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This edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising is a culmination of nearly 50 years of practicing, teaching, and thinking about fundraising. At the same time, it is a new beginning shaped by contemporary research on philanthropy and fundraising; evolving approaches to teaching; and distinctive social, economic, and political environments.

Accordingly, it is important to recognize those who have shaped and supported this fifth edition, as well as to acknowledge our predecessors, whose footsteps guide us. The book originated with Hank and Dottie Rosso, who founded The Fund Raising School (TFRS) in 1974 and transferred it to Indiana University and the Center on Philanthropy in 1987. Their ideas, honed through decades of consulting and educating others, appeared in Achieving Excellence's first edition in 1991, which gathered fundraising luminaries to create a shared repository of experiential wisdom. Hank and Dottie continued to be advisors, mentors, and friends until their deaths in 1999 and 2020, respectively. Their legacy continues through the Dottie Rosso Scholarship, which supports fundraisers from small nonprofits to attend TFRS classes. Likewise, the Hank Rosso Scholarship supports teams of two employees to attend TFRS classes, making it easier to implement learnings at their nonprofits.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the Rossos, to TFRS, and to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Not only is the Lilly Family School the academic home of the editors, it connects the authors and is a key source for much of the research and knowledge used in this book. School staff, graduate and undergraduate students, alumni, academic and practitioner faculty, leadership, and supporters together have created a culture of learning and sharing “to improve philanthropy.”

Dozens of authors have written for the now five editions of Achieving Excellence over the past 30 years, five editors shaped the previous volumes, and several graduate assistants and staff members have worked behind the scenes to assemble hundreds of thousands of words into cohesive wholes. All have contributed to the ongoing development of knowledge for this book and for the field.

Assembling this edition during the COVID‐19 pandemic and a context of social introspection and change meant asking the current authors to write their chapters in a time of great uncertainty, for nonprofits and fundraising to be sure, but also for them personally as work and life routines shifted. We are profoundly grateful that they chose to say “yes” to the request to participate.

Moreover, the authors welcomed our comments and suggestions during a time of rapid changes in perspective shaped by evolving current events. Their varied experiences and steady clarity of vision have allowed us to produce a book that will better prepare fundraisers for the future. Earlier editions have reflected changing conditions, but the fifth edition takes an even greater step forward in anticipating fundraising and philanthropic challenges for uncertain times to come.

We are grateful to have put this volume together when the academic community in nonprofit and philanthropic studies is more robust than ever. There are a number of strong media outlets specializing in reporting on the nonprofit sector. Because the field's profile is growing, as are educational opportunities, more fundraisers are choosing the profession earlier instead of “falling into it” later. And, the public discourse around philanthropy invites us to think critically about our work in new ways.

Some of these developments can be tracked back to when the Lilly Endowment gave seed money to create the center and, subsequently, its unrestricted endowment, with the goals of building the capacity of the nonprofit sector and the field of philanthropic studies. We recognize those who had a vision for an academic program dedicated to the study of and education about philanthropy, including leaders at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indiana University (IU), and in Indianapolis as well as many generous donors and funders like the Lilly Endowment, Kellogg, and the Atlantic Philanthropies.

We are humbled that so many educators chose previous editions of this book for their students and – since 1991 – that generations of practitioners have read the chapters to build and refine their fundraising skills and to support their organizations. We are grateful to our publisher, Wiley, and our editors Brian Neill and Deborah Schindlar, for continuing to provide a good home for books on nonprofits, fundraising, and philanthropy.

Our partner on this project since its inception was Pat Danahey Janin, editorial assistant and a doctoral candidate in the Lilly Family School. Putting together an edited volume with 39 chapters and more than 50 authors is a significant administrative task. Pat communicated with every author, read every chapter, and worked side‐by‐side with the editors on the details large and small. The authors, editors, and readers are fortunate that Pat brought her expertise, talent, and dedication to the project.

This edition pays special attention to fundraisers as central contributors to philanthropic giving and as whole people, driven by their own personal values and experiences. Just as fundraisers complete their work in the context of life as a whole, we created this book under unusual circumstances with children home from school, campus buildings closed, and many personal and professional transitions. We especially thank our families, friends, colleagues, and school leaders who encouraged us, informed our ideas, and supported us during the many months of preparation. We learn a great deal from each of you and from the fundraisers whose work inspires us every day.