Good overall guide.

NONPROFIT BOOK REVIEW: Major Donors:Finding Big Gifts in Your Database & Onlinewww.rainmaker-solutions.netI should have checked the publication date on this one. It was published in 2006 - so it did not provide much of the information that I expected: updated social-media strategies for attracting, cultivating and soliciting major-gift prospects. From this perspective, this book is already an artifact. It almost belongs in a museum. For example, the word Facebook does not appear in the book - please forgive and correct me if I am mistaken; but there wasn't much discussion about how to use specific social-media applications to cultivate audiences.Wow...! It does get better from there.In particular, the first 100-pages focused on mining for major gifts prospects in your existing database, leveraging current relationship from existing ones. I have researched and practiced these techniques for about five years; so I yawned through the first section. For those nonprofit managers new to the basics of data mining and predictive modeling, this book is a good, concise guide to the basics; and it places the process of donor-data analysis within the context of other major-donor prospecting methods.The second 100 pages of this 200-page guide compensates for the first part. It did teach me some interesting techniques - which have not become part of my common practices - for gathering real-time information about funding opportunities, both individual and institutional.This was one major new insight for me: The issue of real-time fundraising research is a huge one.I was aware and engaged in that practice, but had not yet articulated it.The standard grant-seeking and wealth databases spit out information that is already obsolete, because of the time (sometimes two-three years) required to compile millions of data points, based on public records. Moreover, foundations and other grant-makers are not beholden to the philanthropic fields of interests, geographic parameters and other criteria used to search these databases for potential funders; so the information is not only too old...it's just downright incorrect. These databases are best used as secondary and historical resources only.To make the best use of this book, I decided to make a top-ten list of the most-useful takeaways - the ones that are not too expensive to implement and viable to most nonprofits (with one or two exceptions worth mentioning because of their potential).1. Google Alerts & News:It is so incredibly simple to sign up for Google alerts and news. It took me two minutes. You simply enter you email address and key words (e.g. "grants" and/or "foundations") and Google instantly sends you information about these topics - as soon as its algorithm maps the new information. Fantastic! With the right keywords, you should start to receive useful, actionable opportunities in real-time.2. Outsourced Donor Profiling:I am plugging one of my business lines here, but I am also directly referencing an important insight from the narrative (page 184). The internet has made it possible for small, boutique fundraising research (and donor profiling) companies to produce quality donor profiles at a fraction of the cost, otherwise spent by major nonprofit institutions with in-house development research departments. We can bring these vital techniques and strategic guidance to nonprofits traditionally excluded from the best research tools, because of staff and budgetary constraints.3. RSS Feeds:RSS is an acronym for "Really Simple Syndication." It might also pose some technical hurdles for the newcomer, but the learning curve is easy to overcome. The RSS readers makes it possible to receive website information in real-time from an RSS-equipped website, as soon as it is updated. What a great, FREE way to track your favorite prospects! It looks daunting and technical if you simply click the RSS link on the website, but don't worry about that. To make it so much easier, there is a long list of RSS news readers and aggregators that translate the XML language for you.4. Personalized Website Content:This strategy is relatively easy to put in place (for smaller sites), but its high-maintenance on the back-end, requiring the constant attention of development staff. It can also help to identify major gifts prospects online and provide them with fresh, engaging content, tailored to their unique interests. In simplest terms, it combines a content management system, with an integrated constituent management system. In other words, your website appears different to each viewer, depending on what interests them most about your nonprofit! The best analogy is how amazon.com recommends books to you, based on your personal interests and purchase histories. Its technical details are beyond the scope of this article. In simplest terms, the prospect begins to receive the kinds of information about your work most likely to keep her engaged.5. Members-Only Sections:This strategy complements numb...

I highly recommend this book for those who are getting started in donor prospect research & major gifts. It is very useful, especially for the novice.