Melandri Fundraising: Creating stronger donor relationships to sustain your nonprofit for the really long haul

Table of Contents  ~ Author Bio

The main objective of nonprofit organizations is not just to spend as little as possible, but to resolve problems such as hunger in the world, poverty, disease, the loneliness of the elderly, or the suffering of a child. Resolving these problems requires a lot of money, investment, skills and professionalism. All this is the outcome of fundraising!

Unfortunately, what is still taught today - by advisory bodies, the mass media, and even by the very same nonprofit organizations who tell donors "our overheads are very low" - is that low fundraising costs are synonymous with an ethical approach to managing an organization.

Nonprofit organizations do an excellent job with the few resources they have available, but if we want them to do more we need to give them more freedom to fundraise. We need to give them greater freedom to invest in fundraising.

I think that the ethical paradigm proposed by most opinion leaders - namely that lower expenses equals better organizations - is unethical. Even, dare I say it, immoral. This paradigm is a major obstacle to the progress of the nonprofit sector, and thus to the resolution of problems that afflict our society and our lives.

Fundraising is the primary method for providing support to your cause and sustaining your organization over time. Fundraising does not just mean getting as many funds as possible. Above all it is about making your organization as free and independent as possible.

Valerio Melandri is the founder and president of Philanthropy Centro Studi, a fundraising consulting and training company. He is a professor and the Director of the Master in Fundraising program at the University of Bologna and a visiting professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Valerio is also chairman of the Festival del Fundraising, the fifth most attended fundraising event in the world.

Praise for Melandri Fundraising

"Melandri offers readers the benefits of his wealth of practical experience as one of Europe's leading fundraisers. But the real reason to buy and use this book is the unique fusion he offers of academic research and the very best of that professional experience and practice. Our sector is awash with 'how-to' texts, but Melandri Fundraising truly elevates our learning to the next level allowing readers to reflect on relevant theory and research that should be informing the way that they practice their art. Melandri has created a powerful resource that will offer value for even the most seasoned of professionals." 
— Adrian Sargeant, PhD, Professor of Fundraising and Director Hartsook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy, University of Plymouth, United Kingdom

"Valerio has been a catalyst in the Italian fundraising sector for many years and his latest book strengthens his reputation as a great teacher with a 360-degree perspective on how to fundraise at the highest level. This is a book to read and put into practice immediately." 
— Chris Innes, Head of International Global Fundraising, Save the Children International

"Thank you, Valerio, for this powerful call to action. Keep reading, folks. This book is full of so much information and advice." 
— Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE, Adv Dip

Melandri Fundraising: Creating stronger donor relationships to sustain your nonprofit for the really long haul
ISBN 978-1-927375-46-4  Civil Sector Press 2017
358 pages soft cover / 6 x 9 in