Chap 9

9.
Fundraising and resource development

Michelle Wooddell
INTRODUCTION
With more than $410 billion in charitable gifts made in the United States alone
in 2017, building a diverse base of financial supporters is one of the most
important methods of ensuring a nonprofit organization’s long-term sustain-
ability (Giving USA, 2018). The need for nonprofits to develop sustainable
programs to secure resources for their organizations and programs is one of
the most important aspects of successful nonprofit management (Bowman,
2011; Bell et al., 2010). Nonprofit employees must understand the concepts,
methods and theories that underlie fund development, including a thorough
understanding of the motivations for giving and the inextricable links between
philanthropy and fund development. While there has been much discussion
about whether or not fundraising should be considered a profession at all
(Bloland and Tempel, 2004; Andreoni, 1998; Carbone, 1989), there is no real
debate about its importance to the nonprofit sector (McKeever, 2015; Joyaux,
2015).
In addition, despite the undeniable importance of contributed revenue to
many nonprofit organizations, most academic programs focused on the study
of nonprofit management have been slow to offer stand-alone courses in
fundraising, especially at the undergraduate level. Instead, graduate students
are more likely to enroll in a course that pairs the topic of fund development
with either financial management or marketing, while undergraduates may be
lucky to have one class period devoted to the topic. The NACC guidelines that
address fundraising include a number of key elements that instructors should
teach, including:
• 10.1 Various forms and structures in and through which organized fund-
raising and resource development occur within philanthropy;
• 10.2 Components and elements that are part of a comprehensive fund
development process;
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Fundraising and resource development 147
• 10.3 Ethical processes and practices of different fundraising strategies to

be considered such as annual fund, planned and major giving, foundation
and corporate fundraising and special events;
• 10.4 Understanding of generational and cultural differences in giving and
implications for fundraising;
• 10.5 Trends in fundraising approaches such as the role of online giving,
the use of social media and crowdsourcing strategies.
Therefore, this chapter will concentrate on how to approach teaching fund-

raising to students at both the undergraduate and graduate level over a full
semester, with the expectation that instructors who teach fundraising as part
of another course may be able to utilize only a fraction of the resources, class-
room exercises and theories that are critical to the development of a thorough
understanding of fund development and the role that it plays in nonprofit
organizations.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
There is no comprehensive and universally accepted method of teaching fund-

raising, just as there is no natural course of study that fundraisers currently in
the profession had during college. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated
that there were more than 90 000 fundraisers working in the United States
in 2016 and that fundraisers typically possessed a degree in public relations,
journalism, communications, English, or business (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
2016). Certainly, the practice of the profession incorporates skills and knowl-
edge that are cross-disciplinary in nature, incorporating aspects of, among
others, marketing, communications, economic analysis, behavioral psychol-
ogy, and sociology.
Fundraising is inextricably intertwined with philanthropy; thus, any explo-
ration of fundraising usually begins with the need to understand philanthropic
theory. Much research has been done to explore the psychological, social and
physical benefits associated with voluntary activity and giving (Choi and Kim,
2011; Tsvetkova and Macy, 2014; Dunn et al., 2008), information which has
helped to inform a theory of fundraising as “the gentle art of teaching the joy
of giving” (Russo, 1991, p. 12). Grounding students in an understanding of
philanthropy and altruism is a critical first step for any course on fundraising.
There are numerous competing theories that seek to situate the prac-
tice of fundraising in a social, relationship-based or economic construct.
Waters (2008) argues that fundraising is best understood in the context of
relationship-management practices and that the bond between the fundraiser
and the donor is central to success in fundraising. Other scholars have
grounded fundraising in theories connected to public relations (Kelly, 1991;

