"Big-time fundraising" — seriously going after major donors and foundation grants — is commonplace at colleges, universities, and private schools, and it has allowed them to sustain and even expand their programs and facilities despite a tough fundraising environment and, in some cases, budgetary constraints. Likewise, says Stanley Levenson in his new book, Big Time Fundraising, public school districts need to move away from "labor-intensive, nickel-and-dime" fundraising events such as bake sales and festivals and pursue larger gifts if they hope to effect real change in their schools.

Levenson, a nationally respected author, speaker, and fundraising consultant, has more than thirty-five years of experience as a teacher, principal, special project coordinator, grants director, fundraising consultant, and speaker. He also has been endorsed as a "fundraising guru" by the Public Education Network, a national organization of local education funds and individuals working to improve public schools and build citizen support for quality public education in low-income communities across the nation.

Big Time Fundraising itself is fairly comprehensive and includes:

• current giving trends in public education
• advice on how to create a development office in your school
• tips on how to leverage the fundraising potential of your school's administrators, staff, and community
• advice on approaching individual donors for large gifts
• how to seek grants from foundations, corporations, and the public sector
• sample large and mini-grants applications, as well as sample job descriptions

Unfortunately, the book is somewhat lacking in depth, particularly the section on individual donors. Even as Levenson reminds us that abundant fundraising opportunities lie in the wealthy individuals who live in our communities, his advice about cultivating relationships with such individuals is sketchy, comprising fewer than twenty pages. And while what advice he does give is useful, having sample scripts, case statements, checklists, and case studies would have been a welcome addition to the book as well as a nice complement to the detailed attention given to proposal writing, which comprises more than half the book.

Levenson frequently refers to the Foundation Center as a resource and includes the center's glossary of terms in the book's appendix. But it seems as if it has been a while since he did a thorough audit of the center's resources. To illustrate his advice to check the currency of your information before charging ahead with a proposal, for example, he refers to the FC Search CD-ROM, which is updated once a year, as the center's primary funding resource, rather than the Foundation Directory Online, which is updated on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Still, novice fundraisers, especially those interested in writing proposals, will benefit from reading the book, as it provides enough information to get started without being overwhelming. The lists of selected grantmakers and grant opportunities also should prove helpful to those unsure of where to start. Readers looking for a more in-depth discussion of how to secure major donors, however, likely will want to consult the bibliography for a more complete treatment of the subject.