# Charity & Philanthropy For Dummies

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/books/charity-philanthropy-for-dummies/
- Published: 2014-03-07T07:54:17+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Despite tough economic times, rates of donations are on the rise. If you want 
to make a difference but don’t know where to start, you need Charity & Philanthropy
For Dummies.**

This is your one-stop, no-nonsense guide to charitable activities. Inside you’ll
find lots of strategies for philanthropic work such as volunteering your time, raising
funds, donating your own cash or expertise, impact investing, and social entrepreneurship.
You’ll also find lots of case studies from charities big and small to show you what
works and what doesn’t.

 * Help with selecting where to donate or invest
 * Ideas for how you can make a difference without having pots of money
 * Advice on socially responsible and impact investing
 * Techniques for reaching out to others to help your cause – from a local to a 
   global level
 * You don’t need deep pockets to make a difference—you need Charity & Philanthropy
   For Dummies.

## Reviews

![Charity and Philanthropy for Dummies (cover)](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/
2021/06/charity-philanthropy-for-dummies-detail.jpg)

Cover detail of Charity and Philanthropy for Dummies

_Charity and Philanthropy for Dummies_ is essentially an introductory guide for 
wannabe philanthropists. The authors have a lot to get through. It’s a massive subject.

Beginning with a celebration of how great it is to support charities, and how you
don’t have to be super-wealthy do be a philanthropist, the book then takes the reader
through the types of organisation that they could support, and various ways in which
they can do so (such as volunteering one’s time, raising money, making donations,
through to social enterprise).

It’s billed as a ‘no-nonsense guide’ and does indeed fulfill this brief, with the
various standard “for Dummies” icons such as “Tip”, “Warning” and “Technical stuff”
serving to make the text accessible and easy to follow.

It’s also packed with interesting case studies and examples from around the world.

Having spent two decades working in the charity sector, I am used to reading how-
to guides written for the charity professional. This book is worth a read, most 
especially because of its different approach. It’s not written for fundraisers. 
It’s written for people who are interested in supporting charities but aren’t sure
how to, or indeed who to support.

Fundraisers may spend a professional lifetime perfecting ways to say “Choose us!”
to a prospective supporter. Here, as the reader is taken on a canter through the
various types of charities across the world, I found a refreshing change of perspective.

However, _Charity and Philanthropy for Dummies_ is a hugely ambitious book.

While its UK edition has been well-researched, it seems pretty clear that it was
originally written for a US audience. This leads at times to a slightly jarring 
tone (there may be a few too many exclamation marks for UK tastes, for example) 
and the odd slightly incongruous error (NSPCC are described as founded in the 18th
Century). Some more selective editing of the US examples that remain in the book
could also have been helpful.

And the subject matter is astonishingly broad, and ever-changing. Is it really possible
to categorise the various charity sectors without making the reader go glassy-eyed,
and possibly lose the will to donate? It will also be a big job ensuring that the
information within it doesn’t go out of date.

However, there is much to be admired in this book. The authors focus unwaveringly
on the importance of impact throughout, urging the reader to focus on outcomes rather
than outputs. The list of ‘compelling reasons to give’ alone may make you reappraise
your own charity’s case for support.

Most of all, though, it constitutes an interesting shift of perspective for hardened
charity professionals. We need to see the world of charities through the eyes of
potential supporters, and reading this book is a great way to do it.
**Richard Sved****
[3rd Sector Mission Control12 May, 2014](http://www.3rdsectormissioncontrol.co.uk)