Introduction

…These rules are being submitted to you as this old fundraiser’s way of giving back to a community of dedicated, caring women and men who often work unnoticed, changing the world one life at a time.

It’s written for development officers who need an old friend to turn to for expertise as they begin their journey, or to re-orient the veteran fundraiser who wants to take the next step in his/her professional growth.

This book is also written for presidents or executive directors who need a road map for leading their development staff and to learn how important their leadership is in securing funding for the ministry they lead.

It’s also written for board members who know there must be some kind of fundraising best practices somewhere out there. It’s a place they can turn to in order to serve their cause with greater knowledge and to make well-informed decisions about guiding the development efforts of the ministry they’ve volunteered to serve.

My hope is that you will use this book as a reality check, as a kind of road map to help strengthen you on your journey. After all, it’s all too easy to become entangled in the terminology, politics and culture of your own ministry and perhaps lose sight of the well-worn path where others have gone before. I’m so glad to share with you The Rules, which are one traveler’s gift to another, with stories and examples to help you get to where you feel the road is calling you.