Fund-of-funds Books

The entire Fox Fire colledtion should be required reading for all people of this country. You would get a feel for where we came from and our heritage. The books show a deep respect for each other, God and country. Very good.

I bought the book because it has one of the best sections on fire pit firing of homemade pottery that I have seen, complete with excellent photos, as well as step by step info and historical info. The section on Quilting - The Joy Of My Life - Auntie Arie Carpenter is extensive and even has templates you can copy and use for making your own quilts. There is also a wonderful section on the country store, which as I read it seemed to be a combination of pay with cash or goods, like eggs, crops etc. Very worth the expense and a book I will treasure.

The book covers all the subjects of Electric Circuits with a very clear and simple way with excellent examples include spice examples on every subject. simple a must have book.

I am a student of electrical engineering and I greatly enjoyed using this text. The authors clearly put a great deal of thought into the presentation of the material. The material is laid out with every logical step clearly explained. I have never found a clearer explanation of Bode Plots or transfer functions than in this text. This book assisted me in several courses this semester. I hope the authors write more texts that I will be able to use. Excellent.

Michael Johnston's written the best guide on online fundraising around. Lots of detail and practical advice. Well worth reading.

There is no doubt that Johnston's book is the most thorough study to date about how nonprofits utilize the Internet. It's full of real examples, which is a rare thing in Internet literature. Usually, it's just about potential and hype. Now, we've got some real data.

I highly recommend this book for all those who are involved in raising funds for animal welfare non-profits. It is comprised of short and concise chapters written by seasoned experts on the vital aspects of this topic. Additionally, there is a very useful list of resources (websites, books, organizations, etc.) at the end. Currently, I'm using the techniques and strategies discussed in the book to assist the Board of Directors of a local animal shelter.

This book covers every aspect of fundraising. It discusses the legal requirements to which organizations must adhere, how to lay a foundation for successful fundraising, and everything from small fundraising events to big capital campaigns. After reading this book, I feel like I have the knowledge to manage a successful, sustainable fundraising program. I recommend this book to every animal care organization that is too busy keeping their head above water to worry about anything else because this book will help you change that.

Fundraising Fundamentals by James Greenfield has been around for some time, and I have used it as a trusted resource time and again. This new edition is even better than the first. There are new sections covering telephone/telemarketing sklls, corporate solicitation, and the internet (this is particularly useful). There are also plenty of case studies and examples to help readers learn to implement the guidance Greenfield provides in their own nonprofit. Whatever your experience/skill level in your nonprofit, this is the one resource you should not do without!

As fundraising books go, this is a pretty good one. I didn't love it because it was kind of dry. But I'm going to throw it a bone with a 5-star because it is packed with content. And I didn't see any inaccuracies in what it talks about.

This book concentrates on the methods and techniques nonprofits use to promote annual giving or donations. It's about what nonprofit fundraisers call Annual Giving Programs (AGPs) which help nonprofits finance their annual operating budgets. Other fundraising topics could have been major gift capital and endowment campaigns, and major gift planned giving campaigns. But they were not covered in this book

AGPs are the backbone to any nonprofit's fundraising efforts. They are like the sales prospecting efforts that salespeople perform when trying to create a customer or client base for a for-profit venture. It's strictly a numbers game. The more people contacted by the nonprofit month in and month out, then the more likely the nonprofit will find people interested in giving a little to the nonprofit.

In sales one tries to build rapport with prospects and turn them into candidates or buyers. As a relationship develops between a salesperson and a prospect, the more likely the prospect is to become a buyer. And once a buyer buys once, then they are more likely to buy again and again as long as the salesperson does not trash the relationship that has developed.

Well, the process followed in AGPs works the same way. In this book the author explains that nonprofits hit the donor prospects with direct mail pieces. When a recipient nibbles, then they follow up with a request for a small donation while at the same time attempting to build rapport with them. Over the next year a few more contacts are made to further build rapport and start a relationship. As the relationship evolves (if it does), then the donor ends up giving more and more gifts as time goes on. Ultimately, over many years the nonprofit has such a well-developed database of donors that it starts hitting on them for major gifts (over $10,000) and planned gifts (over $10,000) as part of its AGP.

Besides direct mail which the author explains very well in this book, AGPs in their second year or later use telephone and telemarketing, and email and Web sites, to the mix of methods to move a first time giver into being a second time giver and more. There are also membership drives, activities, and special events that represent yet other ways nonprofits build robust databases of donors that support them.

Whether or not direct mail is ever used by a nonprofit for fundraising, just about all nonprofits seek sponsorships from corporations and grants from foundations as part of their AGPs. And smart nonprofits also take advantage of publicity and public relations efforts to attract donors. Some resort to advertising, but this is not the norm.

My favorite part of the book was Chapter 13 that gave a wonderful overview of how to manage a comprehensive AGP. The book is clear, well organized, and fairly well written. I also very much liked the inclusion of the List of Exhibits (many exhibits were included). It made the book easier to digest and to use as a resource. 5 stars!

