The Art of Successful Fund Raising by Noshir H. Dadrawala. Published in 2004 by the Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy, Mulla House, 4th floor, 51, M. G. Road, Bombay 400001. Pp: xi + 198. Price: Rs 300.
The Art of Successful Fund Raising by Noshir H. Dadrawala. Published in 2004 by the Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy, Mulla House, 4th floor, 51, M. G. Road, Bombay 400001. Pp: xi + 198. Price: Rs 300.
Noshir H. Dadrawala’s The Art of Successful Fund Raising fills a void for organizations and individuals dedicated to the noble cause of philanthropy. Dadrawala synergizes over two decades of experience in the rough and tumble of the world of fund raising with deep insights on various psychological, physical and practical aspects such as fear, motivation, communication, contact-building, marketing, planning and methodology of fund raising. The crowning glory of this wonderful book is a concise chapter entitled "101 Useful Tips” which is a synoptic check list of dos and don’ts.
Dadrawala starts with the basics: right people must be on the board — people who matter; the cause must be clear and focused; accountability and transparency must be given paramount importance.
He tackles the fear of being dubbed a ‘beggar’ that haunts and traumatizes every fund-raiser with wit, panache and practical tips. He emphasizes that being turned down must never be taken personally.
Dadrawala: fills a void
The book quickly gets down to the brass tags, with a stimulating chapter on "Sources of Funding,” encompassing individuals, foundations, trusts, corporations, government and religious/other institutions. The pros and cons of approaching each particular source are explained in detail as also the psychological and practical nuances involved.
Lucidly explained is the next logical step which involves diverse methodologies of fund raising such as face-to-face solicitation, direct mail, legacies, events, payroll deduction and cause-related marketing. He rightly cautions "do not think of what the donor may give, think what he is capable of giving!”
Dadrawala builds a strong analogy between fund raising and selling. In fund raising you sell a cause, but before you do that, you must sell the concept to yourself! He likens fund raising to serving and emphasizes ‘donor satisfaction.’
The chapter on "Effective Communications” brings home about two dozen hints, the most cogent of which were "tell a story,” "avoid jargon” and "create a good slogan.”
Another section goes into the details of recruitment, training, recognition and the morale, motivation and support of volunteers — after all, they are the human face of the organization.
Dadrawala emphasizes the transition of fund raising from ‘grateful receivership’ to a ‘partnership’ between the grantmaker and the fund raiser who are both working towards the same goal. He delineates how today the ‘giver’ is an investor in social change.
The technical aspects of fund raising such as ‘proposal writing’ and mission and vision statements are explained with clinical details for they provide focus, articulation and credibility to a project and attract donors, volunteers and community involvement.
The book very rightly refers to the need to evaluate the philanthropic project with an incisive and detailed ‘Evaluation Programme’ along with an exhaustive ‘Evaluation Form.’
This wonderful little book has a list of the top 40 Indian and foreign philanthropic organizations (with their complete contact details) to kick-start the fund raising activity of a nascent organization keen to raise funds for a cause. The book is painstakingly researched and a veritable gold mine of information, ideas and innovations. The style and layout of the book is straight, to-the-point, apolitical, succinct, devoid of any agenda — a definite must read.
Rohinton Mehta