When it comes to achieving mastery of fundraising, technical skills are important, of course.
Many of us believe we are successful. We have attended conferences and seminars over the years. We learned about the stages of getting a gift, best practices, and the latest marketing techniques.
But is this enough? Is this all there is?
In Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 More Pillars of Success, Alexandra Pia Brovey invites us to continue our journey to true mastery that began with her acclaimed first book, Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 Pillars of Success.
Brovey identifies sixteen traits or qualities, what she calls pillars, of success. She covers the first eight pillars in Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 Pillars of Success. In this second book, she reveals eight more pillars: Passion; Honesty; Courage; Resilience; Gratitude; Acceptance; Positivity; and Intuition.
Much of the power of these books comes from Brovey's examination of the pillars through a Zen filter. While most of us are expected to pursue more gifts and larger gifts over time, we need to be passionate, honest, and courageous, taking time to be in the moment -- to appreciate each donor, each gift, and each interaction.
Displaying resilience and gratitude, while being accepting, positive, and intuitive, are all explored in the context of fundraisers and fundraising.
The ultimate test is preparing ourselves so that we can successfully help donors make a gift, a larger gift, or a repeat gift. These pillars not only help fundraisers achieve success, but they also make the journey to a gift -- and life in general -- enjoyable and fulfilling.
If you haven't yet read Alex's original book, Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 Pillars of Success, published by CharityChannel Press, order your copy from Amazon today!
What Others Are Saying
Another knockout book by one of my favorite gift planning experts. Alex's sixteen pillars should be made into a poster and hung up in every gift planner's office as a daily reminder of best gift practices.
Margaret M. Holman
President, Holman Consulting, Inc.
Alex's enthusiasm for continuous learning is contagious! She makes what could be a boring topic entertaining as she shares some terrific tools--pillars--for fundraising success.
Lynn Malzone Ierardi, JD
Director of Gift Planning, University of Pennsylvania
This book is a wonderful reminder that fundraisers should grant themselves permission to tune out the world around us and focus on self-care. Quieting our minds, resting, breathing, and tuning out the noise will lead us to greater professional and personal success! This form of self-respect and self-awareness is what is needed for us to continue making the world a better place in our vocations.
Cathy R. Sheffield, CAP, CSPG, CFRE, FCEP
President, ThinkGiving, LLC
I have been a gift planner for about four decades. Too often, books written for fund development professionals and presented to us as "new" or "groundbreaking" are (dare I say it?) simply repackaging old truths or, if they move us forward, only incrementally so. As a publisher, my passion with CharityChannel Press is to keep an eye out for that rare author who truly offers us something that changes not just how we do what we do but how we view ourselves and our role. Alexandra Pia Brovey does exactly that. Bravo, Alex!
Stephen C. Nill, JD
Publisher, CharityChannel Press
