• How to Start and Grow a Think Tank
• Grassroots Leadership Guide to K-12 Education Reform
  • Prologue
  • Decide What Type of Organization You Want to Become
  • Building and Maintaining an Effective Board
  • Get Things Up and Running
  • Legal Reference Material
  • Organize Your Staff and Volunteers
  • Examples of Programs and Operational Materials
  • Building Coalitions
  • Getting Your Message Out/Media Relations
  • Talking with Legislators
  • Raising Money
    • Overview
    • Fundraising for the Free Society
    • Answers to Questions About Fundraising
    • Cookies or Camp? Fundraising or Development?
    • Don't Sell Direct Mail Short!
    • An Intern Program Grant Request
    • The Top Ten Fundraising Books
  • History of School Choice
  • Education Reform Research and Resources
  • Resources
• Taking Donors Seriously
• Fundraising Fundamentals

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The Top Ten Fundraising Books

by Kevin Gentry, Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation

Fundraising advice is pretty easy to come by. Trouble is, how do you know if it's good fundraising advice?

In some foreign countries, the locals are known for generously providing directions to where you want to go -- even if they don't have a clue how to get you to where you need to go!

A lot of fundraising advice is really bad, in fact.

It's like political candidates who stumble over the finish line, then swear that their name-emblazoned emery boards and refrigerator magnets were the keys to victory.

Well, here's a good top-ten list of what to read.

Because most fundraising is about effective marketing, many of the books below are about good marketing.

And because psychological influences frequently determine how we respond to marketing, I start with Cialdini's work. He's absolutely the best.

Jerry Panas is a good fundraiser, and Thomas Stanley understands the behavior of the affluent.

But if you could only read one thing, read anything by Mal Warwick. You can start the process free -- and go to http://www.malwarwick.com/

Happy hunting!

1) Influence by Robert B. Cialdini (Morrow, William; 1993. 309 pages),


2) My Life In Advertising/ Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins (NTC Publishing Group; 1987 reprint. 336 pages.)


3) Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy (Crown Publishing Group; 1983; 224 pages.)


4) The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout (HarperCollins; 1994. 132 pages.)


5) Mega Gifts by Jerold Panas (Bonus Books; 1998 reissue. 231 pages.)


6) Selling to the Affluent by Thomas J. Stanley (McGraw-Hill Companies; 1997 reprint. 477 pages.)


7) Revolution In the Mailbox by Mal Warwick (Wiley, John & Sons; 2004, Revised and updated. 324 pages.)


8) The Five Strategies for Fundraising Success by Mal Warwick (Wiley, John & Sons; 1999. 320 pages.)


9) How To Write Successful Fundraising Letters by Mal Warwick (Wiley, John & Sons; 2001 Revised and updated. 320 pages.)


10) Ten Steps to Fundraising Success by Mal Warwick (Wiley, John & Sons; 2001. 160 pages.)

Kevin Gentry is vice president for strategic development at the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation in Washington, DC.