Fundraising Resources
I love spreading the word about my favorite resources. I know we all have precious little time so I’ve been very selective about what I’ve included. And, many great publications are not listed.
Everything below has been endlessly helpful to me in my work. All of these resources will make you a better fundraiser, I promise.
The links are to Amazon but I’m sure your local bookstore can order them for you. Enjoy!
Blogs & e-Newsletters
- Tom Ahern’s e-newsletter will forever change the way you communicate with your donors. Go subscribe right now!
- Jeff Brooks’s quick daily blog – Future Fundraising Now – will get your fundraising day started on the right foot.
- The Agitator’s daily blog will keep you up-to-date on the latest and greatest fundraising trends and research, with an edge.
- Seth Godin’s daily blog is not explicitly about fundraising but his frequent focus on customer service and permission marketing makes it a must read.
Websites
- SOFII.org is an absolute treasure trove of examples of successful fundraising. Prepare to be inspired. And it’s all free.
- Simone Joyaux’s Resource Library is a free service available through her website. It’s packed with invaluable fact sheets, sample policies, template job descriptions, etc. Check it out!
Books & Magazines
- A subscription to the Grassroots Fundraising Journal is the best money you can spend this year. Packed with practical advice, a subscription to this bimonthly publication now includes full access to their extensive online archives of more than 250 past articles. It’s a steal at $39-56, depending on your budget size. Click here to subscribe.
- Fundraising for Social Change, by Kim Klein. Often hailed as the bible for grassroots fundraisers, this user-friendly book covers the ins and outs of individual donor fundraising.
- Keep Your Donors: The Guide to Better Communications and Stronger Relationships, by Simone Joyaux and Tom Ahern. Along with their own expertise and insights, much of the best of other publications on donor loyalty and donor communications is digested and included here. This is the most expensive book on the list ($44 on Amazon) but it’s also one of the meatiest. Put it on your next wish list if you can’t afford to buy it for yourself.
- The Zen of Fundraising: 89 Timeless Ideas to Strengthen and Develop Your Donor Relationships, by Ken Burnett. This gem incorporates lots of Ken’s past advice on relationship fundraising in a much shorter, more accessible format.
- Fundraising When Money is Tight: A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough Times and Thriving in the Future, by Mal Warwick. This is the most important book to read about fundraising in this economy. It’s short and affordable.
- Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. If you’re trying to convey ideas or messages to the public (who isn’t?!) and haven’t read this, your world is about to be transformed.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, edited by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence. No other book more compellingly makes the case for why organizations must reduce their dependence on foundation funding.