A Catholic Fundraiser’s Reading List

My 50 recommended books to read

Reading has been one of the best ways I’ve developed as a Catholic fundraiser. Over the years, I’ve read multiple genres to piece together a fundraising method that is grounded in the Catholic faith and efficient at delivering results.

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I have compiled a list of the top 50 books which includes a few recommendations from other Catholic fundraisers.

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The books cover a range of topics, including creative design, non-profit, writing, public speaking, motivation, fundraising, marketing, business, psychology, theology, and biographies.

  1. Essential Principles for Fundraising Success: An Answer Manual for the Everyday Challenges of Raising Money
  2. The Next Generation Leader: Five Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future
  3. Writing That Works, 3e: How to Communicate Effectively in Business
  4. The Temperament God Gave You: The Classic Key to Knowing Yourself, Getting Along with Others, and Growing Closer to the Lord
  5. Fundraising for Nonprofits: How to Build a Community Partnership
  6. Start with No: The Negotiating Tools That the Pros Don’t Want You to Know
  7. The Influential Fundraiser: Using the Psychology of Persuasion to Achieve Outstanding Results
  8. Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends
  9. Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt
  10. The Desktop Publisher’s Idea Book
  11. Growing Givers Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry
  12. Fundraising for Churches
  13. Guerrilla Marketing for Free: Dozens of No-Cost Tactics to Promote Your Business and Energize Your Profits
  14. Fundraising Management: Analysis, Planning, and Practice
  15. Great Christian Thinkers: From the Early Church through the Middle Ages
  16. Confessions of Augustine
  17. Guerrilla Marketing: Cutting-edge strategies for the 21st century
  18. Bernard of Clairvaux / by Henri Daniel-Rops
  19. Rejection Proof: How to Beat Fear and Become Invincible
  20. Life in Half a Second: How to Achieve Success Before It’s Too Late
  21. The $100 Startup: Fire Your Boss, Do What You Love and Work Better To Live More
  22. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
  23. Relationology: 101 Secrets to Grow Your Business Through the Power of Relationships
  24. Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy, and a Spiritual Call to Service
  25. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
  26. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
  27. Relationship Fundraising: A Donor-based Approach to the Business of Raising Money
  28. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints
  29. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
  30. Desktop Publishing and Design For Dummies
  31. Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way
  32. The Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure
  33. A Spirituality of Fundraising
  34. Stewardship – A Disciple’s Response – A pastoral letter from the US Catholic Bishops
  35. Discerning the Will of God: An Ignatian Guide to Christian Decision Making
  36. Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus
  37. Grant Writing For Dummies
  38. Storytelling for Grantseekers: A Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising
  39. How to Turn Your Words Into Money: The Master Fundraiser’s Guide to Persuasive Writing
  40. The Fundraiser’s Guide to Irresistible Communications
  41. Making Money with Donor Newsletters
  42. The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric
  43. The Ask: How to Ask for Support for Your Nonprofit Cause, Creative Project, or Business Venture
  44. People Raising: A Practical Guide to Raising Funds
  45. How to Win Friends & Influence People
  46. Fundraising For Dummies
  47. The Nonprofit Handbook: Fund Raising
  48. Fundraising Basics: A Complete Guide
  49. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
  50. Busy: How to thrive in a world of too much

Discussion Question: Which books do you recommend reading? Let me know in the comments section below.

Brice was born and raised Catholic. After enjoying a successful career in technology consulting with Accenture and PriceWaterhouseCoopers in cities across the United States (Dallas, San Francisco, Paris, Abu Dhabi, and London) around the world, he left it to help his Catholic diocese in London, England with a fundraising campaign. The campaign went on to raise over $60 million, the largest sum ever raised for the diocese and in the United Kingdom.

Learning from professional fundraisers, he figured out the basics and then left the diocese to focus on what he loves most: building Catholic charities that change the culture, save lives, and save souls.

Brice currently lives in Texas and travels the world helping Catholics fundraise. This website is where he shares what he is doing and how he is raising funds for Catholic causes and missions. That way you can move more quickly with your next appeal.

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6 thoughts on “A Catholic Fundraiser’s Reading List”

  1. I recommend ‘Who Moved my Cheese’. This is a very easy read and uses an analogy of mice and “mini-humans’ seeking cheese in a maze to explore how important flexibility is within an organisation. Highly recommend!

    • Thanks Eve for this recommendation. I’ve placed this book on my ‘Wish List’ on Amazon.

  2. these sound fascinating….must browse the Power of Persuasion. some of my all time favourites are
    the amazing novels by Michael O’Brien- Father Elijah, Island of the World, The Father’s Tale; and Peter Ackroyd’s biography of St Thomas More is awesome. and works of theology too many to mention some of which have changed my life, not least the great Pope St John Paul II’s Love and Responsibility etc.

    • Edmund, as always, you add great recommendations. I’m placing these books on my Wish List. I’ve read through L&R: it’s definitely rich in truth and recommendations for a fruitful life.

  3. I suggest this be added to your list: “Why Catholics Don’t Give…and What Can Be Done About It.” Us Catholics are notoriously lousy donors to our own Church. This book presents some data that busts apart a lot of the blindly accepted myths about Catholic giving, and gives practical advice on how to overcome our lack of stewardship.

    • Thank you, Sr Mary, for recommending this book. I like the title: it goes straight to the point. I’ve added ‘Why Catholics Don’t Give…and What Can Be Done About It’ to my wish list and will read it in the coming weeks.

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