20 Best Books On Nonprofit Fundraising (2023 Update)

Fundraising for nonprofit board members is the essential resource for all board members charged with fundraising. – fundraising for nonprofit board members answers essential questions such as: what is a board member's role in fundraising? should a board member be expected to ask friends and associates for money? will board members be begging? isn't that what fundraising really is? should a board member expect to give personally to the charity? what is a special event, a will, an annual fund, and what do they have to do with fundraising and the board member's responsibility? each chapter gives board members the tools they need to be effective and efficient fundraisers. rather than being something board members "have to do," fundraising will become more productive and even enjoyable. each chapter also ends with questions to help reinforce highlights from the chapter, and gives boards much-needed discussion points for the next board meeting. – fundraising for nonprofit board members is a must-have resource for any nonprofit board member. it shows what each board member needs to know about fundraising, and dispels many myths that make fundraising seem unappealing. – when you approach fundraising equipped with the right knowledge and setting, you will succeed in fulfilling your fundraising responsibilities, but better yet, you will enjoy your time and actually enjoy raising money for your organization. – discover fundraising is not about asking for money. and how you can raise more money by never asking for money. – fundraising for nonprofit board members makes an ideal gift for ceos and board chairs to give to each board member at the beginning of the year or when someone joins the board.

Practical tools and techniques to incorporate ethical standards and practices in nonprofit fundraising nonprofit fundraising strategy is a helpful and inspiring resource for nonprofits large and small, young and mature, local and international. the insightful guidance and case studies found within these pages will help you understand how to address specific ethical issues within your nonprofit and leave plenty of food for thought and discussion. adds new materials on new business practice codes, the ethics assessment inventory, coverage of new ethics standards now includes an ethics assessment tool on the ethical fundraising, second edition companion website considers essential topics including: appearance of impropriety, rights of donors, tainted money, using donations as intended, choosing a leadership role, ethical decision-making, restoring public confidence in the nonprofit sector, and the ethics of grant making and grant seeking written by luminaries in the field of ethics in fundraising explores a topic that all professional fundraisers must engage with in order to build the trust and confidence of the giving public offers an invaluable collection of essays based on the rich experience of philanthropic leaders presents wise reflections on the central role of ethics in fundraising featuring contributions from a host of well-known and respected senior-level fundraising professionals, several of whom are members of the afp ethics committee, nonprofit fundraising strategy features a wealth of practical tools to help fundraising practitioners, board members, and governing boards implement these essential concepts into their own organizations.

The end of fundraising why does it cost nonprofits on average $20 to raise $100, while it costs companies only $4? simply put: nonprofits have no leverage. no one has to make a donation. and since most donors have no direct stake in the organizations they support, they make donations out of the goodness of their hearts. if donors feel like writing a check, they will. if they don't, they won't. the end of fundraising turns fundraising on its head, teaching nonprofits how to stop begging for charity and start selling impact. for the first time, nonprofits have economic power. an era where yesterday's "feel good" issues—education, the environment, health care, the arts, and animal rights—now have direct economic consequences and opportunities. nonprofits now have leverage. to use this leverage, nonprofits must learn how to "sell" their impact to a new set of stakeholders. using his fifteen years of experience advising the world's leading nonprofits, foundations, and corporations, jason saul reveals the formula for how nonprofits transcend the paradigm of charitable fundraising and reach true financial sustainability. specifically, this groundbreaking book offers nonprofit professionals a guide to understand the role of social change in our economy capture and communicate impact in simple, compelling terms identify the new market stakeholders that value nonprofit outcomes create powerful value propositions to increase leverage improve the success of a nonprofit's pitches to funders the end of fundraising includes the tools needed to effectively frame, market, and sell a nonprofit organization's impact, and contains step-by-step guidance for creating dynamic new opportunities with a variety of funders.

