Book review: Global Fundraising

Global Fundraising: How the World is Changing the Rules of Philanthropy by Penelope Cagney, Bernard Ross

What would US fundraisers do without discounted nonprofit postage? You can find out by looking at Australia, a nation that has a lot in common with the US, but without the postage advantages that make direct mail the fundraising powerhouse it is here. (Direct mail exists there, but face-to-face street fundraising is a major and necessary part of many fundraising programs.)

Fundraising happens everywhere. And fundraisers deal with different laws, cultural conditions, and infrastructures.

That’s what you can get out of this book: How do you succeed under different conditions? That may be more than a pure mental game: Conditions can change for you any time. Knowing what’s happening in fundraising around the world will put you in a better, more flexible place.

Global Fundraising identifies seven worldwide trends:

1. There is a continuing growth of great wealth and some of it is being diverted to philanthropy
   
2. Nonprofit innovations, in fundraising and elsewhere, are no longer coming just from the United States or Europe
   
3. Indigenous NGOs/NPOs continue to grow in number throughout the world, but there are some leviathans emerging
   
4. There is considerable debate worldwide about the role of philanthropy and the role of the state
   
5. Fundraising is becoming more professional and professionalized
   
6. Everyone agrees that new and social technologies are important, but they disagree how
   
7. Philanthropy thrives best when there are codified civil society structures and regulations for nonprofit agencies
   

Recommended for advanced and intellectually curious fundraisers.

Available from Amazon and from the publisher.