Fund-of-funds Books

Accidental Librarian
This is a NEW book by Pam H. Mackellar, take a look!

I wrote many grants during my ten years as a library director. When you succeed, you are on top of the world. Then writing the next grant, you agonize through the process again. This books helps make it easier.
Contents: Making the commitment and understanding the process -- Planning for success -- Discovering and designing the grant project -- Organizing the grant team -- Understanding the sources and resources -- Researching and selecting the right grant -- Creating and submitting the winning proposal -- Getting funded and implementing the project -- Reviewing and continuing the process -- Answering five essential questions -- Library grant success stories -- The grants for libraries tool kit and CD-ROM.
Chapter 3 with it's Project Planning Process is probably worth the cost of the book. Here's what that covers:
Project Planning Process
Step 1: Clarify Your Library's Goals, Objectives and Activities
Step 2: Pull Together a Project Planning Team
Step 3: Start the Project Planning Process
Step 4: Discover the Project Idea and Goals
Step 5: Define Project Outcomes
Step 6: Plan Your Project
Step 7: Develop Project Objectives
Step 8: Define Project Action Steps
Step 9: Consult Previous Projects, Best Practices, and Similar Projects
Step 10: Make a Project Timeline
Step 11: Develop a Project Budget
Step 12: Create an Evaluation Plan

Written by professional library consultants Stephanie K. Gerding and Pamela H. MacKellar, Grants For Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual is an in-depth walkthrough of the grant process cycle and how to improve the odds of receiving sufficient funding for one's library and its projects. Advice for developing library-specific strategies as well as general tips abound in this practical and highly readable resource, which covers everything from the planning process to organizing a balanced grant team to researching and selecting the right grant, the proper writing style to adopt, submitting the winning proposal, getting funded and implementing projects, reviewing and continuing the process, and much more. Sample grant success stories and a tool kit with Windows-compatible CD-ROM (non-Windows computers can browse its index.html folder) round out this "must-have" resource especially for library professionals.

This book tells you "how to" by stories with specific examples of events, both successful and not so. It is a step-by-step handbook which will easily assist and motivate any fundraiser in any walk of life.

This is a very easy read - with lots of "Ah-ha" moments. You'll be circling and underlining and making yourself notes all the way through. It really puts fundraising into perspective. Fundraising is not just about getting people to write checks! It is about providing people with an opportunity to show their true colors - how much they love their community, children, animals, or the environment. There are people who want to do something great for a cause - sometimes, they just haven't found the right cause yet. Fundraising is basically learning to connect with people so that you know how to help them succeed at doing something great! This book shows over and over again the beauty of developing relationships that allow donors to do brilliant, wonderful, extravagant things - and have some limelight for doing so - how allowing them to shine benefits your organization. I've never felt so empowered. You are going to love this book!

As a first-time executive director of a non-profit, this book has invaluable advice on nurturing a Board of Directors. It addresses issues that I never even considered, and probably would have had to learn the hard way. The author's out-of-the-box publicity and fundraising ideas were great inspiration, too.

Fundraising for America's schools has gone way beyond the bake sale. You cannot bake enough cookies to give America's chools the money they need. However, you can buy this book and learn from legendary fundraising guru, Stanley Levenson, beneficial strategies, techniques, tools, and templates for creating an A+ school fundraising program. Levenson is rare among fundraising strategists because he focuses as much on "friendraising" as "fundraising." This book helps everyone, from beginners to expert grantwriters, to cultivate the skills, relationships, and savvy it takes to be successful in the competitive arena of public school fundraising. Stan Levenson also understands the central role of public education in a democratic society and how to use fundraising as a means of increasing public responsibility for quality education at a time when public school budgets are being slashed across the nation.

In an era of diminishing resources, Stanley Levenson's book is an invaluable tool for schools and districts alike. His easy to follow recipe for writing winning grants gives school personnel the confidence to write their own proposals without the need of contracting an outside consultant. His book includes examples of successful proposals which he also uses to familiarize the reader of effective writing styles. What I also found tremendously helpful were his fresh and creative approaches to fundraising which many schools and school districts tend to overlook. For a very small but wise investment, our schools have profited from Dr. Levenson's insight. I'm sure many others would, too.

