A fundraising books holiday wishlist
by Christiana Stergiou
Wishing you health, happiness and some extra fundraising sparkle in whatever you celebrate at this time of year. Here is a fundraising books wish-list I thought I’d share – full of fab holiday reading.
Ten top books to make you a better fundraising copywriter
Whether you write fundraising letters, content for your website, donor newsletters, promotional brochures or anything else for your nonprofit organization, here is an essential fundraising books wish-list (in no particular order of excellence):
- Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
, by Chip and Dan Heath. This book completely changed my thinking on how to create effective messages that ‘stick’.
- How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters
and Revolution in the Mailbox: Your Guide to Successful Direct Mail Fundraising
, by Mal Warwick. Time and time again, when I need inspiration for a fundraising letter, I turn to Mal and the many excellent letters and ideas he features in these two awesome books.
- Tiny Essentials of Writing for Fundraising
and Asking Properly: The Art of Creative Fundraising
, by George Smith. Brilliant, short and simple. George Smith is the George Orwell for fundraising writers.
- The Influential Fundraiser: Using the Psychology of Persuasion to Achieve Outstanding Results
, by Bernard Ross and Clare Segal. This is a book that looks at any fundraising ask, whether written or verbal from the donor’s point of view. It also explains different communication preferences and explains the many ways people receive and process information.
- Ogilvy on Advertising
, by David Ogilvy. Entertaining and excellent. If you are thinking of advertising, or already advertise, this might be the reality check you’ve been looking for.
- Tested Advertising Methods
, by John Capels. David Ogilvy said Capels was the person from which he learned everything about copywriting. This book was first published in 1932 – but the currently available revised edition was published in 1998. Not a lot has changed!
- Seeing Through a Donor’s Eyes
and How to Write Fundraising Materials That Raise More Money
, by Tom Ahern. Tom’s books are worth their weight in gold.
What I’m planning on reading over my end of year break? The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change
, by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine. I’ve only read the intro so far, but I’m hooked. Here are two people who really understand the dilemma of many nonprofit staff trying to come to terms with social media and the online world. I can’t wait to finally have some time to read the rest.
Happy holiday reading, to you.
A version of this article was recently published in the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration blog – you can find out more here.
[note: links are Amazon affiliate links]