148 Teaching nonprofit management
McAllister, 2013), economics (Andreoni, 2015), and social exchange theory

(Zhao et al., 2017).
The practice of fundraising, however, is well established and its key ele-
ments align well with the NACC guidelines. A recent survey of fundraising
syllabi at US colleges and universities noted that 100 percent of the courses
included information about fundraising strategies and tactics (Erwin, 2011).
The categories of potential donors that nonprofits can approach, the techniques
used to engage these constituents and the ways in which technological change
is impacting fundraising are all key aspects of a comprehensive fundraising
plan. From an examination of the categories of donors (corporations, foun-
dations, government agencies, individuals) to the methods used to engage
these individuals and organizations (direct mail, personal solicitations, written
requests and fundraising events), the key components of fundraising practice
are essential parts of the NACC guidelines.
CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS
By the time they reach the classroom, most students will have been active
participants in some sort of fundraising activity. Whether they organized
a walk-a-thon with a friend or they sold candy bars to finance a high school
sports team or class trip, most will have some sort of preconceived notion about
how fundraising happens and why people support nonprofit organizations.
While this provides an opening for students to bring their own experiences into
the classroom, instructors will need to push students beyond this often limited
knowledge base to both legitimize fundraising as a profession and to ensure
that students understand it as a key part of a nonprofit organization’s success.
The scenario-based exercises and assignments listed below go beyond exams
and ask students to apply the knowledge that they have learned through the
readings, lectures and discussions.
Use of Case Studies
Case studies can be an excellent way to bring real-world situations into a class-
room setting and a recently published book on nonprofit management contains
a small repository of cases that discuss some of the challenges with securing
public funding and the need for transparency with donors about the use of their
funds (Libby and Deitrick, 2017). Instructors may also wish to utilize current
news articles about philanthropy and fundraising efforts to supplement formal
cases and stimulate discussion.

Community Engagement
Engaging local nonprofit organizations and leaders in classroom activities is an

excellent way to provide students with real-world opportunities to apply their
newfound knowledge and a recent survey of fundraising syllabi showed that
44.7 percent of courses incorporate some service-learning component (Erwin,
2011). This involvement does not come without potential pitfalls, however. In
an environment where many nonprofits are significantly under-resourced, non-
profit executives and board members may welcome the opportunity to engage
with students studying fundraising. Instructors will want to be cautious about
the types of projects that they seek out and the ways in which students engage
in real-life fundraising activities.
An exceptional pedagogical approach for a semester-long course on fund-
raising is to have students engage with a community-based organization to
analyze that organization’s development operations, compare their operations
to best practices learned in the course, and develop recommendations about
ways that the organization can adjust and refine its fundraising approach. It
will usually be the instructor’s responsibility to secure a community partner
and, in order for the partnership to have the highest educational value, it is
important that students have access to the organization’s fundraising and
executive team. At the end of the project, students should present their findings
and recommendations in a written report and, where possible, they should also
make a presentation to the organization’s senior leadership team.
Other ideas for shorter assignments and exercises include:
Analysis of Fundraising Tactics and Techniques
Early on in a semester-long fundraising class, instructors may ask students to

research a nonprofit organization and to identify the types of fundraising that
the organization utilizes. Alternatively, students can be provided information
about a fictional organization and asked to analyze its efficacy. A sample of
this exercise is included in Box 9.1. Students then complete the Fundraising
Tactics worksheet (Table 9.1) based on the information provided in Box
9.1. This exercise can be a take-home assignment or can be shortened for an
in-class exercise that asks students to research an organization by examining
its website and other publicly available information.
BOX 9.1 SAMPLE ORGANIZATIONAL FUNDRAISING

PROFILE EXERCISE
Nonprofit ABC: Organizational Fundraising Profile

Organizational activities
Foundations:
• Submitted 10 restricted grant proposals, received 4 restricted grants

($10 000, $15 000, $10 000 and $5000).
• Submitted 20 proposals for general operating support to foundations,
received 6 grants ($1000, $5000, $2500, $1000, $2000, $1000).
Annual fundraising mailing:
• Sent 3000 letters to current donors, received 120 gifts. Average gift is
$35/donor. Gifts range from $500 to $10.
• Sent 1000 letters to a new list (not current donors). Received 9 gifts.
Average gift was $30. Gifts range from $5 to $50.
Board giving:
• There are 12 board members. They all gave a gift. Their gifts were: $50,
$500, $5000, $100, $150, $300, $1000, $1500, $600 and $400). Two are
cycling off this year (the $400 gift and the $1000 gift). Two new board
members will be joining.
Individual major gifts:
• 100 individuals are considered prospects, with potential to give over

$500. Only 25 were asked in 2014, while the other 75 were either culti-
vated or ignored. Of the 25 who were asked, 23 gave. The average gift
was $750, although gifts ranged from $500 to $5000.
Corporate giving:
• 10 companies were asked to provide general operating support. Four

gave ($100, $300, $400, $250).
• 10 companies were asked to provide sponsorships for programs. Six
gave ($1000, $500, $600, $100, $350, $500).
Special events:
• The organization held two special events during the year.

