The Complete Fundraising Handbook [antikvár]

FOREWORD Sam Clarke succeeded me as the Central Fundraising Director for OXFAM - a very demanding job by any standards- and early on proved that he had the skill, imagination and good administration to maintain the upward growth of OXFAM's income at the acceptable level of costs set by the Trustees. I do not think that there could be a better apprenticeship for writing this admirable'no-nonsense'handbookfor fundraisers both new and experienced. It is a practical book and as a journalist friend of mine used to say "a very good read". And so I have no difficulty in recommending it to the reader. If fundraisers want a patron saint, I can think of no better choice than the Good Samaritan who demonstrated all the qualities that are needed in their profession for success: compassion, when he crossed the road to pick up a badly battered man lying in a pool of blood in a ditch; courage in getting off his horse in a particularly dangerous part of the road where the thieves might still be hiding; action and skill in knowing how to bind up the wounds with the use of a soothing oil; and finally funds so that he paid the Inn Keeper to look after the wounded man and promised that, if it was not enough, he would provide. The parable illustrates that fundraising is not primarily dbovAmoney. it is about need, about a human need that cries out for help, and about the response to put that need right or to make it easier for the victim to bear that your organisation can offer. So whenever you write or talk about your cause, always start with the need and explain it clearly and simply in human terms and then describe how your organisation can make some relief towards it. And never exaggerate what you are capable of doing. And do not forget that when you accept money from a donor, you accept at the same time a responsibility to that donor to ensure that his generous gift is used wisely and with experience and economy. This means that you as a fundraiser must be constandy inquiring from your colleagues involved in the work of the organisation as to how the programmes are going and ensuring that they are well run. So play your part as a truthful friend to your donor, telling of successes and also of disappointments. Everyone knows how difficult it is to bring about change for the better in human affairs, and you will find that the informed donor will support you through thick and thin - the first Director of OXFAM, Sir Lesley Kirkley, used to call it "the educated pound". The fundraising profession demands from its practitioners long hours, hard work, skills and the proper understanding of techniques, all supported by effective and well-managed administration. But at the same time it offers you a hidden agenda as it is now called - a chance to be the agent of change for the betterment of the human condition. A chance to stand up effectively for human rights which are the key to human happiness, to justice and to the welfare of the human race. It offers you the unique chance to play a tiny part in a vision of a new society in which all of us may dwell in peace and harmony. Guy Stringer CBE FRSA Lately the Director of OXFAM