Peter McKinley has contributed a chapter to the bestselling book Excellence in Fundraising in Canada.

It’s been an exceptional December for Peter McKinley ­ he unexpectedly found himself on the Globe and Mail bestseller list.

The director of Development and Donor Relations authored a chapter in the book Excellence in Fundraising in Canada, released in late November by Civil Sector Press. The book filled such a gap for Canadian fundraisers that it went to number three on the list of bestselling business books in Canada.

That was even better than expected for McKinley and the 20 other authors who contributed to the new book, edited by Guy Mallabone, a Calgary-based fund development consultant.

“I am extremely happy that it was on the Globe bestseller list,” McKinley said. “That was beyond my expectations.”

McKinley contributed a chapter on prospect research, which is the act of “matching potential donors with the most appropriate projects.” The book is the first resource specifically for Canadian fundraisers. The U.S. has a long tradition of fundraising, but it’s a newer industry in Canada, McKinley said.

“But we’re rapidly catching up.”

McKinley is well acquainted with the subject matter. In 2004, he developed an elective on prospect research and fundraising at the University of Western Ontario’s Faculty of Information and Media Studies. The course, which continues to this day, was part of the Master of Library Science program. He also worked as a consultant from 2003 until 2008, when he came to Brock.

The recession has created interesting times in fundraising, McKinley said.

“The willingness of people to support hasn’t changed,” he said. “Their ability to act on it is what’s changed.”

Support has continued for The Campaign for a Bold New Brock, he said, because of the greater value it has to the community. The larger ripples are what make his job here rewarding.

“By working here, I get to be a part of finding the financial support required to fund someone like (Biological Sciences researcher) Vincenzo De Luca, or the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts development that’s happening downtown.”

The book provides “an invaluable resource for fundraisers at the mid and junior level,” Mallabone said in a media release. “A copy of this book should be in every fundraiser’s office.”

So far, The Campaign for a Bold New Brock has raised about $62 million of its $75-million goal.