• The first event was a black-tie gala that netted $100 000 for the organi-
zation and had 350 attendees. Expenses were $50 000 and the revenues
were $150 000.
• The second event was a smaller affair that was more casual. It had a very
low-cost structure because it was hosted in the board president’s home
and the president covered the food and drink expenses. Other expenses
totaled $1500 and the event netted $22 000.
Cultivation:
• The organization sends out a monthly e-blast to donors and also a quar-
terly newsletter to everyone on their lists. They also send out holiday
cards.
Questions
1. How many donors does this organization have?

2. How much should their development budget be?
3. Is there anything that they should stop doing? Is there anything that they
should do more of?
4. How many (approximately) staff hours do they spend on development?
5. How many staff members does this organization need?
6. What should their jobs be?
7. What other activities is it likely that the development team must engage in,
as part of the overall team?
Direct Mail
As an in-class exercise, instructors can bring real-life direct mail pieces into
the classroom and ask students to review and critique the approaches utilized
by local nonprofits, drawing upon their newfound knowledge about techniques
for getting potential donors to open, read and reply to mailings. For example,
students should discuss which outer envelope is most appealing and why, as
well as how graphics, photos and layout are used to engage the reader. This
activity should not take more than 15–20 minutes and is appropriate for both
undergraduate and graduate students.
Grantwriting
Instead of asking students to write and prepare grants, instructors can create (or
find) sample letters of inquiry or grants and ask students to determine which

Table 9.1 Sample fundraising tactics worksheet
Tactic # solicited Time Spent Amount Plan for

Raised Next Year
Annual Mailing to Current Donors
Acquisition Mailing
Board Member Solicitations
Foundation Grants – Unrestricted
Foundation Grants – Restricted
Corporate Sponsorships
Corporate Unrestricted
Individual Major Gifts
Special Event 1 – Black Tie
Special Event 2 – President’s Dinner
Other:
Other:
letter they would be more likely to fund and why. A great resource for sample
grant documents can be found at www.grantspace.org under the resources
section. This type of analysis helps to remind students that their fundraising
appeals and requests are reviewed by individuals who can often bring their
own biases and judgments into the funding process.
Major Gifts
Many students may enter the class with an apprehension about the process
used in asking for funds, so it is important that instructors try to break down
that trepidation through hands-on exercises that allow students to practice
asking for funds. One such technique involves breaking students into small
groups to role-play an “ask.” Teams of two students will be given a prospect
sheet (see Figure 9.1) prepared by the instructor (information about a donor’s
past giving and interests) and they will have five minutes to strategize about
how best to ask this prospect for a major gift. Another student is assigned to
assume the role of the potential donor. Once the students role-play an “ask,”
they switch roles until every student has had the opportunity to both ask and
be asked. Instructors should then lead students in a debrief about their experi-
ences, focusing on how it felt to be asked and how difficult it was to ask. After
a few rounds of this, students are often surprised at how comfortable they
can become asking for a gift. This exercise is excellent for graduate students
or upper-level undergraduate students and should be completed in one class
period.

Figure 9.1 Sample prospect sheet
Special Considerations for Online Courses
Instructors teaching a virtual fundraising course will need to make several

adjustments, but many of the exercises and assignments described in this
chapter can be easily adapted to an online platform. The real issue for many
online classes is how to stimulate discussion and encourage questions about
the material, and a course focused on fundraising is no different. As students
proceed week-by-week through the online learning modules, instructors will
need to be proactive in posing discussion questions and in encouraging student
debate. A good starting point for many of the specific fundraising topics is for
instructors to post a fundraising letter, special event invitation, sponsorship
proposal or planned giving mailer and ask students to critique it and make
suggestions as to how the messaging or tactics could be improved.

