| In this paper I propose that the vast majority of nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations have very limited fund-raising capacity because their volunteer fund-raising staff has very limited training and skills, they devote too many resources to ineffective fund-raising techniques, and they do not generally record or control fund-raising costs well. Improved educational resources for the volunteer fund-raising staff in these organizations, increased focus on effective fund-raising techniques, and improved record-keeping and cost control could significantly improve these organizations' charitable capacity and ability to fulfill their missions. I make my case for this argument by exploring the art and science of fund-raising at a general level and the applying these principles to nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations.; This project is based on secondary research from data that is published by the Internal Revenue Service, professional research organizations in the third sector, professional journals in the field, research made available from leading graduate programs focused on the third sector, and a number of expert opinions found in academic literature. An analysis of these secondary research sources, common problems, prevailing opinions, and common strategies helps define the position of nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and lends advice that will help them develop their fund-raising capacity. |
