Books about Contribution from Amazon.com

The guide readers need to retire richer—from the international bestselling author of The Smartest Investment Book You’ll Ever Read.

In this New York Times bestselling guide, author Daniel R. Solin takes issue with the commonly held belief that participating in defined contribution retirement plans is a “no-brainer” because of the employer match.

While providing readers with comprehensive, accessible information on the most common deferred compensation plans, annuities, and other retirement-based investments, he shows the 70 million participants currently in those plans how to create the best portfolio with often limited options.

In his straight-forward, no-nonsense style, Solin offers the new rules for investing for retirement and shows readers how to quickly and simply determine their own needs, get control of their assets, avoid scams and sucker bets, discover untapped resources at retirement, and eventually get income out of tax deferred plans—the smart way..
Price: $3.29 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Giving That Gets Things Done

"All outstanding philanthropic successes have one thing in common: They started with a smart strategic plan," say authors Paul Brest, president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Hal Harvey, president of ClimateWorks.

Money Well Spent explains how to create and implement a strategy that ensures meaningful results. Components of a smart strategy include:
--Achieving great clarity about one's philanthropic goals
--Specifying indicators of success before beginning a project
--Designing and implementing a plan commensurate with available resources
--Evidence based understanding of the world in which the plan will operate
--Paying careful attention to milestones to determine if you are on the path to success or if midcourse corrections are necessary

Drawing on examples from over 100 foundations and non-profits, Money Well Spent gives readers the framework they need to design a smart strategy. This is a book for everyone who wants to get the most from a philanthropic dollar: donors, foundations, and non-profits..
Price: $16.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Years from now don't be surprised if The 11 Questions Every Donor Asks and the Answers All Donors Crave is singled out as a watershed book in the field of fundraising

People might well point to Harvey McKinnon's work and say, "That's when the conversation with our donors changed - literally." And they'd be right.

McKinnon has identified 11 core questions, ranging from "Why me?" to "Will my gift make a difference?" to "Will I have a say over how you use my gift?" And the suggested answers are illuminating.

One thing is certain: McKinnon is an eloquent instructor. Rather than dryly tell you to "Do this" or "Do that," the author punctuates his prose with dramatic real-life stories.

And they're highly engaging, each one skillfully selected to drive home a point. You'll discover, for instance:

* How a volunteer coached by a nationally known consultant secured a gift of $175,000 without ever once asking for the gift.

* How the chair of a YWCA sparked a first-time gift of $100,000 with a single disarming question from her heart.

* How by sensing his donor's ability to give, a development officer at a technical institute turned a $100,000 gift into a $1 million gift.

* How by artful negotiation the head of fundraising for a leading HIV/AIDS organization prevented the rock band Queen from donating a vast sum of money to something entirely wasteful.

* How with an exquisite 30-minute presentation, and a double-shot of espresso, the Head of Fundraising for Greenpeace International transformed a $1 million gift into a $10 million gift.

Jerold Panas, who knows a thing or two about fundraising, calls The 11 Questions "A beautifully polished gem, with real-life stories that unerringly hit their mark." That's high praise from America's grandmaster of philanthropy..
Price: $24.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Money changes everything, especially in politics Politicians, think tanks, and political parties would not be where they are without monetary gifts. Yet, when it comes to celebrating donors, the media often praise liberals for their selfless giving and criticize conservatives for their selfish hoarding. But Ron Robinson and Nicole Hoplin, leaders of Young America's Foundation, set the record straight in Funding Fathers: The Unsung Heroes of the Conservative Movement. Part historical account of the conservative movement and part exposé about political philanthropy, Funding Fathers busts the myth that conservatives donate less money than democrats and exposes how the media, liberal organizations, and even conservatives perpetuate this lie. In Funding Fathers, Robinson and Hoplin reveal:

* How conservative donors have had as much influence on the conservative movement as people like Ronald Reagan and William F. Buckley Jr.
* Why anonymous donations can do more harm than good to the conservative movement
* How donations benefiting conservative ideas are often misappropriated at universities across the U.S.
* How conservative politicians and organizations use donations more efficiently than liberals

Money matters. But it is not the size of the donation that counts, it is the impact it makes. Funding Fathers shows how the unsung heroes of the conservative movement have not only influenced the past, but also how they continue to shape the future..
Price: $17.16 [Notify me when price goes down.]

With more than one million copies sold, this is the first, best, and most comprehensive guide to private-sector scholarships, grants, and loans published in America It gives students essential tips for determining which awards they qualify for, helps them write winning essays, applications, and cover letters, alerts them to scams and rip- offs, and provides useful lists of recommended websites and publications..
Price: $17.32 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Written by a kid for kids, this book offers a comprehensible guide to giving money, volunteering, donating goods, and organizing charity events. It makes it easy for kids to get involved with the organizations that mean the most to them. The perfect graduation gift--a must-have for kids everywhere!.
Price: $5.91 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Whether you are the owner of a small business, a middle manager in a mid-sized company, or the CEO of a multinational, this book can show you how to improve your profits and productivity Change, Dr. Deming believes, should start at the top with an informed, quality-conscious management His 14 points for managers offer practical applications for everyday business life..
Price: $1.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst and his legendary California estate occupy a place in the public imagination through Orson Welles's Citizen Kane, but Kane's brooding Xanadu was merely a caricature of Hearst's exuberant castle at San Simeon. This new book sets the record straight and proves that, for once, truth is better than fiction.

Here for the first time is the real story of Hearst Castle, and of the productive 28-year relationship between Hearst and his architect, Julia Morgan, who collaborated on the magnificent 165-room estate set on 250,000 breathtaking acres near the remote seaside hamlet of San Simeon, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Drawing on previously unpublished correspondence, and illustrated with never-before-seen historic photographs as well as more than 150 stunning color pictures, Victoria Kastner chronicles the evolution of this extraordinary hilltop, with its two spectacular pools and its astounding collections of fine art and antiques. Sprinkled throughout with stories of the famous parties hosted by Hearst and his companion, movie star Marion Davies, and their celebrated guests, this book brings to life America's most glamorous country house.

259 photographs, 157 in full color, 9 x 113/4".
Price: $27.51 [Notify me when price goes down.]