Catch Up on New and Classic Fundraising Books

Here’s a list of fundraising books recommended by Chronicle reporters and editors — and more titles related to nonprofit work that were suggested by you, our readers.

From Reporters’ and Editors

American Generosity: Who Gives and Why, by Patricia Snell Herzog and Heather Price (2016, Oxford Scholarship). The authors are co-investigators for the Science of Generosity effort, a project at the University of Notre Dame. In addition to survey analyses, the book contains interviews with a dozen people who embody different kinds of giving. The authors measured nine forms of giving, including some that some people may not consider “charitable,” like acting generously toward friends or family, buying pricier sustainable foods, and being an organ donor.

Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift, by Jerold Panas (2013 revised, Emerson & Church Publishers). A classic guide that’s earned its place in the fundraising canon, this book offers step-by-step guidelines to help a variety of nonprofit professionals become more effective at fundraising.

Cross-Border Giving: A Legal and Practical Guide, edited by Ted Hart and Kinga Ile (2018, CharityChannel). Want to know how to vet an overseas charity or measure its impact? This collection of 13 essays offers insight on legal, ethical, and operational issues of international giving. Hart, president of the Charities Aid Foundation America, and Ile, vice president for thought leadership at the international grant maker, share views from foundation leaders, lawyers, and wealthy donors.

Readers’ Recommendations

We asked our readers on social media which books they are reading related to their nonprofit work. Here’s what folks recommended.

The End of Fundraising: Raise More Money by Selling Your Impact, by Jason Saul (2011, Jossey-Bass). Advice on how to shift your strategy to sell the value of the social change your nonprofit creates. Thanks to @msquire03 for the recommendation.

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time, by Susan Scott (2017, New American Library). The author explains how to communicate more effectively at work and at home so you can deepen relationships, handle strong emotions, and get what you want. Thanks to @JonoESmith for the recommendation.

Generation Impact: How Next Gen Donors Are Revolutionizing Giving, by Sharna Goldseker and Michael Moody (2017, Wiley). Based on research and interviews with Gen X and millennial donors, the authors profile this new breed of philanthropists, offering insights into their goals, motivations, interests, and giving preferences. Thanks to @sowa75 for the recommendation.

Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists, by Valaida Fullwood (2011, John F. Blair Publishing). Through vignettes and reflections of more than 200 people, the author shines a spotlight on traditions of giving among African Americans, showing how these practices are often motivated by a sense of shared responsibility and faith. This title won the 2012 Terry McAdam Book Award, issued by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, which annually recognizes a book that advances the nonprofit sector. The book was turned into a multimedia presentation that toured the country.

The New Fundraisers: Who Organises Charitable Giving in Contemporary Society, by Beth Breeze (2017, Policy Press). The author co-founded and directs the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent. Based on data from a three-year study of more than 1,200 fundraisers in Britain, the book explores the characteristics and motivation of those who ask for charitable gifts. Thanks to @Ruth_K_Hansen for the recommendation.

The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do, by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller (Third Edition, 2014, Berrett-Koehler Publishers). Through a fictional account of a struggling leader, the authors share the attributes and actions that make a leader successful. Thanks to @crestrepocae for the recommendation.