Every investor, not just lawyers, should read this book! Mr. Sterba drills down through all of the confusion and presents a clear, concise and entertaining book on the practicalities and realities of investing. His asset allocation approach to investment, utilizing no-load mutual funds, should be the holy grail for anyone seeking to manage almost any amount of capital in todays economic climate. I suspect that far less money would have been lost by the average investor in the turbulent markets of the past three years, had they read this book and utilized the disciplines Sterba recommends.

Fundamentals of Personal Investing combines the theoretical and real-world aspects of investing in a straightforward manner. I consider this book a solid guide for a range of investors: from the moderately experienced to the relatively sophisticated.

Kim Klein probably knows more about grassroots fundraising than anyone in the world. This, her latest book, is relentlessly practical -- it offers step by step ideas for cleaning up your organizational act and raising the money you need to do your work -- but what I appreciate most is its tone. Reading Fundraising in Times of Crisis is like having a conversation with a smart, sympathetic friend who asks good questions and encourages you, with her guidance, to figure out the answers that work best for you.

Many, many nonprofits could benefit from reading this book -- whether they're "in crisis" or not.

Whether your organization is on solid ground or feeling hammered by today's nonprofit challenges, this latest Kim Klein book is sure to provide you relief and inspiration. If your group is struggling to make up for lost grants or other revenue, "Fundraising in Times of Crisis" provides a step-by-step program for regaining stability. Is your group holding tight during this time that Kim Klein calls nonprofits' "perfect storm"? This book will help you avoid future pitfalls and plan for long-term sustainability.
Better yet, "Fundraising in Times of Crisis" is a quick read, and full of practical, manageable actions to bring your group increased fundraising now. Using countless real-life examples and her own engaging sense of humor, Kim Klein gives your group the tools to raise the money you need to do your important work. Buy a copy today!

I've been involved with environmental nonprofits for years, and also run my own small business, and I found this book extremely helpful. The book was easy to read (in other words, I wasn't asleep within the first few paragraphs; the author can actually write as well as talk about fundraising) and with a lot of detailed, specific information, and I think it is an excellent buy for both the beginner and more advanced person interested - or already experienced - in nonprofit fundraising. Insightful, savvy, and worth the price, I highly recommend it.

I was very impressed with how different this book is compared to others I've read in the field and see why it's in its second edition. It discusses the incredible number of subjects needed to run a succesful campaign-in order and in-depth, but without being overwhelming. The chapters on how to train volunteeer and how to solicit large gifts, areas we've always struggled with, are totally unique and will be especially beneficial to our organization. Also, the author writes with style and wit. Highly recommended.

CB Eaton

Along with "Rainforest", "Jungles", "The Smaller Majority", "Amazon" and other fascinating books, this one deserves more than five stars. The title is pretty eloquent in regards to the survival of the species. It is full of breathtaking pictures from around the world. A book that belongs in the personal library of every family, it's not only intended for nature lovers or conservationists. Nature is such a precious thing and we humans are screwing around with the environment. Get this book now and support the WWF in their effort to promote wildlife on the planet before it is too late, otherwise, the only place where your children will be able to find so many fascinating (and probably extinct) animals is going to be on the pages of this book. This is money well spent!!!

This book would make a great gift for yourself or anyone with an interest in helping to protect the most important ecosystems that remain on the planet. Outstanding photography will inspire the reader to learn more about the critical habitats identified by WWF and others as the Global 200. I have reviewed numerous large format books like this over the years and give this one my highest recommendation. Amazon is offering it at a great price and I plan to buy extra copies to give to my representatives in Washington. Everyone who can make a difference in helping to protect our world needs a copy of this book. By Rick LoBello, www.iloveparks.com

after hearing Sage speake on the radio her story really moved me and i am very glad o have invested in her little gem of a book.
This book made a difference for me, i big one, it really showed me how to take control of the important areas of my life and to have a no BS attitude.
Most of all Sage made a huge impact on my finances and managing my emotions, i just really enjoyed the teachings and words of wisdom.
i love what Sage represents and i love this book.
thank you for making a difference in my life Sage
it is true that your dreams are waiting for you and this book shows you how to get to them!

This book really is out of the norm, it is just Sage being true to herself i guess. Sage has a unique but uplifting take on life and no doubt her life experiences have really made the journey that much more enlightening for her.
Personally i really appreciate her efforts in putting a book together inlight of her current condition and hardship. I think this book shows what someone with heart and little else can do. As for the content and onformation in the book i have to say that it really helped and uplifted me, especially all the powerful sayings that obviously mean alot to her.
In summary i would suggest this book not only as a great reference to great ancient wisdom but also as a reminder of what an indiviaual can do despite the challenges of life.
Sages wisdom, advice and attitudes definately gave me the pick up that my life needed, she really taches about the beauty, accountability and power within you.
I think she has done a great job, and i give this book my full praise.