Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Introduction -- Making the Ask -- What the Fundraising -- Who You Are and Why We're Here -- Fundraisers -- Sector Leaders -- The First Step Forward -- Alignment Fundraising -- What Is Possible with Alignment Fundraising -- Inside What the Fundraising -- Acknowledging Underlying Systemic Issues -- Case Studies and Research -- Part I The Problem -- Chapter 1 A Critical Tipping Point -- Giving in the Gilded Age -- Taxes and Nonprofits -- Systemic Inequities: Then and Now -- The Decline in Giving -- The Staffing Crisis -- They Aren't Separate Problems -- Chapter 2 Show Me the Money (But Don't Talk About It) -- Unpacking Scarcity Mindset -- Scarcity Myth 1: There Is Never Enough Money -- Scarcity Myth 2: We Must Compete for Resources -- Scarcity Myth 3: We Should Operate with Minimal Overhead -- The Impact of Scarcity Mindset on Funder Relationships -- Transactional Fundraising -- The Road to Transactional Fundraising -- Moving Beyond Transactional Fundraising -- Case Study: Ben Houghton -- Chapter 3 This Job Feels Awful -- From Discomfort to Burnout -- What Causes Discomfort? -- Types of Stress and Chronic Stress -- Reaching Burnout -- Elements of Fundraising That Lead to Burnout -- Pressure -- Power Dynamics -- Uncertainty -- Rejection -- Isolation -- Stigma About Fundraising -- The Body's Response to Transactional Fundraising -- Fundraising and the Nervous System -- A Recipe for Bad Fundraising -- Part II The Solution -- Chapter 4 Creating Inner Alignment -- What Is Alignment? -- Coaching to Overcome Fundraising Resistance -- The Cognitive Loop -- Energy in Action -- The 7 Levels of Energy -- Energy Level 1: Victim -- Energy Level 2: Antagonist -- Energy Level 3: Rationalizer -- Energy Level 4: Helper -- Energy Level 5: Collaborator -- Energy Level 6: Connector -- Energy Level 7: Creator.

Increasing Your Anabolic Energy -- Limiting Beliefs -- Interpretations -- Assumptions -- Gremlins -- Strategies to Stop the Spiral -- Chapter 5 Alignment Fundraising Strategy -- The Layers of Alignment Fundraising -- Case Study: Hilary Wolkan -- Alignment Fundraising in Practice -- Understanding Your Funders -- Mapping Alignment -- You and Your Organization Have So Much Value (Beyond What You Think) -- Your Inventory of Assets -- Matching Funders and Assets -- Not All Money Is Created Equal -- Chapter 6 Building Connected Relationships -- Trust in Nonprofits -- Building Real Relationships -- Authenticity and Vulnerability -- Honesty and Dealing with Conflict Productively -- Connection in Practice -- Effective Engagement -- Reaching Out to Aligned Prospects -- The Myth of Donor Fatigue -- Preparing for Funder Meetings -- Making the Offer -- The Funder Says Yes, Now What? -- Actions That Break Trust and Connection -- You Won't Be for Everyone -- Discussing Overhead -- Letting Go -- When It All Aligns -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- About the Author -- Index -- EULA.