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Precision Prospect Development: How to Get a Seat at the Table and Be an Influencer. A Practical Guide to Achieving Success
This book is both a rallying cry and a tool for empowerment. The nonprofit sector needs more Prospect Development and Advancement Services representation at the senior leadership table in order to thrive in the era of data and precision and it is up to us to demonstrate this need.Do you want to be empowered to take control over your career and get out of reactive mode? Do you want your organization to raise more money and fulfill its mission? Do you want to ensure that your work has the greatest impact? Do you want your voice to be heard? Do you want to be an influencer with a seat at the table? Do you want to have more, and better relationships with your colleagues?If you answered yes to any of the above questions, this book is a must read and will be one of the best investments you can make for your career. This book will guide you on how to fine-tune your work and build a precision prospect development program that will get you invited to a seat of influence at your organization.Precision Prospect Development utilizes precision to build and maintain a connected, living, sustainable, cybernetic structure through which we collect, analyze and distill data into actionable intelligence to increase efficiency, solve business challenges, drive strategy and increase revenue.Author BioNathan is a leading figure in the nonprofit industry and currently serves as Associate Vice President of Prospect Development at City of Hope, one of the nation’s top National Cancer Institutes. Previously, he spent over 11 years in various roles at Stanford University, including 7 years as Director of Data Analytics and Prospect Research for the Children’s Hospital.In addition, Nathan is a sought-after speaker in management philosophy, business intelligence and artificial intelligence. He is a scholar of philosophical systems with an emphasis on applying philosophy and technology to create a more socially just society.He coined the term “Precision Philanthropy” to refer to a future-state, cybernetic structure, that utilizes artificial intelligence technologies to dramatically enhance efficiency in the nonprofit sector. Nathan is the author of Precision Prospect Development and co-author of Precision Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Generosity. He currently serves on the Artificial Intelligence in Advancement Advisory Council.
241 pages, Paperback
Published January 18, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 24, 2019
As a person working in the philanthropy/development/fundraising field, this book is epic! I recently finished a masters degree in predictive analytics, and have been a huge advocate for non-profits using all of the data at their disposal to improve their shops. From predicting new donors, to sending out surveys to see which channel to market to donors (and hopefully eliminate wasteful mail), data and analytics can be a powerful tool if wielded correctly.
One of the things I found when I tried to implement different data projects, is that while linear regressions, f-scores, and measures of fit make perfect sense to me, for a person not immersed in computational math or statistics on the regular, that trying to understand what I'm talking about can be daunting.
The thing that I love about this book is that because Nathan started off in the humanities, in philosophy, and then moved to math, that he is a bridge between both worlds. Philosophy is taught by questioning and by using analogies, and Nathan gives a ton of very useful analogies in this book. Since his target is for executives, who likely have little understanding of data, he is able to use analogies that make complex ideas simple.
I also really appreciate the format of this book. Short, easy to digest chapters which all start with interesting quotes or ideas. The sprinkling of pop culture references throughout the book is also delightful.
Overall, a great book and I highly recommend it for higher ups in the fundraising and for anyone in advancement services. If you are someone who works with data and analytics in philanthropy, this book is also very helpful so you can learn how to use analogies when talking to people who don't always understand the data vernacular.
Excellent book!
One of the things I found when I tried to implement different data projects, is that while linear regressions, f-scores, and measures of fit make perfect sense to me, for a person not immersed in computational math or statistics on the regular, that trying to understand what I'm talking about can be daunting.
The thing that I love about this book is that because Nathan started off in the humanities, in philosophy, and then moved to math, that he is a bridge between both worlds. Philosophy is taught by questioning and by using analogies, and Nathan gives a ton of very useful analogies in this book. Since his target is for executives, who likely have little understanding of data, he is able to use analogies that make complex ideas simple.
I also really appreciate the format of this book. Short, easy to digest chapters which all start with interesting quotes or ideas. The sprinkling of pop culture references throughout the book is also delightful.
Overall, a great book and I highly recommend it for higher ups in the fundraising and for anyone in advancement services. If you are someone who works with data and analytics in philanthropy, this book is also very helpful so you can learn how to use analogies when talking to people who don't always understand the data vernacular.
Excellent book!
May 23, 2020
Wow! What an amazing educational book. Definitely happy I took the advice of a colleague and picked this one up for my quarantine reading. I wish I had this book when I entered the field, but am happy to have found it now as it is just as valuable to me even though I am more experienced. Why isn't this taught as a course through APRA or with some other nonprofit educational institution? Some of the chapters leave me wanting more and it got the wheels spinning in my mind and I have so many ideas and questions that I would love to discuss with others in the field and the author. This should really be made available through APRA. Maybe give a free copy with membership or something as this is the kind of material many of us come to APRA seeking out but unfortunately it's just not there and i am often disappointed by the lack of vision in our associations. The future of our field will be secure if at least some new researchers read this. What a breath of fresh air!
December 25, 2019
This is such a great book - I really wish I had this when I entered the industry. I am now giving it to all of my new researchers as a part of their training and on boarding. Does the author teach this at university? I would love to take a class on this topic.
April 27, 2022
Precision Prospect Development is an incredibly inspiring, motivational and well executed work. Nathan Fay delivers a truly superb and poignant analysis, capturing what it is like to work as Prospect Development Professional in the non-profit space. As a career Prospect Researcher, it is incredibly rare to find writing which pioneers new concepts and terminology while avoiding the pitfalls of anecdotal evidence or insincere professional advice. One of this books greatest feats, is its ability advocate for the value of Prospect Development, maintaining a steady message of empowerment throughout. It made me not only feel the value of my work and profession, offering words of motivation, but also the mechanisms to take concrete and actionable steps to advance in my field and career. Something that non-front-line fundraisers rarely receive.
Beyond the books sincere and inspiring message, every chapter offers new strategy, new ideas, or new methodology in tackling the various challenges unique to the field. In an very well organized fashion, this book takes a fresh approach to concepts such as "Infonomics" and the value of Data and Researchers as revenue generators. To the defining and implementing of True "Precision", and the the role of the A.I. in the non-profit mission. Perhaps most impressive, Nathan excels in approaching these extremely technically complex elements, in a very accessible manner, never making the reader feel unequip or incapable of implementing specific change in their work or organization.
In the end, the truly pioneering content is greatly furthered by the sincerity and message of empowerment present throughout. So few works can successfully navigate any one of these elements, and Precision Prospect Development exceeds all exceptions through incorporating them all.
Beyond the books sincere and inspiring message, every chapter offers new strategy, new ideas, or new methodology in tackling the various challenges unique to the field. In an very well organized fashion, this book takes a fresh approach to concepts such as "Infonomics" and the value of Data and Researchers as revenue generators. To the defining and implementing of True "Precision", and the the role of the A.I. in the non-profit mission. Perhaps most impressive, Nathan excels in approaching these extremely technically complex elements, in a very accessible manner, never making the reader feel unequip or incapable of implementing specific change in their work or organization.
In the end, the truly pioneering content is greatly furthered by the sincerity and message of empowerment present throughout. So few works can successfully navigate any one of these elements, and Precision Prospect Development exceeds all exceptions through incorporating them all.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews