Big Gifts for Small Groups

Book excerpt: If yours is among the tens of thousands of organizations for whom six- and seven-figure gifts are unattainable, then Andy Robinson's' new book, Big Gifts for Small Groups, is just the ticket for you and your board.The subtitle, A Board Member's 1-Hour Guide to Securing Gifts of $500 to $5,000 says it all. Robinson is the straightest of shooters ? a sort of John McCain of fundraising. There literally isn't one piece of advice in this book that's glib or inauthentic. It has all been earned. But, then again, what would you expect from a fellow who first won his stripes as door to door canvasser, making 10,000 pitches on 10,000 doorsteps.As a result of Robinson's 'no bull' style, board members will take immediately to Big Gifts for Small Groups, confident the author isn't slinging unrealistic bromides.They'll learn everything they need to know from this one-hour read: how to get ready for the campaign, who to approach, where to find them; where to conduct the meeting, what to bring with you, how to ask, how to make it easy for the donor to give, what to do once you have the commitment ? even how to convey your thanks in a memorable way.Believing that other books already focus on higher sum gifts, the author smartly targets a range that has been neglected: $500 to $5,000. Why? Here's what Robinson says:o They're large enough to justify the time it takes to develop a prospect list, prepare a letter, follow up with a phone call and visit the prospective donor.o They're small enough to include a wide range of prospects. o They're both modest enough to seem feasible to the novice, but also ambitious enough to make it worth their while.o Taken in the context of a major gifts campaign, with a team of solicitors working together, gifts of $500 to $5,000 can add up to a lot of money.Robinson has a penchant for good writing and for using exactly the right example or anecdote to illustrate his point. But more importantly he lets his no-nonsense personality shine through. The result being that by the end of the book, your board members just may turn to one another and say, "Hey, we can do this" ? and mean it.