Responsive fundraising: the donor-centric framework helping today's leading nonprofits grow giving provides a three-step solution for nonprofit fundraisers looking to overcome the growing generosity crisis. since the 1950s, nonprofits have relied on impersonal outreach to inspire generosity from their donors. they leveraged direct mail, mass marketing and event fundraising to drive donations. in the early 2000s, with the introduction of social media, smartphones and a hyper-connected world, everything changed. the new normal for everyone became transparency, personalization, and a feeling of ever-present engagement. in addition, donors also had new levels of access to information to the causes they cared about. they could read curated news about issues they cared about, research program results and even collect information about nonprofit employees. unfortunately, as expectations evolved, nonprofit fundraisers failed to keep up. the number of donors-to-nonprofits is falling year after year. institutional trust is at an all time low. and burnout from fundraisers continues to climb. if nonprofits don't make a fundamental shift right now, they risk their own future, plus the future of their beneficiaries. responsive fundraising outlines the simple solution for nonprofit fundraisers everywhere. using real-world examples from leading nonprofits, responsive fundraising explains how to take the personalized, donor-centric, connection-building practices most fundraisers reserve for major donors and scale them to work for all donors using the responsive framework. the responsive framework is an ever-evolving cycle where fundraisers listen, connect and suggest giving options to each individual donor based on what they care about most. throughout responsive fundraising, readers will learn what the data tells us about the modern donor and their generosity habits. they will receive step-by-step responsive fundraising plays they can implement right away to improve their current fundraising tactics. plus, they'll get a look into how responsive nonprofits are shifting their internal teams to create a more collaborative, successful organization. the time for change is now. donors deserve it. nonprofits want it. and beneficiaries need it. responsive fundraising: the donor-centric framework helping today's leading nonprofits grow giving will give your nonprofit the best path forward.

Are you a staff member, a board member or a volunteer of a faith-based, human service, arts, or other nonprofit organization that needs additional funds to accomplish its mission? are there not enough hours in the day to raise the money your agency needs? do your colleagues not have the expertise or interest to generate the needed dollars? do you need a quick source of practical information about ways to raise funds? this book is for individuals who are dedicated to helping their communities but who need useful recommendations on how to raise money. written by two of america's foremost fundraising experts, you will learn how to: develop a clear, efficient fundraising plan. ask for contributions from individuals. hold special events. conduct a capital campaign. and lots more! how many times has a well-meaning board member suggested that you do a golf tournament (gala dinner dance, art auction, walkathon) because the girl scouts (local hospital, rotarians, pba) scored big with theirs–only no one has any experience with such an event? with the essential nonprofit fundraising handbook, you'll learn exactly what to do, step by step, to pull off a successful event of any kind or size, or to raise badly needed funds in a wide variety of other ways.

Digital fundraising does not have to be a mystery. while technology and trends move quickly, there are fundamentals that rarely change that you need to know. from the ground up: digital fundraising for nonprofits is a practical primer on the ways of understanding, building, designing and innovating an effective digital fundraising program. with a strong foundation, there's no limit to what you will be able to build. with this book, you'll have a firm grasp on the inner workings of: digital tools, platforms, offers and integrations – websites that convert visitors into donors – email marketing and best practices for increasing email revenue – digital advertising strategies – analytics and conversion tracking for measuring roidesign thinking for more donor-centric fundraising – social media for impact and meaningful engagement – introduction to donor journey mapping – systems thinking as a means to future-proofing your charity"brock has taken solid fundraising strategy and brought it to life with a real-world guide to digital fundraising. in plain language, brock is providing tactical and practical advice, rooted in insights that will drive results. this is a must-read for fundraisers." -maeve strathy – this book is designed to be a handy, easy to use handbook that you'll want to have within reach. ideal for someone starting out their career in fundraising, or someone that wants to bring their charity's digital program up to speed. – about the author brock warner, cfre has well over a decade of experience that spans across every major nonprofit sector in canada. he is a professor in digital fundraising at humber college's fundraising management postgraduate program, and sought after presenter at fundraising conferences throughout north america. as a direct marketing account manager, he managed digital and print campaigns in healthcare, education, amateur athletics, humanitarian and domestic aid, and the environment. as a senior leader on the frontlines, brock's efforts have largely been in international development and mental health. brock completed his undergraduate degree at wilfrid laurier university, followed by a postgraduate certification in fundraising and volunteer management at humber college in toronto. he is a certified fund raising executive (cfre), as well as a longstanding member of the association of fundraising professionals (afp) greater toronto chapter. he has also obtained the b – cre-pro designation for a professional-level proficiency in blackbaud raiser's edge.

Praise for yours for the asking: an indispensable guide to fundraising and management "reynold levy is a master at persuading people to give money—lots of money—to worthy causes. he can squeeze big dollars out of a stone and he tells here just how to do it. anyone raising money for a good cause must read this book!" —john c. whitehead, former co-chairman and senior partner of goldman sachs and former united states deputy secretary of state "ren levy has written the definitive handbook on fundraising. it should be required reading for boards of directors and senior staff of nonprofit organizations. the lessons learned from ren's broad experience are equally relevant to corporate executives as they endeavor to establish and strengthen customer relationships." —indra nooyi, chairman and ceo, pepsico "i have raised money for a living for several decades. but i could not articulate better than reynold levy has done in yours for the asking the many secrets to successfully acquiring investors.

