In Fundraising in Times of Crisis, author Kim Klein bluntly states that the current economic climate is making it difficult for nonprofits to raise funds and, unfortunately, many organizations will not survive. But, she goes on to explain that an organization can survive a time of crisis, and even grow, if it addresses the changes that need to be made while not sacrificing its mission. With over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit field and an expert in the field of community-based fundraising, Klein writes a practical, useful resource for executive directors, development staff, volunteers, or board members of the small nonprofit organization —— one with a budget of less than $1 million.

Using easy to understand, simple language, Fundraising in Times of Crisis explains in a straightforward way how to raise money when faced with a crisis. It begins by differentiating between an organizational "problem" and a "crisis." A crisis requires a permanent change in the way an organization operates and threatens its very existence, while a problem does not. The book describes in detail both external and internal crises. External crises include such timely issues as the economy, war on terrorism, size of the nonprofit sector itself, and erosion of public trust in the sector brought on by scandals and perceptions of mismanagement. Internal crises, on the other hand, are brought on by the actions of the nonprofit itself.

Fundraising in Times of Crisis gives immediate steps for managing a crisis: how to establish a crisis task force, recommit to the mission, and develop a flexible fundraising plan. The book is brief, only 175 pages, because, as Klein notes, people experiencing a crisis do not have time to read a long book. It should, however, be read from start to finish as each chapter builds on the next. Chapter one addresses why nonprofits are vulnerable to economic problems. (In fact, a major theme of the book is to instruct nonprofits on how to recognize and eradicate this vulnerability.) Chapters two through nine explain step-by-step what to do at present, in three months, and the long term. The final chapter discusses what the future holds. Real life examples, interspersed throughout, help to clearly illustrate key concepts and give the reader hope. In addition, Fundraising in Times of Crisis can be instructive in how to avoid a crisis.

Klein states that when confronted with a fundraising crisis, the tendency for most nonprofit organizations is to determine how to cut corners rather than how to raise more money. Fundraising in Times of Crisis encourages the latter —— the implementation of diverse fundraising techniques as the solution.

For citations to additional materials on this topic, refer to Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject headings "Fundraising — handbooks, manuals, etc." or "Fundraising — techniques."