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Top 7 Reads for Nonprofit Marketers and Fundraisers

Posted on July 12, 2008November 30, 2019 by Roger Carr

Mark Rovner at Sea Change Strategies, wants to know what books I would recommend this summer for nonprofit marketers and fundraisers. He is the host of the next Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants.

I am an avid reader, especially when it comes to nonprofit marketing and fundraising. The books I enjoy and recommend tend to be easy to read, understand and implement.

It was difficult, but here are my top seven books for nonprofit markers and fundraisers:

  1. Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes
    If I was to recommend one book on marketing for nonprofit organizations, this would be it. After reading this book by Katya Andresen, you will think differently about how to engage your target audience.
  2. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
    You may have a great mission, but your organization won’t last if you can’t get others to support it. This book by Chip Heath and Dan Heath will have you telling your stories in a way that will maximize your ability to get the support you need for now and in the future.
  3. Ask Without Fear!: A Simple Guide to Connecting Donors With What Matters to Them Most
    This book by Marc A. Pitman should be read by everyone who is involved in any way with fundraising. It provides a step by step method to ask for funds that is not only effective, but also removes much of the fear that is attributed to fundraising.
  4. Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work
    This is another great book by Ilona M. Bray that covers the basic elements of fundraising. It not only discusses one-on-one requests from potential donors, but also covers requesting grants.
  5. Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits
    Whether you are a nonprofit marker or fundraiser, it is important to understand the qualities of a high impact nonprofit organization. This book by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant is the result of a multi-year study that discovered those practices common across high impact nonprofit organizations.
  6. Grassroots Philanthropy
    This is another great book by Bill Somerville and Fred Setterberg on ways that nonprofit foundations can be more effective. Again, understanding those wallet ease that make a nonprofit organization effective will help in developing an effective message to be used for marketing and fundraising.
  7. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
    We all have challenges in getting things done in a busy world. This is a fun book by Brian Tracy that shares an important technique. It has helped me tremendously, I hope it will help you just as much.

Enjoy your summer with one or more of these books. Please share your opinion regarding the books you read in the comment section below.

11 thoughts on “Top 7 Reads for Nonprofit Marketers and Fundraisers”

  1. Alex, aka Socialbutterfly says:
    July 13, 2008 at 12:38 am

    Great post Roger! and I like the widget you included, how fun, =). I’m definitely going to look into some of these. I’m also a big fan of Robin Hood Marketing and a few of the others are currently in my stash for future reads. Hope all is well!

    Alex

    Reply
  2. Joanne Fritz says:
    July 15, 2008 at 12:50 pm

    Hey Roger! Great post. I picked it up through the carnival. Some of these I’ve reviewed on my site. I would love to post your post on my blog….let me know if I can.

    Reply
  3. Anne says:
    July 15, 2008 at 1:10 pm

    Great suggestions Roger! I am looking forward to checking these out! Thank you for taking the time to suggest them!

    Reply
  4. Jason Dick says:
    July 18, 2008 at 1:05 am

    I read the Grassroots Philanthropy Book and loved it:
    http://www.asmallchange.net/a-look-in-the-mirror/
    I’ve also been reading Forces for Good and really like it.

    Reply
  5. Katya Andresen says:
    August 5, 2008 at 1:17 pm

    Thanks for the mention! I’m thrilled RHM is considered prize-worthy:) I am a huge fan of Made to Stick and Ask Without Fear, too.

    Reply
  6. Marc A. Pitman says:
    August 9, 2008 at 1:39 pm

    Hi Roger, I realized I’d tweeted my thanks, emailed it, blogged it on my blog, and told you in person when we met, but I never left you a comment here!

    Thank you! I’m honored to be included in such good company! (I love Robin Hood Marketing!)

    Reply
  7. Roger Carr says:
    August 11, 2008 at 10:12 am

    Alex, Anne, and Jason: Thanks for sharing your comments on the blog post and your experience with the books.

    Reply
  8. Roger Carr says:
    August 11, 2008 at 10:17 am

    Joanne,
    Thanks for republishing my “recommended read” post. I am a subscriber of your blog and enjoy learning from it.

    Reply
  9. Roger Carr says:
    August 11, 2008 at 10:20 am

    Katya and Marc,
    It is wonderful to have great authors who support the nonprofit community as reaaders of the Everyday Giving Blog. Thanks for all that you do to make a difference.

    Reply
  10. Julie says:
    September 23, 2008 at 12:46 pm

    Unicef is a great example of non-profit organization that works a great strategy in tackles marketing. For example, they are currently working on a project that provides water to Africa, (http://drink1give10.com)with the help from Volvic, no budget or limited budgets.

    Reply
  11. Nonprofit Fundraising says:
    April 8, 2015 at 10:43 am

    Great suggestions! Time to rest a little and feed the mind and I know the best way to do it is by reading good books. Nonprofit marketers and fundraisers are better if they are well read. I’ll surely look these books up and consider reading one of these for the summer. Thanks for the share!

    Nonprofit Fundraising

    —–
    PING:
    TITLE: NPC Carnival: Summer Reads for Non-Profit Marketers
    URL: http://seachangestrategies.com/blog/2008/07/14/npc-carnival-summer-reads-for-non-profit-marketers/
    IP: 69.89.27.240
    BLOG NAME: seachangestrategies.com
    DATE: 07/14/2008 09:46:11 PM
    Well folks, I guess either many of the usual carnival contributors are away at the beach devouring their summer reads or the request for best-of books for non-profit marketers stumped the panel.
    Happily the one lone submission that came in was a superb…

    Reply

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