A potential exercise for a semester-long online course in fundraising is to

engage students in an ongoing fundraising simulation that divides students
into teams of 3–4 individuals. Each week, the instructor will ask the teams to
complete a development-related activity (preparing a case statement, writing
a direct mail letter, etc.). A sample of a direct mail exercise is included in
Figure 9.2. Each team will then post their submissions to a joint discussion
board, where other students can anonymously “vote” on which team’s sub-
mission was most likely to influence them to give to the organization. This
exercise not only helps students understand the key fundraising techniques, but
it also offers them a chance to understand the donor’s mindset by asking them
to choose among competing requests for support.
Figure 9.2 Sample direct mail exercise
TEACHING NOTES AND RESOURCES
Instructors need to incorporate multiple types of resources and frameworks

into their fundraising courses and, indeed, many of the resources identified in
this chapter for potential use in the classroom are from journals, organizations
and authors who are multi- or cross-disciplinary in nature. But perhaps the
most significant challenge that instructors face when planning and designing
their course in fundraising is the struggle between the need to teach students
about the applied methods of fund development, while also providing them
with a grounding in the theories about philanthropy and the appropriate role
of fundraising and fundraising leadership in a nonprofit organization. For

undergraduate students, developing a basic understanding of the importance of

a nonprofit organization adopting an adequate resource development strategy
and the various ways that nonprofits go about raising funds is often the most
appropriate pedagogical approach, particularly in a course that offers only
a brief (one or two class periods) look at fund development. Still, grounding
these students in an understanding of philanthropic theory is also appropriate.
Graduate-level students may be more likely to enroll in a semester-long
course on fundraising, so instructors will have the opportunity to take a more
nuanced and in-depth approach, teaching both the theory and practice of
fundraising. In addition to developing a familiarity with the advantages and
potential pitfalls of various fundraising methods, students at this level of study
should also be exposed to information about theories of altruism, giving pat-
terns and trends, and the importance of managing donor relationships.
Fundraising Books and Journals
In 2002, scholars Lindahl and Conley argued that nonprofit researchers needed
to do more to provide fundraisers with a “base of substantive, objective
research” upon which to base their actions. While much progress has been
made since that time, there remains a distinct lack of broad-based academically
rigorous research upon which instructors can rely for their courses in fundrais-
ing, although there are numerous single-subject articles addressing key aspects
of the areas listed above.
In teaching a course on fundraising, instructors will need to mix the prac-
tical with the theoretical and many key fundraising texts contain information
about both. Either way, however, it is important to begin by helping students
understand what fundraising is and how it relates to a nonprofit organization’s
success. Ensuring that students understand the importance of developing
a comprehensive fundraising approach is critical before delving into the spe-
cific content areas of the course; a special issue of the International Journal of
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing contains numerous articles about
fundraising as a profession and as a key element of successful nonprofits
(November 2017). Depending upon the resource that they choose as their
main text, many instructors will focus their course in three main content areas,
which also correspond to the organization of many key textbooks. These three
areas are:
Philanthropic theory and theories of giving

The link between philanthropy and fundraising is undeniable and many
instructors will want to ground their students in a basic foundation of knowl-
edge about what motivates individuals and organizations to contribute to
nonprofit organizations. Ensuring that students understand the importance

of donor relationship management is an important topic, as well as helping

students recognize the reasons that donors choose to give. Instructors may also
engage students in a discussion about how generational differences, gender,
race and other socio-demographic factors affect fundraising and philanthropy.
Learning how nonprofit organizations identify, research and cultivate potential
donors, and build a case for support to engage donors of different backgrounds
should be a natural outgrowth of these discussions.
Fundraising techniques and methods

After an exploration of the philanthropic underpinnings of fundraising,
most instructors will spend the majority of class time focused on the ways
in which nonprofit organizations turn potential prospects into donors, secur-
ing much-needed funds from the community to support the organization’s
work. Most courses will address some aspects of the following fundrais-
ing techniques: direct mail; grants and sponsorships; special events; major
gifts; planned giving; capital and endowment campaigns; and online giving.
Instructors will also want to discuss some of the newest fundraising tech-
niques, including crowdfunding and e-solicitations.
Fundraising-related issues and activities

Most semester-long courses in fundraising will also spend several class
periods exploring topics that are somewhat ancillary to the raising of funds,
but that still affect the organization’s success in this area. Fundraising ethics
is a topic that often challenges students to explore the potential perils of donor
relations and an excellent resource for these discussions is Janice Gow Pettey’s
2013 book on ethical decision making. A discussion of the importance of
development planning can encourage students to unite all the elements of their
learning into one comprehensive and executable fundraising plan. Information
about current and future trends in philanthropy, from crowdfunding to the
relatively new concept of venture philanthropy, may also be addressed in this
section of the course.
Instructors who are only able to devote one or two course periods to fund-
raising will need to make strategic choices about which topics are most rele-
vant to their students and which aspects of fundraising best complement the
other courses in which students enroll. Once those determinations are made,
instructors next face the daunting challenge of merging best practices learned
in the field with the latest academic research and theories to design a challeng-
ing curriculum for students to follow.