Dr.Stanley Levenson has written a much needed book for public educators. Today, in a time of monetary crisis for many school districts in the nation, any book that can shed light on where to get money for innovative and creative programing is welcome. Dr. Levenson's does that and more.
Classroom teachers can use his work as a guide to understanding what it takes to write a grant proposal. Nowhere in a teacher's college education is anything like this taught, or for that matter, mentioned. Yet, teachers are constantly trying to be innovative and creative in their teaching. Sometimes, without funds it is hard to try the new and "impractical" in the classroom. With the guidance of Dr. Levenson's book, teachers are walked through the grant writing proposal step by step. But the book does not stop there!
He lists places where money can be found. The federal, state and local government all have some money earmarked for educational innovation. He lists them. Private funds and foundations, an area where money for the public school systems is growing rapidly, are listed and studied. Levenson tells what types of grants each foundation likes to fund (an extremely important idea).
As someone who has written and won school grants, I would have appreciated this book when I was a public school teacher. I think all school districts should have at least one copy of this book in each of their schools. It will encourage teachers to do what they can do best-teach, think, and write grants creatively.

Inside this book is geniuine information on how to avoid the classic errors of grant-writitng. Lloyd Fricker has lots of experience and he gives you the honest truth on what reviewers are looking for and how to serve it up! As a real bonus, there are some classic spoofs on science and the whole funding culture. All-in all a delightful read, with some invaluable pointers to the funding-challenged!

This is an excellent if highly irreverent review of what actually goes on at study section. Old hands will recognize parodies of nearly every aspect of those wonderful moments in the Holiday Inn conference rooms, while novice grant applicants will enjoy trying to decide if a given section is meant in fun or whether they actually should describe whether the pipetting is done with the left or the right hand. The opera "Il Destino Di Grant Application" is definitely the centerpiece of the work- even my Italian mother-in-law enjoyed this one when it first circulated on the internet, and I find it intriguing that a Google search of the author reveals that this is his most highly cited work. Go figure- you'd think it would be "Cloning of the Zucchini Opiate Receptor in Mr. Potatohead" (also included), wouldn't you?!

It is no coincidence that in the entire canon of grand operas that have stood the test of time, there are countless tragedies but only a handful of comedies: Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, The Daughter of the Regiment, and Don Pasquale, Smetana's The Bartered Bride and Verdi's Falstaff [also, if your standards for humor are a bit lower, add to the list Wagner's Die Meistersinger and Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier]. It is easy to make people cry, but hard to make people laugh. The cornerstone of this uproariously funny and ultimately uplifting debut paperback volume by Lloyd Fricker, Ph.D., is the synopsis of an opera entitled Il Destino di Grant Application, attributed to Giuseppe Linguini. Full of knowing ersatz arias such as "Non hypothesiso, non preliminary dato" and "Papa è un nincompoopo," this comic opera created quite a sensation in the scientific community as it was passed along via fax and e-mail in late 1998/early 1999. I myself forwarded it to a few hundred of my closest collaborators via a list-serve message with the subject line "Non-ask-o, O-tell-o", in which I described the pseudonymous author as a "grant opera" genius with "perfect pitch."

Indeed, Lloyd Fricker has the gift, influenced by Woody Allen, Dave Barry, the Marx Brothers, and Mad Magazine, of transforming the tragedies of life into humor which will resonate particularly with any scientist (make that all scientists) who has ever despondently wondered "is any of this worth it?" when faced with yet another ill-reasoned, nit-picky rejection notice from a funding agency. The book, aptly titled, is best read (and re-read) in small doses, maybe on a plane ride to a study section meeting, or during a break between finishing one's own application and waiting for the bureaucrats to sign off on it. As is the case with most great humorous writing, Fricker's prose (and occasional poetry) is informed by instantly recognizable bits of sincere, serious source material that can be appreciated by both insiders and outsiders - who may actually pick up some useful insights from the exercise. Dealing with funding agencies is the "necessary evil" correlate to what we all would really rather be doing, the research itself. Is there anything as absurd as having the adjective "excellent" be damning to a grant application? In that spirit, I highly recommend this "outstanding" book to all graduate students, postdocs, and faculty who are engaged in the scientific enterprise.

Meyer was a former Communist, but he atoned for this by the many contributions he made to the anti-communist cause and to the conservative movement. The latter, I believe, owes an incalculable debt to him. Before 1960, Meyer, who was at the time a senior editor of National Review, began arguing that there was no inherent contradiction between the two major streams of the Right in America, free-market principles and traditional values.

