There are a ton of great resources that organizations can use to strengthen their development and fundraising efforts that it’s easy to get lost or overwhelmed sifting through them all. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed reading various books, articles, research insights, and other useful content that have been tremendously valuable in growing my fundraising skillset. Below are just some of these many resources.

Check back here often for some of the best and latest insights coming out of the nonprofit development space!

General Development

  • The Bridgespan Group’s report, Finding Your Nonprofit’s Funding Strategy, packs a ton of information and is a must-read for any organization looking to revamp or pivot their fundraising approach to achieve long-term success. The article offers some practical steps your nonprofit can take, such as answering three key questions around your fundraising strategy, and builds off of other fundraising myths that The Bridgespan Group has busted (such as, the misguided notion that your nonprofit needs to diversify revenue across revenue streams to be successful).

  • Bonterra’s (formerly Network for Good) How to Turn Your Board Members Into Fundraisers. A practical guide to help dispel myths around fundraising that boards may have and help them get more comfortable fundraising for your organization. This guide also provides simple steps and templates to help your board members become effective ambassadors and fundraisers for your organization.

  • If you’re looking for another great resource on how to leverage the potential of your board, check out Susan Howlett’s book, Boards on Fire! This book does a fantastic job of helping transform board members into effective ambassadors for your organization by leaning into their strengths and equipping them with the tools they need to succeed in the role. Highly recommended for development officers and executive leaders alike!

  • CCS’s annual Philanthropic Landscape reports, which provide a comprehensive look at US philanthropy and the most recent trends across the philanthropic sector. These reports (the 2025 one is available here) are essential reading for fundraising professionals looking to stay on top of the latest data and insights.

  • ClimateWorks Foundation’s annual Funding Trends report (most recent one available here) provides in-depth analysis on the latest trends and insights on where climate funding is going and what may be in store for the future. I’m partial to tracking the climate sector specifically and imagine there may be similar reports out there for other sectors. This is the preeminent resource for those fundraising in the climate space and provides a wealth of insights that can help your organization better strategize for the future.

  • Cynthia Gibson’s report Beyond Fundraising: What Does it Mean to Build a Culture of Philanthropy? provides timeless insights on how everyone in your organization can play a pivotal role in fundraising. This is a fantastic resource to not only help your organization achieve fundraising success, but to also build strong organizational culture, camaraderie, and collective buy-in among all staff and board members. Highly recommended reading!

Moves Management

  • Kindsight’s Moves Management Cheat Sheet is a great introduction for those newer to the nonprofit fundraising world and provides clear insights on how to transform prospects into long-term supporters of your organization by focusing on progressing them along the moves management cycle.

  • Bloomerang’s 42 Questions to Ask Major Donor Prospects. Major gift fundraising is all about the relationship. This resource provides you with a range of questions from the more generic ones (eg, “What are you most proud of?”) to more targeted ones (eg, “Where do you feel the mission of our organization aligns with your values?”) designed to help build stronger and more inspirational relationships.

  • The Better Fundraising Co.’s Fundraising Playbook, which covers their “core four” strategies for supercharging your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts by honing in on building major donor systems, optimizing fundraising events, increasing donor communications, and using audience-appropriate messaging. The Better Fundraising Co. uses proven strategies and techniques—grounded in deep knowledge and proven results—to help nonprofits achieve their fundraising goals and I recommend getting a hand on all the great resources and reports they provide.

Communications

  • The Better Fundraising Co’s 42 Illustrated, Inspirational, Simple Fundraising Lessons e-book (available for download, along with a bunch of other fantastic resources from The Better Fundraising Co. here). This e-book provides some invaluable core insights on how to approach your fundraising strategies and how to strengthen your donor communications. A great resource for those that prefer visual learning.

  • Kevin L. Brown’s blog post, Why Your Website Strategy is Missing the Mark, provides a helpful approach to designing a website that helps your nonprofit raise funds 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.