Textbooks
Selecting a comprehensive text for a course in fundraising may be one of the

most important decisions an instructor will make. While instructors may have
their choice of hundreds, if not thousands, of “how to” manuals designed to
help practitioners write grants, plan special events and approach major donors,
there are only a few texts that will offer students insight into both the practical
applications of fundraising and the theories behind the philanthropic exchange
that occurs between donors and nonprofit organizations. Two similarly named
books by respected nonprofit management scholars have risen to be among
the most popular and widely used in fundraising courses (Sargeant and Shang,
2017; Worth, 2016), while another text, Achieving Excellence in Fundraising,
is well-regarded for its discussion of key fundraising principles, concepts and
techniques (Tempel et al., 2016). All of these books address issues of both
theory and practice, with a variety of discussion questions, exam ideas and
classroom activities contained within each book.
Resources that Discuss Philanthropic Theories and Fundraising
To provide students with a solid understanding of the history of philanthropic

giving in the United States, there are a number of key texts and articles upon
which instructors should draw. Andrew Carnegie’s (1889) “The Gospel of
Wealth,” stands the test of time as offering a comprehensive rationale for the
responsibility of donors to improve society through their charitable actions.
A more recent offering on the nature of philanthropic giving encompasses
more than 100 classical and contemporary essays on the subject and should
provide instructors with a multitude of options for helping their students
understand philanthropic theory and how it relates to fundraising (Moody and
Breeze, 2016). To supplement classroom discussion about the important links
between donor intent and successful fundraising, Penelope Burk’s work on
donor-centered fundraising and leadership is essential (Burk, 2003, 2013).
A number of articles and texts are available that address how different
segments of donors approach philanthropic giving, a topic which can help
students better understand how to develop and sustain relationships with these
donors. There is a growing body of literature on the topic of women engaged
in philanthropy (Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, 2011; De Wit
and Bekkers, 2016; Mesch et al., 2011) as well as the impact of race and
ethnicity on philanthropy (Mesch et al., 2002; Smith et al., 1999). Finally,
some instructors may wish to provide students with an understanding of gener-
ational differences in giving and implications for fundraising. A new resource
exploring the important influences upon and components of the development
of a philanthropic strategy for donors from Generation X and Y, as well as mil-

lennials, was recently published and can help students explore how nonprofits
may need to shift their current and future fund development strategies in order
to attract these donors (Moody and Goldseker, 2017).
Resources for Teaching Fundraising Tools and Techniques
In order to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the mechanics

of raising funds, there are a number of excellent resources for instructors to
consider. For graduate students looking to gain a deeper understanding of
the advantages and disadvantages of various revenue generation techniques,
Dennis Young’s (2007) edited volume about nonprofit finance can be an
appropriate supplemental text. To help students combat the fear of personally
asking individuals for major gifts, one of the best books is a slim volume
aimed at helping nonprofit board members combat their own fear of asking
individuals for gifts (Panas, 2009). An excellent resource for planned giving is
James’s (2014) book.
Direct mail is one of the key fundraising methods where academic research-
ers have published studies that can help students better understand the topic.
A 2007 study examined the effects of matching and challenge campaigns on
donations via direct mail fundraising (Karlan and List, 2007), while a 2011
study examined the effectiveness of several fundraising techniques in direct
mail appeals (Goering et al., 2011). A review of both of these articles will
provide students with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportu-
nities available with direct mail fundraising. Several research articles about
special event fundraising have also been published, including a comprehensive
analysis of the motivations and costs associated with various types of events
(Webber, 2004), and, more recently, articles explaining and critiquing online
fundraising techniques have also been published (Castillo, 2014; Saxton and
Wang, 2014). The increasing use of email and video solicitations is another
area that instructors may wish to include in their course; a 2018 article on
virtual reality fundraising addressed some of the key issues in this area (Yoo
and Drumwright, 2018).
Resources for Teaching Fundraising-related Issues
Instructors looking to supplement their main textbook with additional resources