        He further argued that if the conservative movement was going to succeed, adherents of both lines of thought, natural allies on most issues, must be fused together. Supporters of a conservative economic policy, he taught, couldn't expect their policies to be enacted without the backing of social-issue conservatives. And it was equally true, he continued, that social-issue conservatives couldn't expect their policies to be enacted unless they allied with economic conservatives.

         The presidential elections of 1980, 1984 and 1988, as well as the congressional elections of 1994 and 1996, were manifestations of the wisdom of Frank Meyer.

In this book, Frank Meyer attempts to consolidate two threads of conservative tradition (later referred to as fusionism) - that of libertarian conservatism (stressing individual rights and economic freedom); and that of natural or traditional conservatism (stressing virtue and order). Meyer makes the case (persuasively I believe) that while many in the conservative movement tend to stress one tradition over the other, there is no inherent mutual exclusion between them. In short, there ought not to be a rift between those that focus on different elements of the conservative tradition. Essentially, Meyer presents the individual (not community, not "society", and not the state) as the atomic unit. And from that unit radiates out all other constituent beliefs about the individual - the right to life, liberty, and property - including the freedom to pursue virtue as well as vice. Yet despite this valiant effort made by Meyer, the tension between the two traditions of conservatism still exist to this day. Those wishing to understand that tension in a historical context would certainly do well by reading this book. In any case, whether one agrees with Meyer's attempted fusion, In Defense of Freedom is a wonderful read in conservative expression.

Meyer was an influential thinker in the neoconservative movement. He basically argues that American Conservatism is the fusion of two lines of thought or ideas that are in Europe thought contradictory (and maybe this is part of the reason why Europeans have such a big problem with American conservatism). These two ideas are the importance of individual freedom and the importance of tradition or a code of ethics needed to civilize an otherwise naturally savage species.

This is what Thomas Sowell calls the "constrained vision" of human nature. Liberals tend to embrace the "unconstrained vision," which assumes that people are just naturally good and that ignorant policies are the only thing keeping us back from developing the utopia we could easily create. Liberals believe that if high-minded third-party decision makers tell the public how they should live their lives and impose their values on everyone else that utopia would only be a few years away.

The problems with this thinking, according to the constrained vision, is that first, in order for the government to have the power to create such a utopia a totalitarian regime must first be established, and second, even if a totalitarian leader managed to force his (or her as may soon happen) vision on everyone else, according to the constrained vision this will likely only make things worse, not better. Most social "programs" have unexpected consequences, and have historically only tended to make the problem in question worse than it already was.

According to the constrained vision we should focus on process and incentives, not lofty outcomes. Welfare might have a lofty outcome for example (to lift people out of poverty), but when one focuses on incentives created one sees that welfare will only create more poverty. People with the unconstrained vision in the sixties saw this before it even happened. When Barry Goldwater heard about welfare he said all this will do is create a caste system in America. Paying people to not help themselves is about as strong a reinforcer to NOT help yourself as could possibly be created.

So instead of people preempting your decisions and telling you how to live your life, conservatives emphasize individual freedom combined with an emphasis on classical virtues such as stoicism, reticence and honor. This is a recipe for fuller, more self-actualized citizens who create more and together, through good competition, make society a better place for all who live in it, including the poorest. (There really are no "poor" people in America after all. The average person who lives below the poverty line works 16 hours a week and spends $2.50 for every $1 earned. This is a behavioral problem, not a societal problem!) Liberals instead focus on instant gratification, getting in touch with "feelings," and the destruction of personal responsibility, which creates a society of dependent complainers who have been conditioned out of helping themselves. This removes the incentives to succeed by destroying meritocracy and in the end pulls everyone down to the mean. Society as a result will suffer.

Conservatives emphasize fairness in process; liberals emphasize fairness in outcome, which necessitates the creation of unfair processes in order to force the preconceived "fair" outcome. This unfair process typically punishes success and resourcefulness and rewards laziness and sloth. Thus we can see that conservatism is not so much a religious movement (this is a HUGE misconception), as it was actually spearheaded largely by completely secular thinkers whose common feature was an opposition to all forms of fascism, which includes all forms of socialism.

Meyer thought that liberals tended to be relativists who deny the existence of right and wrong. Their relativism, which they think makes them "enlightened," really only makes them gullible and susceptible to naïve social planners who want to rush in and "fix" everyone else's life. Frank S. Meyer, along with William Buckley, were the fathers of "fusionism," which is the stance much of modern conservatism is based on.

