You’ll enjoy this celebratory interview with Tracy Vanderneck, a nonprofit thought leader and now a published author. The focus is on Tracy’s newly released book, The 60-Minute Guide to Building the Infrastructure for Successful Nonprofit Fundraising. Tracy shares her journey of distilling years of nonprofit consulting into a practical guide that aims to demystify the complexities of fundraising infrastructure for organizations of all sizes.
Show host Julia Patrick, acknowledging the monumental task of writing a book, especially one as vital as Tracy’s, begins with asking about the significance of building a lasting fundraising infrastructure, particularly for small to mid-sized nonprofits, as well as those new to the sector. Tracy shares, “Even some mid-sized nonprofits who have been fundraising on a wing and a prayer all this time could benefit from actually going back and adding some of the infrastructural pieces to it.”
Throughout the conversation, the two talk about the disconnect that often exists within organizations about the role of fundraising. Julia points out that many people, from board members to staff, often have misconceptions about what fundraising entails, sometimes reducing it to just socializing and asking for money. Tracy points to the importance of educating all stakeholders about the strategic and infrastructural elements of fundraising, stating, “Fundraising isn’t just going out to lunch or trying different things to see what would happen. There is an actual infrastructure and a strategy around how we go about fundraising to support nonprofit missions.”
Tracy’s book is positioned as a manual for anyone in the nonprofit sector, offering practical tools and insights that can be implemented immediately. With its easy-to-follow structure and actionable advice, The 60-Minute Guide to Building the Infrastructure for Successful Nonprofit Fundraising will become an essential resource for nonprofit professionals, board members, and volunteers alike.
The book will serve as a valuable tool for organizations to build and sustain effective fundraising programs that are both strategic and resilient.