Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work

Jumpstart your fundraising efforts!

Whether your nonprofit has just gotten tax-exempt status or has been operating for years, its success depends on its ability to raise donations from individuals, companies, and institutions. The question you’re facing is, “How do we make our voices heard and bring in the needed support?”

Here, you’ll find plain-English answers. Featuring advice and stories from over 50 experienced fundraisers, foundation staffers, journalists and more, this book explains how to:

• make a fundraising plan
• work with individual donors
• keep givers giving
• plan special events
• solicit grants from foundations and corporations
• use traditional and social media to engage supporters
• start a side business to raise funds
• and much more.

Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits also provides creative grassroots strategies and dozens of real-life success stories. Best of all, it cuts out the jargon and “consultant speak” that’s all too common in nonprofit books.

The 7th edition is completely updated to reflect recent fundraising trends, such as a rise in the proportion of gifts coming from wealthy donors owing to tax changes. It also suggests strategies for drawing supporters to virtual events.

Ilona Bray, J.D. is an award-winning author and legal editor at Nolo, specializing in immigration law, real estate, and nonprofit fundraising. She has been quoted as a real estate expert in publications across the country, including Money Magazine, Kiplinger, the New York Times, the Boston Herald, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Many of her books are consistent Nolo bestsellers, among them Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits, U.S. Immigration Made Easy, and Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home. She particularly enjoys interviewing people and weaving their stories into her books.
Bray's working background includes solo practice, nonprofit, and corporate stints, as well as long periods of volunteering, including an internship at Amnesty International's main legal office in London. She received her law degree and a Master's degree in East Asian (Chinese) Studies from the University of Washington. In her spare time she enjoys writing children’s books, going to open houses, and gardening.