fundraisers wear many hats and juggle many different priorities beyond fundraising. cultivating donors, organizational leadership, and how to make appeals stand out amidst all the noise—these are just a few of the things we know you need to master to make an impact.
However, upgrading your skills doesn’t have to be a chore. a little inspiration can go a long way.
You are reading: Best books on fundraising
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 books we think every fundraiser or advancement professional should read and enjoy.
1. Fundraising Relationship: A Donor-Based Approach to the Business of Raising Money, by Ken Burnett
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
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As most seasoned nonprofit professionals know, effective fundraising doesn’t start (or end) with money, it’s about relationships. First published in 1992, this book remains a classic for fundraising professionals who understand that sustainable fundraising is built on long-standing, mutually beneficial relationships with donors.
For advocacy offices with long-term development goals, building lasting relationships with donors is critical to success. Use the information in this book to develop your own donor-based approach to fundraising in all of your campaigns, and especially in your administration activities. you will get higher returns in the long run.
2. Building Donor Loyalty: The Fundraising Guide to Increasing Lifetime Value by Adrian Sargeant & elaine jay
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
See Also: 17 Best YA Dystopian Novels for Teens to Read (2022)
Poor donor retention is the skeleton in the closet of many fundraising organizations. We’ve all read the statistics: It costs more to acquire new donors than to retain existing ones; however, many organizations spend most of their resources finding new donors and spend little effort cultivating loyalty with their existing donor base.
Based on data from more than 20,000 nonprofit organizations, this book outlines simple strategies for developing sustainable giving programs and increasing donor retention. use the information for your own donor cultivation and keep your donors engaged with your institution for years to come.
3. It’s Not All About the Money: How to Build Authentic Relationships with Top Donors, by Richard Perry & jeff schreifels
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
See Also: 17 Best YA Dystopian Novels for Teens to Read (2022)
Another great book on donor relations, this one focuses on developing major gifts, a topic near and dear to all advancement professionals. While ongoing programs like annual giving are important fundraising vehicles, major donations to a college or university can be transformative.
perry and schreifels describe how to identify top gift prospects (high-net-worth individuals with the capacity for five- and six-figure gifts) and how to proceed when you find them. not surprisingly, they emphasize the importance of putting donor relationships first (because, as the title says, it’s not all about the money!) and get to the heart of honest fundraising.
4. donor-centered leadership, by penelope burk
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
See Also: 17 Best YA Dystopian Novels for Teens to Read (2022)
Donor retention may seem like a leaky bucket, but talent retention can be just as complicated. Penelope Burk’s Donor-Centered Leadership (a follow-up to her 2003 book Donor-Centered Fundraising) is a best practice guide for recruiting, hiring, and retain the right people for staff. your development store.
In his own research, Burk found that the average turnover rate for fundraisers is only 16 months. that kind of rotation is not healthy in any workplace. This book is a must-read for leaders and fundraisers of any level who care about building a sustainable development organization.
5. linchpin: are you indispensable?, by seth godin
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
See Also: 17 Best YA Dystopian Novels for Teens to Read (2022)
This seminal book by marketing guru Seth Godin is a call to action for anyone who wants to make a significant difference in their organization, no matter how big or small. At its core, it’s about overcoming the resistance that holds people back and challenging them to do great work.
Burnout among fundraising professionals is real. Instead of becoming an interchangeable “cog” in the system, Godin urges his readers to become a “cog,” to make the choice to stand out rather than just fit in. This book is for anyone who wants to see change in their organization and wants to be the one to make it happen.
6. switch: how to switch things up when switch is hard, by chip heath & dan heath
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
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The premise of this book, that change is difficult (but not impossible) without the right motivation, is an illuminating read for anyone who has ever wanted to bring about change in their organization (or their community at large), but felt blocked. the authors explore the basics of how we make decisions (spoiler alert: we’re not always rational) and chart a path to getting people to “change.”
Whether you need to convince your leadership team to take a new direction, or persuade your donors that things can’t stay the way they are, this book will help you plan a strategy to engage your stakeholders and bring about the change you’re looking for.
7. asking styles: harness your fundraising power, by andrea kihlstedt
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
See Also: 17 Best YA Dystopian Novels for Teens to Read (2022)
What’s at the heart of every fundraiser? the question.” Knowing your own asking style, and the asking style of your board members and organization, can transform your fundraising efforts, from targeted campaigns to major giving programs. In this book, the coach fundraiser andrea kihlstedt teaches you how to use your personality traits to your advantage when asking for money.
For promotion offices, donation requests are usually institutional rather than personal. but any advocacy office that engages people to raise funds on their behalf (board members, alumni, or parents) can use this book as a way to help those people solicit donations in whatever way is most comfortable for them.
8. Made to Stay: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, Chip Heath & dan heath
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
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This one may seem counter-intuitive: what do sticky ideas have to do with fundraising campaigns? but this book is a fantastic read for anyone who has to influence other people. In it, Chip and Dan Heath uncover the elements that make an idea or story “stick”, drawing on urban legends, advertising, and personal anecdotes to explore what makes people remember some things and forget others. and the answers may surprise you.
You can use the same principles to build an unforgettable story around your cause or institution, to pique donor interest and inspire action.
9. influence: the psychology of persuasion, by robert cialdini
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
See Also: 17 Best YA Dystopian Novels for Teens to Read (2022)
This 1984 classic has transformed the way marketers structure their messages. In it, the renowned psychology and marketing scholar describes the six “weapons of influence” that bring people closer to saying “yes.” These principles of human psychology are most often discussed in the context of marketing efforts, but are equally applicable to fundraising campaigns.
Understanding human behavior will give you a definite advantage in motivating your followers to donate to your cause. you can build powerful triggers like reciprocity, engagement, scarcity, and desire for consensus into your donation requests, and see the impact in increasing donations for yourself.
10. how to win friends and influence people by dale carnegie
See Also: 5 Essential Two-Face Stories
See Also: 17 Best YA Dystopian Novels for Teens to Read (2022)
We couldn’t post a list of our favorite fundraising books and leave this one out. after all, “influencing people” is what fundraisers (well, all of us really) have to do almost every day. Although the title may sound manipulative, the essence of the book is quite the opposite.
As fundraisers and advance office professionals, a big part of your job is connecting with your prospects and donors in a positive and respectful way. Whether it’s an alumni fundraiser for your school or a professional networking event, you’re still dealing with people. Carnegie’s techniques are true and time-tested, and will help you build lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with your donors and your peers.
summary
So there you have it: our top 10 books for fundraising professionals.
Working in advocacy or any non-profit sector has many rewards and challenges. fundraising professionals need to know how to nurture long-term relationships with donors, build sustainable and effective organizations, and most importantly, frame their appeals in a way that compels their audience to act.
Whatever your priorities, we hope these books will help point you in the right direction!
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