 Harper Collins presents, Philanthropy Revolution. How to inspire donors, build relationships, and make a difference. By Lisa Greer and Larissa Kostoff. Read by Sarah Borges. Transparency is the currency of trust. Digital Marketing and Marketing Technology Leader, Christopher S. Penn. Pressure can break pipes or make diamonds. Retired National Basketball Association Champion, Robert Horry. Prologue. No choice but to change. When I started writing this book, I was driven by the conviction that the bottom would fall out of the world of nonprofits. Something I saw happening in eight to twelve years. What I didn't envision was the crisis that would occur as we approached publication. A global catastrophe so severe that it amplified need in unprecedented ways. And also threatened the charities that would normally respond to this need. The coronavirus pandemic still rages, as I write this. And while it rages, nonprofits are trying desperately to stay afloat. They're struggling to make a difference, strategize about an uncertain future, and adapt their fundraising efforts. Event calendars and finances to a new reality. This has happened before. Events such as 9-11 and The Great Recession have profoundly tested the charitable sector before now, raising questions about what's effective and also accelerating necessary change. This book, with its practicable combination of tactics and strategy, couldn't have been better timed. Or anyone involved with nonprofits, it charts a way forward. Whether you share my concerns about a future sector crisis, or you responding to a global emergency, such as COVID-19. In many ways, the title says it all, Philanthropy Revolution. A global pandemic and the resulting economic crisis simply made the message that much more urgent. This is because the scale of what we're facing in 2020, as well as its long-term consequences, will force those of us in the helping fields to find solutions immediately. We'll need to implement some of these solutions right away, adopting a triage approach that ensures our nonprofits survive in the short term, and our beneficiaries are supported too. Then we'll have to rethink the way we do business, which is the point of this book in the first place, in order to protect our charities for decades to come. The good news is that a revolution in philanthropy needed to happen. That a crisis of this magnitude forced it to happen is devastating. But I urge you to treat the disruption as a move toward change. Our sector was already vulnerable. Its arcane methods were starting to fail, especially with next-gen donors. So let's use this moment to shore ourselves up, to adapt, innovate, and ultimately transform our organizations for success and stability in the long term. In March of 2020, some of America's foremost experts on fundraising gathered for a giving USA board meeting. Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 had derailed the agenda, so these experts used their time to consider how the sector should respond. Their main advice? Don't stop talking to big donors because the world is being shaken. Past experience shows some donors never forgive the charities that don't reach out in times of need. Yes, I have to add, but for as this book will show, it's not just about talking. The important thing is how you go about it. If giving matters more than ever, then donors matter too. And as a donor, I'm about to teach you how to reach out and how to keep reaching out. Whether the world is being shaken or a new future for the sector is cast. Let's create that future together. Introduction, welcome to the 1%, we're seated at the chairman's table. I whispered to Josh, taking his arm as we entered the banquet hall. This was our first major event. Sample complete, ready to continue?