Written in 1990,one might think that this book is incredibly out of date and of little relevance. To the contrary, the book contains a wealth of information which is still extremely appropriate for our understanding of current events involving the PLO.

The book describes how Yasser Arafat, after being driven out of Lebanon in 1982, travelled the World with all of the fanfare and honour normally accorded a head of state. Despite, as is described here, the extensive knowledge of his involvement in International terrorism with Arafat even being described as the " father" of international terror and the "inventor" of aircraft hi-jackings.

This book contains often shocking information, often from intelligence sources, about Yasser Arafat & his followers plus the complex structure of the PLO and it's International machinations. Besides the many terrorist elements revealed are also the "protection rackets" and extortions which have helped the PLO to become the richest terrorist organisation in the entire World whilst ordinary Palestinians are allowed by their leadership to live in squalor. The book also reveals the direct involvement of Yasser Arafat in the murders of at least two US Ambassadors. The book pulls no punches in describing how the PLO under Yasser Arafat has lined up politically and militarily with the enemies of the USA.

The book, which as stated was written in 1990, states that even then Arafat had yet to demonstrate his ability or desire to "police" his own community and provide the kind of assurances necessary for Israel to take him at his word. (Page 29). The book elaborating that a PLO ruled state in the "West Bank" and Gaza might "might even turn out to be an even greater source of instability than the present stateless PLO...".

The book also queries the potential relationship of such a future state with what would be "neighbouring" Jordan, whose population is described as mostly Palestinian. The possible dangers and potential "military alliances" are voiced.

The book describes, how even over a decade ago, public appearances of Yasser Arafat were carefully orchestrated to downplay his "terrorist" image and to make him appear more benign and "statesmanlike". It being further stated that Arafat's "handlers" were always careful to ensure that he looked the part of the "victim".

Much of the PLO's history is documented from it's establishment in 1964, including the "Black September" conflict with Jordan where some six to ten thousand Palestinians are stated as having lost their lives in fighting with Jordanian forces, before the PLO was forcibly ejected. The book describing the end of a "state within a state" in Jordan and the beginning of a "state within a state" in Lebanon.

The book reveals Yasser Arafat to have been born in Cairo, Egypt in 1928 with the name of Abed a-Rachman Abed a-Rauf Arafat al-Qudwah al-Husseini. Also illustrated are his claims, based on political expediency, to have been born in "Palestine" in both Gaza & Jerusalem. The book depicted how, early in life, Arafat dropped any reference to his last name to distance himself from what the book describes as "his illustrious relative" Haj Amin al-Husseini who collaborated with Adolf Hitler during World War 2 & the "final solution" to the "Jewish problem".

The book describes the internal structure of the PLO, it's constituent elements and it's relationship to other terrorist organisations throughout the World, plus it's "secret agenda" pertaining to Israel and the Palestinian National Charter that calls for the eradication of Israel.

I respectfully recommend that all those interested in the "peace process" obtain a copy of this book.

One of the best books I've ever encountered. Buy it now, don't hesitate. I guarantee you won't regret it. This book will leave a lasting impression on you and will change your opinion, while informing you about the things that you've never heard before. Buy this book RIGHT NOW. DO NOT HESITATE!

This book takes us inside the complicated machinery that is the PLO. It removes the whitewash and demonstrates conclusively the PLO's hand in numerous terrost incidents. A must read for anyone interested in the middle east scene and how Americans have been lied to.

JK Lasser's Guide To Mutual Fund Investing is a "must have" for anyone like me who is trying to decide how to invest their 401k/403b. It explains"new" funds, convertible and REIT funds, and the difference between index funds and managed funds and when to use them. This book will help you avoid some of the mistakes that trip up the average investor. Before I read this, I didn't realize how badly the average investor does.  

This book helps take the mystery out of mutual fund investing. In my case, (investing for retirement), I'm trying to create a portfolio that is balanced, diversified, and smart. This book has given me the tools I need to make the right choices. The book is well written and the topics it covers are clearly presented. It was an enjoyable read (surprising!). I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Great investment guide and resource book--well written and very understandable. I wish I had a resource like this 25 years ago. Read this book to understand the reasoning behind indexing, why your portfolio should be balanced in the ways described, and to learn about the new fund effect as an effective way to maximize investment gains. Also learn about convertibles, REITs and other interesting and little understood investment topics.

