Opening Doors: Pathways to Diverse Donors

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Summary: Practical, comprehensive, and useful
Review: As Emmet Carson points out in the introduction to Opening Doors, "successful fund development occurs from effectively carrying out and communicating the organization's mission" and to succeed the "heretofore largely taboo" issues of culture and race must be dealt with appropriately and sensitively. Ms. Newman provides a panoramic view of what these issues are and provides practical, step by step advice in how to deal with them.

Diana Newman provides a overview of the problems faced by community philanthropic agencies and provides detailed strategies on how to deal with them. Newman has extensive experience herself in these areas and has invited other contributors to provide detailed insights based on their experience. The book discusses cultural groupings that really matter in philanthropic fund raising and these are subtly and importantly different than groupings used by the US Census. There is an extraordinary level of detail and statistics that are brought to bear on this topic. This is book that anyone who is managing a community philanthropic organization should read and should consult as a reference.

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Summary: Not just for Philanthropist
Review: I work in the world of non-profit organizations. Often looking to foundations to help my projects, or others projects. This book is very useful to me and I believe it would be to others like me. Understanding how the system works from the organization of foundations to the work of raising money is very helpful in the research of how to recieve grants from these foundations. I think this work should be continued further into looking at who gets grants,culturally, and why. This book truly has opened doors, as well as worlds, into discussions about the money flow in our nations melting pot.

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Summary: A Larger View of a Caring Community
Review: If Philanthropy is about building a better life for everyone in the world community, i.e. seeing ourselves as citizens of the planet; then, Opening Doors: Pathways to Diverse Donors, is a useful guide for thoughtful fundraisers. This book is a well-researched, well-documented look at different cultural perspectives on giving...how to include and empower those ethnic groups who are living the American Dream and want to give back in ways that are culturally meaningful to them. Bravo to Diana Newman for taking a broader view of community and studying in-depth what have heretofore been invisible groups of resourceful, caring people.

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Summary: Recommended Reading for Nonprofit Leaders
Review: Ms. Newman and her colleagues have collected a vast array of information and practical examples to help charities involve people from diverse cultural and ethnic groups as volunteers, donors, and advocates for their organizations. Charities often shy away from approaching new groups because they lack awareness of the philanthropic traditions of other cultures or they worry that traditional methods of donor cultivation may not be effective. Sections on the importance of tradition and acceptable methods of communication are most helpful. This book offers plenty of demographic and historical data, backed up with specific examples of how charities have turned prospects into donors, small donors into large donors, and observers into active volunteers. Charities can use the information in this book to put substance in their commitment to expand diversity of volunteer boards and staff -- an important step before moving to expand donor diversity. Recommended reading for nonprofit board and staff leaders who want to put their mission in motion.

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Summary: Useful and practical ways to address diversity!
Review: Opening Doors by Diana Newman not only provides excellent background and statistics on diverse donors, but many concrete suggestions and examples of "how tos" which are already proving to be extremely helpful as our foundation develops its outreach to attract more diverse donors.

Rating:
Summary: Useful and practical ways to address diversity!
Review: Opening Doors by Diana Newman not only provides excellent background and statistics on diverse donors, but many concrete suggestions and examples of "how tos" which are already proving to be extremely helpful as our foundation develops its outreach to attract more diverse donors.

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Summary: Three Cheers to Diana Newman
Review: She has taken the difficult topic of fundraising in minority communities and written about it with candor and intelligence. It's wonderful to have such a thoughtful and well researched book on the topic. I recommend that everyone involved in philanthropy read this important book.

Rating:
Summary: opening doors: a pathway to diverse donors
Review: This book presents interesting and useful information. Mrs. Newman has written a thoughtful commentary on her research. She has an excellent background which provides her with unusual insight into her topic. She gives many workshops around the country. Anyone lucky enough to attend one can attest to her abilities, knowledge and keen sense of humor.