"Despite recession, despite greatly increased competition, despite the pace and scale of recent developments, there have never been more opportunities for relationship fundraisers than now."

The value of graceful fundraising is made crystal clear in Ken Burnett's expanded second edition of Relationship Fundraising: A Donor-Based Approach to the Business of Raising Money. Burnett speaks to the novice as well as to the seasoned veteran with this message: building strong lifelong relationships between your organization and your supporters is vital to successful fundraising.

Relationship Fundraising posits that the traditional approaches to fundraising are not enough to attract and retain present-day donors who expect certain considerations from the organizations they might support. In addition, customary practices of product marketing can be inappropriate and counterproductive in building long-term loyalty. Burnett argues persuasively that personalization, appreciation, and paying attention to donors improves fundraising and, ultimately, the strength of organizations.

While exploring the nuances of good fundraising — peppered with lessons learned from past mistakes — the author shares his philosophy of relationship fundraising along with steps to make it work. Burnett encourages fundraisers to understand donors and not to neglect the views of potential donors or "non-customers." The proper use of marketing improves relationships, especially when development staff talk to donors in their language, not the language of fundraisers. Fundraisers should remember to see what a typical appeal — commercialized asking — looks like to donors. As for newer techniques, Burnett praises the use of the Internet in fundraising because it "...offers fundraisers the potential to communicate on many levels.... and offers donors choices..." But, he asserts, the Internet can never replace the most effective fundraising approach: one-to-one conversation!

Burnett talks to readers like a friend offering sage advice and sincere motivation. The text is skillfully written and organized with deliberate consideration for the reader. Each chapter ends with useful "Action Points" that highlight key concepts for future reference. Burnett does not claim to offer a scholarly work; instead, the book reflects a practitioner's observations. He makes clear his belief that a fundraising career is something to be proud of. Indeed, he has worked with more than two hundred large national and international charities, and also with small local and specialized appeals in a career that has spanned twenty-five years.

"Real fundraising doesn't happen without effective communication. For one individual to inspire another to give to a charitable cause, that inspiration must be communicated...Ours is the inspiration business." Burnett's Relationship Fundraising lays out a viable blueprint for advancing the development field. The question is: Are more fundraisers willing to adjust their attitudes and embrace an approach that is practiced by few and that has been present over ten years? Time will tell; perhaps fundraisers should remember the adage that one cannot expect to get new results by doing the same old thing.

For citations to additional materials on this topic, refer to the Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject heading "Fundraising-donor relations."