focused on fundraising-related issues also have many choices. A number of
articles and books address issues surrounding the need for ethical fundraising
(Rosen, 2005; Dean and Wood, 2017) and instructors should also provide
every student with a copy of the Association of Fundraising Professionals
Code of Ethical Standards (AFP, 2014). The use of professional fundraising
consultants is also a topic that most nonprofit organizations will confront and

addressing it in a course on fundraising is both natural and important (Hager

et al., 2006).
Finally, most instructors in a semester-long class will want to devote at
least a portion of one class period to the concept of “crowding out,” a topic
which has long-occupied academic researchers who study giving patterns and
fundraising.
BRINGING PROFESSIONAL AND SCHOLARLY

EXPERTISE INTO THE CLASSROOM
By tapping into a local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals

(AFP), instructors may find additional resources to help students understand
the nature of fundraising in the city and region near the university. AFP may
also be able to provide access to subject-matter experts who could present
on specialized areas like the use of planned giving vehicles, a topic which
requires detailed financial and legal knowledge. The organization may also be
able to connect instructors to fundraising professionals currently working in
the sector to visit the classroom to discuss career paths and the skills needed
to be successful as a fundraiser. If you are teaching in a region where there is
no local AFP chapter, tapping into your university’s development office might
be another option. For those instructors teaching in an online environment,
recording 3–5-minute video vignettes with local fundraising professionals may
be an excellent way to bring this element into a virtual platform. Instructors,
particularly those teaching graduate-level courses in fundraising, may also
wish to consider inviting researchers and scholars into the classroom (either in
person or through a virtual presentation) to discuss their work. Bringing donors
into the classroom to discuss their theories of giving may also be an excellent
learning experience.
CONCLUSION
This chapter has provided an overview of the theoretical frameworks and key
principles of fundraising, as well as information about the practice of fundrais-
ing. The NACC curricular guidelines clearly state that students of nonprofit
management should be grounded in an understanding of the elements and con-
cepts surrounding how nonprofit organizations secure funds, with an emphasis
on how fundraisers can act ethically and appropriately in their interactions with
donors. This chapter has attempted to provide instructors of this subject with
a host of resources and ideas for how to bring the concept of fundraising alive
in the classroom. Whether or not they choose to become professional fundrais-
ers, all nonprofit staff members, board members and volunteers could benefit
from an increased understanding of how an organization must raise funds from

donors. While not all nonprofit students will have the opportunity to enroll
in a single-subject course in fundraising, even instructors who are teaching
general nonprofit management courses will benefit from implementing some
of the ideas, techniques and exercises contained in this chapter.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Although instructors will, of course, want to stimulate classroom discussion

about all of the subjects they are teaching, there are also some themes that
can help guide many, if not all, of the individual discussions. With every
fundraising technique that is discussed, for example, instructors and stu-
dents should also work to identify the types of resources that would be nec-
essary to implement that technique as part of a successful fundraising plan
in a nonprofit organization. By its very nature, most students will focus on
the revenue-producing aspects of fundraising, but instructors can help them
think more strategically by asking:
What are the human and budget resources that will be needed to make (a direct
mail plan, a special event, etc.) successful?
By helping students understand that most fundraising activities will neces-

sitate both a human resource expenditure and a budget allocation for oth-
er resources, instructors can teach students that it is not the gross revenue
number that matters most in fundraising, but the net revenue raised.
Another overarching discussion question centers around helping students
focus on the roles of the board, staff, consultants and volunteers with respect
to various fundraising activities. Every week, instructors can help elevate
the discussion by asking students to consider the roles of all of the nonprof-
it organization’s personnel and volunteer leaders in whichever fundraising
activity or topic area is being addressed. Specifically, instructors can ask:
What is the appropriate role for the (board, staff, Development Director, etc.) in
this instance?
This type of question will help students realize that all members of a non-
profit organization can play important roles in the success of its fundraising
activities.
Finally, instructors can ask students to consider the role of an organi-
zation’s fundraising team with respect to the other important needs of the
organization. In single-subject courses on fundraising, it can be easy to lose
sight of how fundraising both makes possible the accomplishment of the
nonprofit’s mission and has the potential to divert resources from the non-

