SOFII reviews fundraising’s best books

Just the best books, films and videos, summarised, reviewed and recommended one by one by your peers, to help you to have a bookshelf that you can rely on, that contains only the best published works on fundraising to be found anywhere. Fundraisers will find here reviews of the cream of fundraising’s best books.

Could this be the sea change that fundraising really needs?

By Penelope Burk.

It’s not yet published but already it’s causing a stir. The inside story on leading a high performance fundraising team….

Read the full review by Ken Burnett here.

The Fundraiser’s Guide to Irresistible Communications.

By Jeff Brooks.

It’s a virtual truism that each generation of copywriters and fundraisers must fight the same battles over and over again. Boards, CEOs, fundraisers change, but the DNA ain’t improving. Now the cavalry has arrived. Enter Jeff Brooks and his new book. At a time when too many pay lip service to becoming ‘donor-centric’ but fail to put it into practice, Jeff gives us the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of creating copy that puts the donor first and foremost.

Read the full review by Roger Craver here.

About that first tweet.

By Unity Bank and Social Misfits Media.

A practical guide to social media for charities and social enterprises, published as a free service for charities by Unity Trust Bank and Social Misfits Media, London. Now PhD researcher Suay Melisa Ozkula's has prepared a brilliantly concise review for you.

Read the full review written by Suay Melisa Ozkula here.

Asking Properly - The Art of Creative Fundraising.

By George Smith.

Charlie Hulme asks you to use the quotes in his review of George Smith’s seminal work Asking Properly: the Art of Creative Writing as a mirror. If you despair at times, don’t worry; if you see where you’re going wrong Asking Properly will put it right. 

Read the full review written by Charlie Hulme.

Changing the world is the only fit work for a grown man.

By Steve Harrison.

Howard Luck Gossage reinvented advertising to change the world. He created a revolutionary approach to combining press and PR, kick-started the Green movement, coined the term ‘interactive’, influenced and continues to influence advertisers and communicators the world over. In so doing he became ‘the complete fundraiser’. If you know less about HLG than maybe you should, start reading here.

Read the full review written by Ken Burnett

Ask Without Fear: A simple guide to connecting donors with what matters to them most.

By Marc A. Pitman.

‘Simple but profound’ is how Joanne Fritz describes this book. She concludes that the author, Marc A Pitman has skilfully de-mystified major giving using entertaining and humorous anecdotes which leave you with a can-do attitude. 

Read the full review written by Joanne Fritz.

Philanthropy in a flat world, inspiration through globalization.

By Jon Duschinsky.

Clare McDowall, one of SOFII’s ambassadors, explains why this book changed her outlook and attitude to fundraising. Following Jon’s advice, she recommends throwing out the rule book and making the most of the huge opportunities (and challenges) that are facing the nonprofit sector today.

Read the full review written by Clare McDowall.

Fundraising Principles and Practice.

By Adrian Sargeant, Jen Shang and Associates.

‘A comprehensive selection of knowledge that is both readable and well structured’. See if you agree with Roewen Wishart’s thorough review of this book. Be sure to let us know. 

Read the full review written by Roewen Wishart.

 Relationship Fundraising: a donor-based approach to the business of raising money

By Ken Burnett

In Relationship Fundraising, the classic read for all fundraisers, Ken Burnett takes us carefully through the fundamentals of good fundraising. Ken reminds us that a unique relationship exists between donors and the causes they support, and shows us how to preserve and develop that relationship.
Read the full review written by Neil Sloggie.

Type and Layout: How typography and design can get your message across – or get in the way

by Colin Wheildon

Typestyle and typefaces may seem unlikely fare for readers of SOFII opinion pieces but not so if you want to communicate effectively with your donors. It has been said that communication is the key to building donors’ trust and confidence.
Read the full review written by Ken Burnett.

Digital Giving: How Technology is Changing Charity

by Richard C. McPherson

Only a few things in life are worth missing a flight for. I’d like to tell you about two of them. The first is merely amusing but the other, I think, you will find of more value. The first was only the second flight I’d missed, ever. It was going to Oslo, Norway, but I was stuck on London’s Hammersmith roundabout...
Read the full review written by Ken Burnett.

Making Change, Tips from an Underage Overachiever

by Bilaal Rajan

There are too many people who assume children aren’t important and can’t do anything. Twelve year old Bilaal Rajan proves them all wrong. When I first had this book ‘assigned’ to me, I thought it would be some long, boring book on fundraising. This is not the case...
Read the full review written by Skye MacKenzie.

Storytelling for Grantseekers: A Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising

by Cheryl A. Clarke

The foreword to this short and readable book summarises its value well, ‘For reluctant writers who need warm-up exercises and structured lessons…and for seasoned grant writers who get caught up in the jargon of our fields’...
Read the full review written by Roewen Wishart.

Achieving Excellence in Fund Raising

by Hank Rosso

If you have not read Rosso and his associates’ work, I thoroughly recommend this compendium of 500-plus pages. In it we find the analytical models of the ‘donor pyramid’, the ‘campaign planning cycle’, the ‘concentric circles... and a coherent expression of a philosophy. 
Read the full review by Roewen Wishart.
 

Revolution in the Mailbox

by Mal Warwick

The foreword to this short and readable book summarises its value well, ‘For reluctant writers who need warm-up exercises and structured lessons…and for seasoned grant writers who get caught up in the jargon of our fields’...
Read the full review written by Jan Chisholm.
 

The Influential Fundraiser: Using the psychology of persuasion to achieve outstanding results

by Bernard Ross and Clare Segal

When I heard about the idea of using psychology to raise more money I couldn’t imagine how that would fit into my previous learning about the pyramids, loops and ladders that are so familiar to many of us fundraisers. The fact is – it doesn’t....
Read the full review written by Kimberley MacKenzie. 
 

Tiny Essentials of Major Gift Fundraising

by Neil Sloggie

Major gift fundraising has been the ‘next big thing’ in a number of fundraising markets around the world for far too long. By this I mean that, although there is excellent work being done in this area by some not-for-profits, too many are held back by fear and lack of understanding...
Read the full review written by Charlotte Grimshaw.

Ogilvy on Advertising

by David Ogilvy

While the thought of another ‘must read’ book for fundraisers might overwhelm, you really should read this book, especially if you want to hire, or are currently working with an agency, want to apply for a job, have to write copy or are using ...

        Read this special feature written by Christiana Stergiou.