Essential tools for implementing right-sized prospect research techniques that help nonprofit organizations reach their fundraising goals written especially for front-line fundraisers, prospect research for fundraisers presents a practical understanding of prospect research, prospect management, and fundraising analytics, demonstrating how research can be used to raise more money. filled with examples, case studies, interviews, and stories, this unique book is structured around the fundraising cycle and illustrates the myriad of current and ever-changing prospect research tools and techniques available to boost an organization's fundraising effectiveness. from essential overviews to how-to-search skills, this practical book gives development officers the tools to understand how to use prospect research in ways that best fit their goals for each stage of the fundraising cycle. provides practical insight to understand the best use of each prospect research tool and technique features a companion website with a variety of online tools to help readers implement key concepts part of the afp fund development series prospect research for fundraisers provides fundraisers with an understanding of what prospect research is and which resources are available to small organizations that have limited internal capacity, medium-sized organizations building capacity, and large organizations wanting to maximize their strengths. it offers a practical understanding of the relevant tools at the disposal of development officers and managers responsible for hiring, outsourcing, purchasing, managing, and implementing prospect research within their organizations.

Raise more money for your cause. based on expert advice and insights from a variety of respected industry experts, nonprofit fundraising 101 is an essential text for nonprofit professionals volunteers activists and social entrepreneurs who want to leverage best practices to promote their cause. built upon the success of the bestselling nonprofit management 101, this easy to digest book provides practical comprehensive guidance for nonprofit fundraising around the globe.

Build a great nonprofit more people than ever are committing themselves to serving their communities and changing the world. whether you’re aiming to protect the environment, support the arts, or help people in need, understanding how to set up a solid nonprofit organization is a great foundation for being as effective as you can be. with practical advice, legal information, tips, and step-by-step instructions, this essential guide will help you get your nonprofit up and running—and keep it going! it explains how to: develop a strategic plan and budget recruit and manage board members, volunteers, and staff market your organization to your target audience raise money including traditional methods and crowdfunding build a website, use social media strategically, and avoid copyright troubles adopt policies that are legally sound and much more whether you are dreaming of starting a nonprofit or are already in the trenches, starting and building a nonprofit will help your organization make a real difference in the world. the fully updated ninth edition contains new material on developing and implementing meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion policies within your organization. it also covers recent changes to the law, including new incentives for donors under the cares act. with downloadable forms download and customize essential forms, including contractor work-for-hire agreement, volunteer assignment agreement, and sample budget forms. (details inside).

You're a staff member, board trustee, community volunteer or consultant doing the hard work to rai$e money so your nonprofit can keep going, keep pursuing its mission. maybe you're thinking about chasing after grants, scattering proposals around, or trying to figure out whether you should set up that crowdfunding campaign, or… whatever you're up to, it's not getting any easier out there with all the other groups competing for attention and money. this is where harvey chess comes into your picture. his ongoing work is in and around nonprofits, including grant makers. he's best known as a seasoned trainer delivering highly regarded funding proposal development workshops for years. he fully understands the challenges you confront in trying to support your organization – and has distilled his experience into a one-of-a-kind book for you, functional and funded, securing your nonprofit's assets from the inside out. his book concentrates on helping you overcome resource development and sustainability challenges. you'll have the opportunity to front and center tactics that separate your nonprofit from the crowd by distinguishing it as substantial, enterprising and resilient. putting aside much of what passes for conventional wisdom in fundraising, you're presented with a potent alternative – business as unusual – when making the case for financially supporting your nonprofit. everyone reading and then applying the uncommonly strong strategy at the heart of this book will upgrade skills to secure assets for their nonprofit while strengthening the organization at the same time. how? still not convinced? read on. first, the days of only seeking grants are over! the book's nonprofit engine contains the diversified components of financial assistance your organization must now seek out to keep running. at the same time, you will discover – or rediscover – that the characteristics of a strong nonprofit organization and a strong funding proposal share common ground. you'll come away from business as unusual with a strong nonprofit inside; a strong proposal outside. you want nothing less when it comes to competing for resources. the book includes three real life funding proposal variations, along with comments about what makes sense and what doesn't in each. a chapter, the funding marketplace, details how and where to locate sources of potential financial support for your organization. you'll find external links to facilitate solid, detailed follow-up research. finally, there's a tool kit – the components of which you can and should reproduce – intended to bring to life the book's sub-title, securing your nonprofit's resources from the inside out. "…what you get here is invaluable practical advice distilled from a distinguished career as a fundraiser, grant maker and trusted advisor to nonprofits of all types and sizes," along with "… delights in challenging conventional wisdom…" tom david, consultant in the craft of grantmaking, philanthropic strategy, evaluation, and organizational learning

