Fundraising When Money Is Tight:
A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough Times and Thriving in the Future

by Mal Warwick

 

Raves for Fundraising When Money Is Tight!

Mal Warwick is what diplomats would call the Old China Hand. He has simply done more than anyone else. He has raised money and taught others how to raise money on every continent except Antarctica. This year he developed the first online viral fundraising conference that reached 400 sites in 42 countries. He has helped create more progressive organizations than most activists join in a lifetime, including Business for Social Responsibility co-founded with Ben Cohen, the "Ben" of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. His marketing savvy has enabled scores of national and international organizations to grow and prosper, including the NAACP and the Global Fund for Women. As a die-hard progressive he has done the fundraising for candidates from Ron Dellums, formerly Congressman (D-CA9) and now Mayor of Oakland, to Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN5) and the soon-to-be-Senator from Minnesota Al Franken. Conservatively, Mal and his team have raised more than half a billion dollars for good causes and candidates.

 

That's why Mal was the go-to guy for people starting to worry when the economy began to go south in 2008. He posted some ideas on his website www.malwarwick.com , then posted some more, and then expanded them in a new book "Fundraising When Money Is Tight. A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough times and Thriving In The Future." San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009. www.jossey-bass.com Now in the second year of this recession, even giants like AARP, Common Cause, and the San Francisco Opera are laying off staff and reducing salaries. Smaller and more controversial organizations are feeling even deeper cuts. This is the book to help fundraisers do their very difficult work in this very uncertain economy.

 

You get a visioning exercise to help your leaders pick the overall strategy they want to handle what they expect will be coming in the economy. Then you get terrific nuts and bolts ideas on what to keep, what to cut, what to expand, and what to explore to make more money and spend less. Mal gives you tested advice to improve the very foundation of your fundraising: how to make the case for your organization. Plus you get a wonderful essay on creativity, comparing classic ads for the first Volkswagen bug and the Rolls-Royce.

 

The only caveat I have is that most of his examples are for very large organizations, since they represent his target market. For most smaller, newer, or more radical organizations, lines in the book like "if your organization's staff is relatively small—say, fewer than 30 people in fundraising and marketing" will draw hoots of laughter from the reader. (p. 103) Most grass roots groups run with a handful of paid staff and a corps of committed volunteers, and the organizations thrive because everyone can and will do everything. Never mind. Warwick's ideas will work for any organization—just make them fit.

 

I first met Mal when I had the honor of introducing him as the speaker for a direct mail workshop at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Conference in Chicago in 1995. They had assigned him to the biggest room, and it was packed to the walls, with latecomers crouched under the coat-hangers in the back. If you don't have a chance to hear Mal live, get "Fundraising When Money Is Tight" to keep your revenues coming in until the economy revives.

 

-Joan Flanagan, Fundraiser for the Center for New Community and a member of the Chicago Chapter of AFP.

 

Brilliant! No nonprofit organization can afford to ignore the insightful advice Mal Warwick offers in this concise and eminently readable book. It’s practical, down-to-earth, and addresses the complex, real-world challenges of raising money in tough times.

–Ben Jealous, President, NAACP

 

Fundraising When Money Is Tight is an important book in a difficult time for all. This is the right book for anyone who is committed to advancing the public good.

–Jane Wales, Founder, Global Philanthropy Forum, Vice President, Aspen Institute

 

This is a must read for all of us in fundraising. Mal includes practical approaches for difficult economic times, from zero-based thinking about our programs to strategies for relating to our donors and making certain our fundraising programs are prepared to succeed not only now but when the economy recovers.

–Eugene R. Tempel, President, Indiana University Foundation

 

For nonprofit organizations struggling in a difficult economy, Fundraising When Money Is Tight presents the road map to survival–and a bright future beyond. Mal Warwick's seasoned judgment can help preserve the vital role of the nonprofit sector in educating our young, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, healing the sick, celebrating our diverse culture, and restoring the environment.

–Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus

 

This little book feels like an hour’s clear, easy conversation with one of the country’s most experienced, wisest, most socially caring fundraising experts. Mal Warwick will leave you with a focusing framework and dozens of practical, immediately actionable how-tos. It is hard to imagine anyone in the citizen sector who will not breathe easier after reading this book.

–Bill Drayton, CEO, Ashoka, and Chair, Youth Venture

 

Professionals and volunteers in nonprofits looking for ways to weather this economic storm must digest Mal Warwick’s timely book. Fundraising When Money Is Tight takes the panic out of today’s uncertainty by offering up reasoned strategies to achieve organizational success in a declining economy.

