If you have an empty spot on your bookshelf between the Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing and Tolstoy's War and Peace, this book is for you. Authors Joseph Barbato and Danielle S. Furlich write engagingly about infusing fundraising writing with passion, spontaneity, and the gentle art of persuasion.

Joseph Barbato is president of Barbato Associates, which provides writing and design services to the fundraising programs of nonprofits. Danielle S. Furlich is an independent writer and editor. She has written for causes ranging from George Washington University to American Farmland Trust. Both have a long history of writing for nonprofits, and have a generous amount of enthusiasm, not to mention a sense of humor, for their subject.

In the introduction they clearly state "to write proposals successfully, you must know two things: what to put into a proposal and how to write well." This book addresses both matters, with emphasis on the latter. Eschewing the traditional format of a detailed section-by-section explication of a proposal, they focus on the broader picture, such as the fundraising environment, how to best utilize the resources of your staff, and general suggestions on writers and resources to consult and use as models. This advice is packaged with warm, inspirational tips and nudges to help anyone afflicted with writer's block jump the hurdles and get started.

But the wisdom of this book is not confined to advice about proposals. The authors also tackle such essentials as case statements, news stories, letters to the editor, e-mails, and writing for the Web. The book's contents are divided into five parts, focusing on the fundraising environment, on crafting the proposal, and on surviving the fundraising life. One of the most useful sections, "The Writer's Craft," examines key information such as "how to get it crisp, styled, and polished." The helpful appendix includes resources from general books on the art of writing to a list of pertinent organizations.

Writing for a Good Cause is an excellent book for both novices and seasoned professionals in the nonprofit field. Although definitely not intended as a stand-alone book on proposal writing, it is a refreshing and much needed addition to the field.

For additional citations to literature on this topic, refer to the Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject heading "Proposal development-handbooks, manuals, etc. or "Nonprofit organizations — communications".