Can your nonprofit really raise millions? absolutely. this practical guide shows you how to build a fundraising team that raises millions of dollars–so that you can make your mission happen.everyone has a role in bringing revenue and resources to your nonprofit. let's raise nonprofit millions together offers you a framework to grow board members, staff, and others who champion–and even discover they enjoy–fundraising. you'll learn how to rally your team to raise revenue together.let's raise nonprofit millions together reframes fundraising from a mystery for experts to the standard operating procedure for any nonprofit. you'll discover: – why you're being selfish if only a few people grow resources;- ways to uncover people's fundraising talents, even if they doubt such abilities exist;- how to transform anyone into a revenue hero;- the six practices that transform strangers into fans;- how to grow your culture of philanthropy.this book transforms the nonprofit cliché "build a relationship" into specific tips and concrete ideas you can use today. together you can raise millions. this book shows you how.

Learn to build relationships with your donors! internationally acclaimed fundraising consultant ken burnett has completely revised and updated his classic book relationship fundraising to offer fundraising professionals an invaluable resource for learning the techniques of effective communication with donors in a fast-changing environment. filled with illustrative case examples, donor profiles, and more than two hundred action points, this groundbreaking book shows fundraisers how to implement creative approaches to relationship-building fundraising avoid common fundraising errors and pitfalls apply the vital ingredients for fundraising success build good relationships with donors through marketing achieve a greater understanding of donors communicate effectively with donors—using direct mail, the press, television, the telephone, face-to-face contact, and more prepare for the challenges of twenty-first century fundraising "experienced volunteers and skilled practitioners realize that fundraising isn't about money, it is about relationships. ken burnett's observations, insights, and practical tips for building and sustaining relationships are superb. highly readable, this book is a solid mix of sound theory and pragmatic application." —kay sprinkel grace, author, beyond fund raising; coauthor, high impact philanthropy "ken burnett is one of the world's leading practitioners of the art of raising money by mail. many of us in the fundraising field speak about 'building relationships with donors,' but ken has systematically developed the techniques to bring this ideal down to earth. this classic book lays them out for all to see. relationship fundraising is one of a handful of truly indispensable books that belong on every fundraiser's bookshelf." —mal warwick, founder, mal warwick associates; author, how to write successful fundraising letters and ten steps to fundraising success "this is the book that sets the agenda for fundraising communications in the twenty-first century. engaging, inspiring, and thought provoking, relationship fundraising is based on the unique twenty-five year experience of one of the world's most respected fundraisers." —bernard ross, director, the management centre, london; author, breakthrough thinking for nonprofit organizations

An entertaining, informative, and eminently useful guide that draws on psychology, data, and real-world experience to explain what really drives successful fundraising. in the forgotten foundations of fundraising, jeremy beer and jeff cain, cofounders of american philanthropic, a leading consulting firm for nonprofit organizations, offer practical lessons and unconventional wisdom for both nonprofit leaders and novices in the art and science of raising money. drawing upon a wealth of experience, deploying an army of anecdotes, and using eye-opening american philanthropic survey data, the authors provide a brisk, irreverent, and supremely useful introduction to fundraising for charities and nonprofits. the book explains the hows and whys of a variety of fundraising techniques, from direct mail to planned giving programs. it explores the benefits and pitfalls of prospect research, the keys to donor retention, and the essential elements of a healthy nonprofit culture. it gives insightful advice on making personal meetings count, soliciting foundations, and training young fundraisers. and it does so with sprightly prose and sharp observations. you'll never read another fundraising book quite like this one. expertly deflating the pretensions of those who would make fundraising a bureaucratic and esoteric profession, beer and cain elucidate the practical knowledge and relationship skills that still matter more than anything else. they make an impassioned plea for the importance of civil society to american democracy and build a compelling case for fundraising as an honorable component of a healthy civic culture. philanthropy is not about bottom lines and return on investment—successful fundraisers provide a platform for donors to affirm their ideals, values, and morals. fundraising is serious, but learning about it needn’t be a chore. the forgotten foundations of fundraising is at once eminently practical and absolutely delightful.

