This is a deep-into-twenty-first century book, giving guidance to weathering the deep-into-twenty-first century not-for-profit climate. So yours is a 501(c)(3) and theirs isn’t? Do your best
donors and potential donors regard that facet as attention-getting and relevant? Probably nott. Technical details don’t provide much persuasive power in this new world. For those many
newcomers to our ranks who believe the medium (especially email) is the message, this book could be their salvation their map out of the factoid wilderness. For the rest of us, this book will
remind us not only to recognize that we’re competing (for many, an unwelcome intrusion), but also to see the many options available to us, some classic and some new, and give guidance to
successfully using all of them. It’s a new world and with it a radically difference fundraising ambience from that of the kinder, gentler 1980s and 1990s. That world was certainly
competitive; but the competition didn’t include the World Wide Web and a welter of other forces some positive, others sinister competing for and weighing down on your loyal patrons. In this
world of instant worldwide communication, the local library competes with the local symphony orchestra … which competes with the local hospital, which competes with national hospitals … which
in turn compete with.... There also is the greater ability to target actual donors and potential donors. Add to this is another reality that hasn’t changed: Donors have a finite amount of
money—approximately the same amount as in the pre-Internet, pre-World Wide Web days-- to contribute to all causes. Two words are operative here. First is Attention, because our best potential
donors are the ones whose attention is most in play. They’re the ones whose e-mail boxes are the most crowded. They’re the ones most likely to be jaded by constant ""We need help"" messages
from every competitor, whether library, orchestra, college, hospital, or major cause. And theirs is the atten
