What is the secret to being a successful fundraiser? Zen and the Art of Fundraising: The Pillars in Practice is book three of the Zen and the Art of Fundraising trilogy. Brovey explores a variety of situations that fundraisers face daily--from phone calls, to meetings, to visits with prospects and donors--and applies the 16 pillars to help cope with challenging situations and succeed.
In Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 Pillars of Success, Alexandra Pia Brovey identifies eight traits or qualities, which she calls pillars, on the path to success:
#1 Being in the Moment
#2 Listening
#3 Compassion
#4 Curiosity
#5 Humility
#6 Patience
#7 A Sense of Humor
#8 Being a Mentor
In Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 MORE Pillars of Success, Brovey identifies eight more pillars:
#9 Passion
#10 Honesty
#11 Courage
#12 Resilience
#13 Gratitude
#14 Acceptance
#15 Positivity
#16 Intuition
Although many would not equate fundraising with being Zen, these pillars are viewed through a Zen filter. While working with donors and pursuing gifts, we need to be passionate, honest, and courageous, taking time to be in the moment - to appreciate each donor, each gift, and each interaction. Displaying resilience and gratitude, while being accepting, positive, and intuitive, are explored in the context of fundraisers and fundraising.
The ultimate test is preparing ourselves so that we can successfully help donors make a gift, a larger gift, or a repeat gift. These pillars not only help fundraisers achieve success, but they also make the journey to a gift -- and life in general -- enjoyable and fulfilling.
If you haven't yet read Alex's first two books, Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 Pillars of Success and Zen and the Art of Fundraising: 8 More Pillars of Success, both published by CharityChannel Press, order your copies from Amazon today!
What Readers Are Saying
I encourage fundraisers to spend a few hours in the company of Alex Brovey by way of her three books in the Zen and the Art of Fundraising series. You owe it to yourself to see the results when an experienced fundraiser, lawyer, and leader in charitable gift planning mines a 1,500-year tradition of Eastern philosophy for nuggets of wisdom.
Ronald Brown
Consultant and Author of A History of Charitable Gift Planning
After the success of her first two Zen books, Alex Brovey masterfully completes the Zen trilogy with this third installment. The stories within Zen and the Art of Fundraising: The Pillars in Practice remind us philanthropy should be exciting, rewarding, joyful, and fun--for donors as well as the organization (and those the organization serves) benefiting from such philanthropy.
Cathy R. Sheffield, CAP, CSPG, CFRE, FCEP
President, ThinkGiving, LLC
This book solidifies that Alex is a consummate storyteller! I remember how much I enjoyed the stories in her first two books, and I wanted more of them. So I was thrilled to read this third book which is replete with real-life illustrations of her sixteen pillars in action. You won't want to put this book down!
Claudine A. Donikian, JD, MBA
President/CEO & Chief Marketing Officer Pentera, Inc.
