Resources
The following is a list of books and articles written by our team. We also include a list of some of our favorite research and studies we think you might be interested in reading.
Klein and Roth Newsletters
Fundraising for Social Change, 8th Edition
Kim Klein and Stan Yogi
May 2022
US $60.00
This, the 8th edition of one of the best selling books about fundraising in the United States, is full of new information and examples. Edition after edition of this book makes it one of the most widely used books by practitioners and in nonprofit university programs alike. A soup to nuts description of how to build, maintain and expand an individual donor program, this book is often called "the Bible of grassroots fundraising." This latest edition includes "Spotlight" sections highlighting the reflections and wisdom of a varied group of fundraisers, and chapters on the history of fundraising for immigrants’ rights and LGBTQ equality. Buyers of the book also have access to online templates as well as a suggested curriculum for a class or a learning experience within an organization.
RELIABLE FUNDRAISING In Unreliable Times
What Good Causes Need to Know to Survive and Thrive
Kim Klein
September 2009
US $43.50
Winner of the McAdam Book Award in 2011, Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times outlines the steps organizations need to take to address crises, either their own or those caused by external events. Called “an extraordinary blend of philosophy and how-to” this book offers social justice nonprofits a road map for meeting the challenges of fundraising in a climate of uncertainty.
To see more books by Kim Klein, go here.
“I am a social worker but fundraising was never my responsibility. You made me believe I could do this and I did. Step by step over the past 15 years, I have built our donor data base and more importantly RELATIONSHIPS with our donors. Thank you Kim. You are the fuel for so much good work in our communities.”
Articles Written by the Klein & Roth Team
Why (and How to) Develop Relationships That Last by Kim Klein
Donor Cultivation: What It Is and What It Is Not by Kim Klein
How to Raise $50,000 in Six Weeks by Kim Klein
Getting Major Gifts: The Basics by Kim Klein
Reflections from a Board Member by Stephanie Roth
Common Mistakes in Building Relationships with Donors and How to Avoid Them by Stephanie Roth
Fundraising Planning Worksheet A Tool for Creating Your Annual Fundraising Plan by Stephanie Roth, Mimi Ho, Priscilla Hung
Choosing the Right Fundraising Strategy by Stephanie Roth, Kim Klein
Other Resources We Recommend
The Grassroots Fundraising Journal collection
2020 Benchmarks Study by NTEN and M+R Strategic Services (the latest in trends and research for online fundraising)
A Consumers Guide to Donor Management Systems by NTEN and Idealware (please allow time for the report to load)
Survey of Grants Management Systems by Idealware and NTEN (please allow time for the report to load)
Dear Kim Klein Fundraising Q & A
This column was previously published by the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training.
Dear Kim,
I chair the board of a small religious organization. Each employee has to raise a certain amount toward their salary and this amount is set by the board, as are the salaries. Recently it came to my attention that one employee is receiving additional support from a board member who provides a designated gift for that individual’s support. I was caught off guard to find that this individual is making more money than we knew and that a particular board member is providing it. This seems like money laundering to me. The board member is making a financial gift to a family, and running it through the non-profit so that it can be tax deductible. Is there an IRS rule, or a piece of governance that would prevent this sort of thing from happening?
~Ananias Revisited
Dear Ananias,
I will let readers find the story you allude to. (HINT: Christian testament, Book of Acts). I hope your story does not end quite as dramatically!
Unless the board member is related to the staff person, or in some way financially benefits from this arrangement, I don’t think this would be money laundering. You might check with an attorney or an auditor, but I don’t see anything actually illegal here.
However, there are serious governance issues here and they all lead to one overriding problem: a lack of transparency on the part of this board member. You have one employee who is paid differently (and presumably more) than all the other employees because you have one board member who is disregarding the salary levels established by the rest of the board. As the chair, you need to have an honest conversation with this person to let him or her know that this is not OK.
I also wonder about this employee. That this individual is willing to go along with this deception would raise questions about his or her honesty in other areas of the job. Aside from having some open conversation about this, you need to establish a gift acceptance policy, which, among other things, outlines the protocols for accepting designated gifts. Generally, when a donor says, “I want my money to go to X,” the board must be consulted if the amount the donor wishes to give is significant. (And the meaning of ‘significant’ is set by the board.)
In all things like this, I would follow the Quaker adage, “Assume good intent.” There could be an understandable explanation for this arrangement, especially if it has only gone on for a short time. But also, I would put a stop to it immediately.
Good luck to you.
~Kim Klein
This is an excerpt from At Your Service, choreographed by Risa Jaroslow (risajaroslowdance.org) in collaboration with the performers with music by Amy X Neuburg, presented by ODC Theater in San Francisco featuring Kim Klein.