–H. Art Taylor, President and CEO, BBB Giving Alliance

 

This is a valuable book because it details stuff you can actually do. Mal Warwick has given us a simple outline for making sure we stabilize our existing program, not lose sight of the need to be aggressive at times and cautionary at other times, while laying the groundwork for weathering storms in the future. And unlike many such guidebooks, this stuff can be accomplished by any organization regardless of size, complexity, or sophistication. This is a valuable tool for fundraisers.

–Kurt Aschermann, President, Charity Partners Foundation, and Consultant

 

As a practitioner, Mal Warwick has spent a lifetime learning and teaching how to fundraise more effectively. His latest book is another in a series of gems laser-focused to help us succeed–and his experience shines through again in this must-have guide for today’s economic climate.

–Dr. Mark S. Albion, former Professor of Marketing, Harvard Business School, and New York Times best-selling author, Making a Life, Making a Living

 

Fundraising When Money Is Tight is the book every fundraising professional needs to read immediately. It’s to the point, filled with both “the hard facts” and “realistic steps” that development shops, large and small, must understand and implement now, rather than later.

–Judith E. Nichols, author, Pinpointing Affluence in the 21st Century

 

Too many fundraisers will use the recession as an excuse for under-performing when there is actually considerable scope for optimism. Warwick shatters our misconceptions and maps out practical steps that all organizations can take to not only weather the storm but be in better shape because of it.

–Adrian Sargeant, PhD, Robert F. Hartsook Professor of Fundraising, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

 

I’ve been waiting for a book like this. It provides a step-by-step approach to maximize revenue in the current economy and prepare for better times to come. It’s filled with hundreds of examples and tips. There are 15 chapters, and each alone is worth the price of the book.

–Jerold Panas, Executive Partner, Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners

 

Fundraising When Money Is Tight is the trifecta: Sound philosophy, practical strategies, and hands-on examples. Don’t put Mal’s guide on your bookshelf. Place it on your desk. Read it. Use it!

–Roger M. Craver, Chair, DonorTrends, and Editor, The Agitator

 

Mal Warwick doesn’t sell quick fixes and silver bullets–even in times of trouble. He offers specific, practical steps to cut costs and improve fundraising performance. He demands the best: donor-focused relationship building, strategic thinking, top-notch strategy, and competence. And he rewards us with both the “why” and the “how.”

–Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE, author, Keep Your Donors and Strategic Fund Development

 

In Fundraising When Money Is Tight, Mal Warwick provides solid strategic and tactical insights of how best to lead our organizations during times of uncertainty. I found this book to be not only a quick, interesting read, but also an important guide for making critical decisions today and tomorrow.

–Kory Christianson, CFRE, St. Joseph’s Indian School

 

Take Mal’s “exercise in visioning,” and use as many as you can of Mal Warwick’s dozens of cost-cutting ideas–all to enhance your net revenue today and increase your program’s potential for the future.

–James M. Greenfield, ACFRE, FAHP, author, Fundraising Fundamentals: A Guide to Annual Giving for Professionals and Volunteers

 

Whether you’re working at the Board level or looking for specific tactics to get you through challenging times, this Fundraising When Money Is Tight is a must read. Full of smart advice and proven approaches that have always made sense, and never more so than now.

–Phyllis Freedman, President, SmartGiving

 

Fundraising When Money Is Tight is both timely and timeless. Development staff looking for creative ideas and encouragement in dealing with the current economic crisis will find them in this book. But every organization will face other crises. Donors will change priorities, board members will fade away, direct mail and online copy will lose its zing–and this book will come in handy once again. Its checklists, samples, and down-to-earth advice will reassure seasoned professionals that they are on the right track, and open new vistas for those on their way up.

–Sandra A. Adams, Vice President, Grameen Foundation

 

In this engaging and accessible book, Mal Warwick manages to distill and download over 30 years of social justice activism and professional fundraising expertise. Fundraising When Money Is Tight provides us with the tools to continue to dream for a better world.

–Belvie Rooks, Board Chair, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and Board Member, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation

 

I’ve relied on Mal and his firm since 1997, and his advice has helped build and expand our grassroots operation through the years.

–U.S. Senator Russ Feingold

 

Tough times or high times, this is a book that every nonprofit should read. The strategies, tips, research, reminders, and challenges have been integrated into a readable, practical, and thoughtful book that will be relevant far longer than the current economic crisis.

–Kay Sprinkel Grace, author, consultant and principal, Transforming Philanthropy

 

When Mal Warwick writes a book, you should to read it. Mal’s experience and insights are unparalleled. Although this book is written specifically to address the challenging times in which we find ourselves, there are timeless strategies here that will be all the more relevant in the good times which assuredly are ahead.

–Christopher G. Cleghorn, former Executive Vice President, Easter Seals

 

In Fundraising When Money Is Tight, Mal Warwick has managed to incorporate wise and complex concepts in easy-to-understand–and easy-to-read–language. Right after reading this book, I was able to put his advice to use at a planning session with senior staff and campaign volunteer leadership.