....As a thirty five year professional in the investment industry, I found this book, Pick Winning Mutual Funds, written by the same authors who wrote Winning with Index Funds, a very valuable book for anyone, like a seasoned professional such as myself, to a first time investor.I wish a book like this had been available when I started in the investment business in 1964. These two authors broke new ground again.This is the first book that acually explaines how one can go about finding the right funds that fit their protfolio.It also shows how to stop paying high up front sale charges and excessive annual fees. The well researched book is full of information I've never come across before--like how to reduce risk and where to get good on-line information about funds. And, one of the most important things I learned was when to use index funds(and which ones) and when to use managed funds. It's a great book for someone who is trying to figure out which mutual fund in which to invest... ...........I strongly recommed it..!!!

Rich Ames

What a great book! Beautiful pictures of children and dogs from all around the globe appeal to people of all ages (my 8-month old son as well as myself), and large text appeals to those beginning to read. The message of the book itself is simple and respectful, and doesn't talk about the imminent purchase of a dog (thank goodness!).

This is a delightful little book full of beautiful pictures of children from all over the world with their dogs. When I sit down to read the book with my daughters (5 and 3 years old) they delight at the colorful pictures.

A Kid's Best Friend is effective on many levels. Convinced that dogs are sentient beings, I especially love that the pictures show a relationship between human and canine. The pictures capture my daughters' attention and are clear illustrations of the symbiotic relationships in which both child and dog benefit. Additionally, many different cultures are represented and each time we read the book, the girls ask about different children and their lives so far away.

This book has quickly become my daughters' favorite bedtime read. They request it by name each night after calling Sadie our sweet shepherd mix up on the bed to cuddle with them.--L.P.Watkins

Being a dog lover, I thought this was an absolutely wonderful book. The pictures are amazing, and I love the fact that they are of children and their dogs from many different countries. I don't even think I read the words the first two times I looked at the book!! I just looked at all the pictures of the doggies...and loved seeing the children in their different environments. I hope you enjoy this book as much as my Infant Room children and I did!!!:)

I love this book. It gives practical help for faith in finances. It enabled us to purchase 40 acres of country property with cash. I gave my copy away and need to replace it! The bottom line is that God loves you. He wants to bless you. He is WELL able to bless you. He WILL bless you if you just get ahold of the principles that he sets forth in His Word, the Bible. The price is a tiny investment for a world of wealth and blessing.

My sister inlaw let us read it. I was not sure if it would be that great by what she was telling us about it. Don't get me wrong my sister inlaw really enjoyed the book and she wanted us to read it because she know it would help us. It's just she did not know how to sale it. But If you really want to get a hold of your finances and get out of debt for good. This is the book to read. It show how God wants us to prosper. Managing GOD'S Mutual Funds, show you in an easy to understand step by step instructions using the word of GOD each step of the way. IT'S SO GOOD I HAD TO GET TWO; ONE FOR US, AND ONE FOR MY PASTOR. I hope that he use it for a study lasson for the whole church so we all can be bless from GOD. Just read it , you'll see what I mean.

This book has revolutionized our finances. It's a quick read--just one day. It's simple and easy to understand. I highlighted relevant phrases and can thumb through it every so often just to renew my mind with the Word on finances. We use the prayers to pray over our own tithes and offerings. Each time I read it it bolsters my faith once again to receive God's prosperity, so we can help get the Word out to others. Another terrific offering from Brother Copeland.

A wonderful book. An objective mathematical model for subjective comparison of various investment options is really great. It will come handy for many of my investment decisions.

Short and sweet. I got so many ideas in this 140 page book that I
sometimes do not get after reading 500 pages. SImple easy flowing
language and uncomplicated common sense ideas! The dude comes straight
to the point. Cost/Benefit analysis worksheet will be really useful
for my real-life investment decisions. The Quiz was fun and
highlighted a couple of important exceptions that may often go
unnoticed!"

I really liked this book and found many ideas useful and some applicable to my personal investment strategies.
I especially liked the step-by-step exercise on evaluating a spin-off's worth. I agree with the author's outrage with mutual funds and also with his opinion that the scams may be more widespread than what appears to us. I agree with the underlying message that an individual investor can do better than mutual fund investments.

The scope of the book may have been too broad and should have focused on fewer topics but overall the book is a good introduction to alternatives to mutual fund investing.