Book Review: S. R. Grover Getting the Green: Fundraising Campaigns for Community Colleges. Washington, DC: Community College Press, 2009. 229 pp. $46.00

S. R. Grover Getting the Green: Fundraising Campaigns for Community Colleges. Washington, DC: Community College Press, 2009. 229 pp. $46.00.Getting the Green is a comprehensive manual on fundraising campaigns specifically for the community college sector. The 25 short chapters are organized into three sections: "Before the Campaign," "the Campaign," and "After the Campaign." The first chapter is actually one of the most important contributions of this work, outlining the case for private support at community colleges and detailing the similarities and differences of fundraising for community colleges versus other nonprofit organizations. Grover explains that rather than launch campaigns from well-established fundraising programs, community colleges often use campaigns to jump-start their fundraising efforts. Community colleges have the advantage of close relationships with their local business communities. Even so, awareness of the colleges' contributions is often limited, which becomes particularly challenging because "everyone is a potential donor" (p. vii).Grover asserts that targeted marketing and educational efforts, particularly by informed and engaged foundation board members, can help convey the important message of the community college mission to that broad, potentially contributing audience of nearly everyone. The book explicitly targets board members as its core audience because they are in positions of influence and power. These college insiders can also interact rather seamlessly with external groups as volunteers. The explanation of fundraising challenges and opportunities at the community college can be an especially useful tool for these core constituents and can help avoid problematic ideas around fundraising.This book has the potential for enlightening audiences well beyond board members, however. Although some of the material is specific to campaigns, much of the information is useful in explaining general fundraising practices and would be beneficial for other administrators (particularly presidents), faculty members, and key constituents such as trustees.In addition to understanding and articulating the case for private support, foundation board members (and others involved in fundraising) often struggle with the notion of asking people for money. Grover wisely addresses this concern in early chapters, demonstrating how fundraising constitutes a win-win situation for both donors and recipients, and explaining the ethical principles that must govern all fundraising activities.In the remaining chapters within the precampaign section, Grover covers strategic planning, feasibility studies, marketing materials, and every facet of the campaign structure and gift management systems. The text has helpful pullout quotes and check boxes that further the book's usefulness as an enduring reference.Near the conclusion of part one, Grover notes that "recognizing gifts" is "your real work as a board member" (p. 100), which helps to justify the message in the first chapter of part two: Board gifts must form the campaign's lead contributions. The succeeding chapters detail the process of securing gifts from those closest to the college - faculty, staff, retirees, and even students (indeed, one of the book's strengths is its intentional focus throughout on internal concerns) - in addition to other leadership gifts from top donors the board helps to solicit.As a whole, the chapter on solicitation falls short. This is particularly troubling because the information on making calls, or reaching out to potential donors, has application beyond campaigns. Whereas other aspects of the fundraising process are treated in detail, Grover condenses the "ask" into one rushed chapter that blurs the process between cultivation and solicitation. Grover makes an early reference to the fact that the time between an initial call on a prospective donor and the actual receipt of a gift from that donor can be considerable, but the book's treatment of the process of asking is so condensed that it lacks a sense of timing. …