–Roberta Zucker Catalinotto, Chief Development Officer, Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties

 

Mal Warwick gives us some very useful suggestions on how we can meet growing need during difficult times. I highly recommend Fundraising When Money Is Tight.

–Michael Welch, Associate Director, Office of Medical Development, Stanford University

 

Fundraisers bring passion to work with them every day–that’s why they’re fundraisers. Mal Warwick has shown us how to take that passion, no matter how challenging the times, and use it in support of the causes that we work for. Mal’s new book encourages all of us to recognize that our professional abilities are more relevant when money is tight and helps to provide the focus that we need to maximize our impact on the causes that we work for.

–Andrew Watt, FInstF, Chief Programs Officer, Association of Fundraising Professionals

 

Praise from Around the World

This is a must read book by any fundraising manager. It’s timely, it’s a good read, and the moment I put it down I made sure my managers got focused, got real and got with the project today.

—Mark Astarita, Director of Fundraising, British Red Cross (UK)

 

You lose the right to complain about this economic downturn if you haven’t read and put into practice the tips in Mal Warwick’s new book. Regardless of the economy, this short book is a great read and embodies great fundraising practice. An essential read for all fundraisers and those they report to.

—Sean Triner, Co-Founder, Pareto Fundraising (Australia)

 

This is a wonderful, helpful book that should be on the must-read list for every board member and every fundraiser. Mal offers a thoughtful, strategic approach which will serve you well—in good times and in bad.

—Harvey McKinnon, author, The Power of Giving (Canada)

 

Fundraisers should work as if money is always tight. That’s why I like this book a lot. It’s timely, sure, but it’s also well-informed, perceptive, practical, and well-written. There are lots of new thoughts and tips, yet much of what Mal sets out is simply good fundraising practice, reworked for now and the foreseeable future.

—Ken Burnett, Managing Trustee, www.sofii.org, and author, Relationship Fundraising (France)

 

With this great book, Mal Warwick proves that fundraisers should always work on the basis of a solid strategy. Touching on all the important aspects of adapting and maintaining a strategy, enabling long term growth, and preserving the capacity to resist future crises, Mal shows the way out of this down period—and the way to avoid the next one.

—Jan Krol, Co-Chair, Resource Alliance (Netherlands)

 

Worried? I am, too. But after reading Mal Warwick’s latest, I have some optimism. We can beat this thing.

—Steve Thomas, CFRE, Chair, Stephen Thomas Ltd. (Canada)

 

Some fundraisers are just starting to understand the economic crisis. Mal Warwick has analyzed it systematically. In Fundraising When Money Is Tight, he presents specific, concrete recommendations for an approach to fundraising that will be best for your organization no matter how severe conditions become.

—Ole von Uexküll, Executive Director, Right Livelihood Award Foundation (Sweden)

 

The advice in this book is plain good common sense—but then the best advice always is.

—Simon Collings, Chief Executive, Resource Alliance (UK)

 

When there is danger, some people react like rabbits, sitting in a hole and waiting. Others are like antelopes, running away (and it hardly matters where). This book kindly, simply, and effectively guides both rabbits and antelopes to act rationally to suit the circumstances and win their future.

—Jana Ledvinova, Co-Chair, Czech Fundraising Center (Czech Republic)

 

In case of economic crisis, break glass—and read this book. A solid document with a practical guide to survive in a storm.

—Marcelo Iniarra, Tribe Chief, www.marceloiniarra.com, and former International Fundraising and Campaign Innovation Manager, Greenpeace International (Argentina)

 

I am relieved and empowered by reading Fundraising When Money Is Tight. It is not just for people who need a guide to fundraising in an economic crisis. This encouraging book provides a bottom-up approach to fundraising based on personal experience. You will enjoy Mal’s humor, insight, and warm heart.

—YoungWoo Choi, President and CEO, Doum & Nanum (South Korea)

 

Brilliant! If you follow even half the advice Mal lays out so clearly in this book, you’ll raise more money, and spend less on fundraising costs. As a professor in a post-grad college program in Fundraising and Volunteer Management, I can’t think of a better book to explain sophisticated fundraising techniques in simple terms. Bravo!

—Professor Ken Wyman, CFRE, Program Coordinator, Post-Graduate Fundraising and Volunteer Management, Humber College (Canada)

 

Fundraising has always been unpredictable and imprecise—more so in difficult times. Prudence suggests applying the simple, logical, but vigorous steps suggested by Mal Warwick in his new book, Fundraising When Money Is Tight. Happy reading and applying! Why am I saying this? I have tried this approach, and it works.

—Maj. Gen. Surat Sandhu (Ret.), Chair, South Asian Fund Raising Group (India)

 

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