[.ca] The Fundraising Feasibility Study: It's Not About the ... (ISBN 0470120746)

Let's get practical:
This book actually manages to combine a great deal of wisdom from some very smart people, with practical advice and tools. I like the fact Novom brought together various experts in the field. They focussed on different elements of the feasibility study (e.g. choosing interviewees, integrating data, using the case for support) and wrote their own chapters. The topics overlapped a great deal, but for the most part it didn't feel repetitive; in each case the context was different, as were the voices. The book did not sufficiently cover the costs of conducting a feasibility study, which can be a major issue; it did, however, refer the reader to other resources on the topic. Also, the contributors were all consultants, and it would have been interesting to hear from staff or volunteers. The book overcomes a common problem in the fundraising world: a lot of people are writing small amounts on only a few topics. This book goes in-depth with the topic, and may be the first to do so. Almost half of the book consists of appendices--sample letters, interview questions and feasibility study reports. Some of it is a bit basic; Appendix H features a two-page spread of an appointment schedule with one hour time slots--all empty--spanning Monday to Thursday. Still, the collection of appendices as a whole is good to have. The two reports at the end demonstrate how a study can all come together, and how different the results can be. This was very helpful, as these reports do not circulate much beyond the interested parties. Managers and volunteers contemplating a feasibility study for their organization should read this book. It is a very worthy investment.