What sets rainmaking apart from other books about major gift fundraising is that it presents a framework you can implement immediately to help you raise more money. this book is unique because it isn't based on classroom theory. the strategies and tactics outlined here are field tested, proven, success- ful formulas for securing big gifts. in fact, the tips and tactics in this book have helped us raise more than $250 million over the last three decades. the success of all major donor fundraising efforts relies on people. you've no doubt heard the saying, "people give to people." that's only partly true. in reality, people give to people who inspire passion and compassion in them, and with whom they have trust-based relationships. here's what others have to say about rainmaking: "this how-to book on major gifts is an essential resource for start-up nonprofits and new major gift officers, as well as a skill-sharpener for seasoned professionals." – heather a. mcginness, cnm, cfre, nonprofit consultant & afp master trainer "really good stuff. i have given the book to every member of my staff." – jeffrey r. fulgham, cfre, chief advancement officer, patrick henry family services

Fundraising: how to raise money for your library using social media introduces the phenomena that many members, supporters and fundraisers are not using social media to fundraise for their libraries, and may not be aware of its strengths and pitfalls. the book discusses why social media should be used to fundraise and how to successfully employ social media campaigns, also providing examples from library funding initiatives that libraries can follow. since social media changes relatively quickly, library staff members, supporters and fundraisers need up-to-date information on how to craft messages for the platforms that they use. this book presents less on best practices for specific social media platform, focusing more on library social media fundraising strategies that have been found to be effective (for example, how libraries have successfully created fundraising campaigns with hashtags). discusses why social media should be used to fundraise outlines how to successfully employ social media to fundraise presents examples from successful library funding campaigns via social media that other libraries can follow

Exploit new waves of opportunities that come with fundraising in turbulent times – fundraising for nonprofit causes has never been an easy job at any one given time. – it involves a lot of canvassing to find donors willing to support your causes. – you keep convincing donors about the worthiness of your causes. – most importantly, there is a need to win donor loyalty. – that is what keeps you going year after year. – but it gets much harder to fundraise in tough times. – you are dealing with funders whose financial fortunes could crumble in no time. – you are fundraising in a period when donors are economically crippled. – you are losing donors during a period when you can hardly acquire new ones. – a volatile economic situation has tipped the scales against your urgent need for funding already. – yet, the burden of fulfilling your nonprofit causes is growing with each passing day. – more and more people are flocking into your nonprofit to seek help. – where do you go from here? you cannot afford to give up fundraising in turbulent times. – that would be the shortest path to folding up your nonprofit. but it's never business as usual! it is not the time to scratch the surface and give up so easily. – it is time to stretch your fundraising skills to the limit. – you've got to dig deep to find donors that are willing to give during the crisis. – you've got to diversify beyond your traditional sources of income. – you've got to build new partnerships and embrace collaborations. – there are always new waves of opportunities in tough times. – but you have got to work hard to find the opportunities. – overhaul of your fundraising strategy is inevitable.

How do you raise more money for your charity? how do you follow up or thank donors? how do you make your fundraisers fun and more profitable? what are some of the best ideas that have worked for others? how do you push people up the pyramid, and what does it mean? these and many other questions will be answered in this book. if you're doing a charity event or try to raise money for your ngo or noble cause, then don't miss this. it's a must-have.

Originally published by stevenson, inc., this practical resource features important fundraising principles and techniques for small charities and nonprofit organizations that do not have the resources to support robust fundraising plans. important topics covered include: development plans developing fundraising plans first-time fundraising efforts annual operational plans donor calls major gift solicitations phonathons and direct mail on a shoestring budget endowments event planning participation rates bequests fundraising consultants sponsorship revenue first-time solicitor training social media outreach please note that some content featured in the original version of this title has been removed in this published version due to permissions issues.

Exploit new waves of opportunities that come with fundraising in turbulent times – fundraising for nonprofit causes has never been an easy job at any one given time. – it involves a lot of canvassing to find donors willing to support your causes. – you keep convincing donors about the worthiness of your causes. – most importantly, there is a need to win donor loyalty. – that is what keeps you going year after year. – but it gets much harder to fundraise in tough times. – you are dealing with funders whose financial fortunes could crumble in no time. – you are fundraising in a period when donors are economically crippled. – you are losing donors during a period when you can hardly acquire new ones. – a volatile economic situation has tipped the scales against your urgent need for funding already. – yet, the burden of fulfilling your nonprofit causes is growing with each passing day. – more and more people are flocking into your nonprofit to seek help. – where do you go from here? you cannot afford to give up fundraising in turbulent times. – that would be the shortest path to folding up your nonprofit. but it's never business as usual! it is not the time to scratch the surface and give up so easily. – it is time to stretch your fundraising skills to the limit. – you've got to dig deep to find donors that are willing to give during the crisis. – you've got to diversify beyond your traditional sources of income. – you've got to build new partnerships and embrace collaborations. – there are always new waves of opportunities in tough times. – but you have got to work hard to find the opportunities. – overhaul of your fundraising strategy is inevitable.