Yours for the Asking

Learn how to power up your fundraising-from Reynold Levy, the master of fundraising Drawing on his experience in raising over one billion dollars in six years as President of Lincoln Center, Reynold Levy has written the ultimate insider's guide to asking for and receiving funds. Rich with insights and invaluable advice from Levy's own lessons learned, this powerful book is for you, whether your organization is concerned with health, education, the arts, or humanitarian causes, a think tank or advocacy group, established or fledgling. Insightful, creative, and humorous, Yours for the Asking draws back the curtain to disclose Levy's secrets of success and reveals how you can: Tap into the resources of donors, large and small, for your institution or cause Reach wealthy people and successfully bring home the bacon Put aside fears, qualms, and hesitancies and confidently ask for funds Locate the intersection between the interests of business and the needs of your nonprofit organization Solve the mystery of fundraising from foundations Explore your organization's future in fundraising and discern its long-term trends Learn the best ways to combat the adverse impact of a wide, deep, and prolonged recession Yours for the Asking will transform your view of fundraising from a dreaded aspect of your job to a high calling, from "pleading" for money to helping donors find pleasure in advancing social causes and strengthening key nonprofit institutions. Affluence and generosity abound. It's all yours-for the asking.

Acknowledgments xv About the Author xxi Introduction xxiii Chapter 1 Fundraising: A Call to Alms, A Call to Action 1 America’s Charitable Potential 6 Activating Philanthropy: The 92nd Street Y 9 Galvanizing Giving: The International Rescue Committee 10 Fundraising on Steroids: Lincoln Center 11 A Call to Alms, A Call to Action 15 Chapter 2 Soliciting Individual Prospects 17 America’s Astonishing Affluence 19 Trustee Engagement and Support 23 Volunteer Service: Beyond the Board 29 Engaging Volunteers: A Management Priority 31 A CEO’s Modus Operandi 33 Attitude and Temperament 35 Overcoming Economic Bad News and Psychological Resistance 37 To Ask: Popping the Question 38 Qualities of Excellent Fundraisers 41 Ready, Set, Ask 42 Chapter 3 Asking, Face to Face 43 Appointment Secured: Now What? 45 Please and Thank You 46 Donor Recognition: Here to Stay 47 Merit Matters: The Formal Written Request 48 The Lure of the Challenge Grant 49 The Generational Divide 50 Confessions of a CEO 52 The Written Proposal: A Prizewinning Example 54 Obstacles to Overcome 61 Individual Donor Checklist: Some Vital Questions 62 Chapter 4 The Institutional Donor: Corporations and Foundations 65 The Corporation and the Small Business 66 The Parlance of Corporate Aid 67 Corporate Support Magnified 69 Small Business, Large Impact 70 The Corporation: Pathway to Affluent Donors 71 Winning Business Support 72 The Lincoln Center Experience 76 Take a Walk, Read Widely 80 The Foundation 81 Chapter 5 Technique: Special Events and Direct Mail 85 Special Events 86 Direct Mail Fundraising 94 Chapter 6 Tough Questions: Candid Answers 99 Emerging Nonprofits: Newer, Smaller 100 The Philanthropic Postmortem: Critiquing Performance 102 Fundraising in Stormy Weather 104 Fundraising: Who is in Charge and When 106 Fundraising Myths and Realities 108 A CEO’s Two Friends: The Watch and the List 111 Four Hall of Fame Fundraisers: My Nominees 113 Donations that can Cost Too Much 118 Chapter 7 A Passport to Successful Fundraising: Lessons of a Lifetime 121 1. Diversify Funding Sources 122 2. Diversify Funding Methods 122 3. It’s the Board of Directors, Stupid 122 4. Advice and Money: The Relationship 123 5. Fundraising: Anytime, Anywhere, Any Season 123 6. The Solicitor’s Magic Words 123 7. The Right Way to Ask 123 8. Shoe Leather Trumps Mail 124 9. No is Not an Answer 124 10. Baseball, Not a College Exam 124 11. Fundraising as Apple Pie 124 12. Fundraising is a Team Effort 125 13. Practice, Practice 125 14. Philanthropy is Biography 125 15. Speed and Agility Matter 125 16. The Corporate/Nonprofit Meeting Place 126 17. The School of Hard Knocks 126 18. Early Money: The Best Kind 126 19. Donors Crave Recognition 126 20. Philanthropists Need Help 127 21. Merit Matters 127 22. Reputation: Hard to Acquire, Easy to Squander 127 23. Communicate, Early and Often 128 24. Roles that Fundraisers Play 128 25. Plan and Prepare 128 26. Spread the Gospel 129 27. Fundraising is All about Tomorrow 130 28. Leaving a Legacy 130 Chapter 8 Humor and Fundraising 133 The Relentlessness of Fundraisers 134 The Elusiveness of Prospects 135 Fundraising is Heavy Lifting 135 The Imperative of Donor Recognition 136 The Lore of Frank Bennack, Jr. 137 Politics is Inexpensive 138 Major Prospects Enjoy Healthy Egos 138 Self-Deprecating Humor: It Wears Well 138 A Classic: Many Variations on a Theme 139 She was One of a Kind: Beverly Sills—Part A 139 She was One of a Kind: Beverly Sills—Part B 140 She was One of a Kind: Beverly Sills—Part C 141 An Excusable Lateness 142 Introducing a Gala Honoree 143 The Ask Reduced to its Essentials 143 Intellectual Flight and an Empty Wall No More 145 The Philanthropic Marine Corps 147 Chapter 9 Fundraising: Dimensions of the Future 149 The Board of Directors Transformed 150 Willie Sutton goes Global 151 Philanthropic Converts Become Proselytizers 155 Underperforming Businesses 155 E-Philanthropy: Unrealized Potential 158 Think Big: It’s a New Millennium 160 Chapter 10 Quotations that Matter 163 Bibliography 173 Appendix I. Fundraising on Steroids: Lincoln Center 179 Appendix II. Nonprofit Board of Directors Size: A National Sampler and Lincoln Center 185 Appendix III. Governance at Lincoln Center: 2007 187 Appendix IV. Three Direct Mail Home Runs from the International Rescue Committee 189 Notes 199 Index 203