profit’s other function. Specifically, instructors can ask students to consider:
How should a nonprofit organization balance the need to invest in its resource
development function with its desire to maximize the funds spent on program-
matic initiatives?
This is a particularly relevant question in an era where donors are being en-
couraged to question an organization’s overhead ratio, and it can help place
fundraising within the context of the organization’s overall financial health.
What are the differences between philanthropy and fundraising and how do they
link together?
This question, which can be used with both undergraduates and graduate
students, speaks to the heart of how theories of and motivations for giving
influence an organization’s fund development practices.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Because the nonprofit sector is constantly evolving, instructors will want to

make sure that they stay up-to-date on the latest fundraising trends and reports
in order to provide their students with the most comprehensive and timely
information. Several good resources for instructors are:
• The Association of Fundraising Professionals maintains a website and pro-

duces a quarterly newsletter that contains articles and practical information
about trends in giving and the profession of fundraising (www.afpnet.org).
• CFRE International is an independent nonprofit organization that creden-
tials fundraising professionals who meet certain criteria and are active in
the profession. Their website contains information about fundraising news
and reports, as well as information about ethics and accountability chal-
lenges in fundraising (www.cfre.org).
• Professors Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang’s website (https://
studyfundraising.info) contains academic reports and independent research
articles focused on fundraising.
• Three key textbooks: Sargeant and Shang’s (2017) Fundraising Principles
and Practices, 2nd edn; Tempel et al.’s (2016) Achieving Excellence in
Fundraising; and Lindahl’s (2009) Principles of Fundraising: Theory and
Practice.

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9.

Fundraising and resource development

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

• 10.3 Ethical processes and practices of different fundraising strategies to

Therefore, this chapter will concentrate on how to approach teaching fund-

There is no comprehensive and universally accepted method of teaching fund-

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

McAllister, 2013), economics (Andreoni, 2015), and social exchange theory

CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS

Use of Case Studies

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

Engaging local nonprofit organizations and leaders in classroom activities is an

Analysis of Fundraising Tactics and Techniques

Early on in a semester-long fundraising class, instructors may ask students to

BOX 9.1 SAMPLE ORGANIZATIONAL FUNDRAISING

Nonprofit ABC: Organizational Fundraising Profile

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

• Submitted 10 restricted grant proposals, received 4 restricted grants

Annual fundraising mailing:

Individual major gifts:

• 100 individuals are considered prospects, with potential to give over

• 10 companies were asked to provide general operating support. Four

• The organization held two special events during the year.

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

1. How many donors does this organization have?

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

Table 9.1 Sample fundraising tactics worksheet

Tactic # solicited Time Spent Amount Plan for

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

Figure 9.1 Sample prospect sheet

Special Considerations for Online Courses

Instructors teaching a virtual fundraising course will need to make several

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

A potential exercise for a semester-long online course in fundraising is to

Figure 9.2 Sample direct mail exercise

TEACHING NOTES AND RESOURCES

Instructors need to incorporate multiple types of resources and frameworks

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

undergraduate students, developing a basic understanding of the importance of

Fundraising Books and Journals

Philanthropic theory and theories of giving

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

of donor relationship management is an important topic, as well as helping

Fundraising techniques and methods

Fundraising-related issues and activities

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

Selecting a comprehensive text for a course in fundraising may be one of the

Resources that Discuss Philanthropic Theories and Fundraising

To provide students with a solid understanding of the history of philanthropic

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

Resources for Teaching Fundraising Tools and Techniques

In order to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the mechanics

Resources for Teaching Fundraising-related Issues

Instructors looking to supplement their main textbook with additional resources

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

addressing it in a course on fundraising is both natural and important (Hager

BRINGING PROFESSIONAL AND SCHOLARLY

By tapping into a local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

Although instructors will, of course, want to stimulate classroom discussion

By helping students understand that most fundraising activities will neces-

Michelle Wooddell - 9781788118675

profit’s other function. Specifically, instructors can ask students to consider:

Because the nonprofit sector is constantly evolving, instructors will want to