword, The New Nonprofit by Nick Ellinger “could scarcely be more timely.”
You probably already know this, but it bears repeating: as time goes on, fundraising is not going to get any easier. If we want to face this reality head-on, then we need to figure out new ways of doing things. Ways that will not only empower us to evolve but allow us to survive…and thrive.
Because as of right now, donor numbers are on the downward. Donor acquisition and retention are constant struggles for fundraising nonprofits. There’s been a 25% decrease in donors over the last ten years. At this rate, we can expect the number of nonprofit donors to halve in the next decade. Yikes.
First and foremost, your fundraising is about your donors; the people who support and nurture your mission. In Nick’s book, donor-centricity is given the respect, care, and attention that it deserves. Nick understands how vital it is, especially right now. He knows that nonprofits need to grasp onto it, putting their supporters at the heart of everything that they do. But so many still tend to think of the phrase as a buzzword or jargon-y. Nick not only proves that donor-centricity is legitimate, but goes forth to create one of the most compelling cases for it that I’ve seen to date.
By showing how donor-centricity translates to practical applications that achieve the kinds of results nonprofits want to see, he manages to provide solutions to effectively target current problems. His six models serve as a roadmap for keeping donors front and center and achieving positive outcomes by focusing on the right things. With expertise gained through experience, research, and various endeavors over at DonorVoice, Nick provides invaluable insight in the form of super accessible material, and he does so with clarity, humor, and candor.
I can’t really recommend this read enough. Are you a fundraiser wanting to weather the ongoing storm…one that is only likely to get worse? Then you need this book in your library, stat.
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I can’t wait to meet with you personally.
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