Fundraising 401: Masterclasses in Nonprofit Fundraising That Would Make Peter Drucker Proud

This is not a "how to" book. Not in the conventional sense. "How to" fundraising books have, unfortunately, flooded the market. What you’ll rarely find on the bookshelves of our profession is a guide to thinking deeply about fundraising. That’s what Laurence A. Pagnoni has written for you.

In Fundraising 401: Masterclasses in Nonprofit Fundraising That Would Make Peter Drucker Proud, Pagnoni masterfully leads you through a series of revelations that will equip you to deal effectively with the tough circumstances you will face, sooner or later, as a nonprofit-sector fundraising professional.

In this groundbreaking book, Pagnoni shows you how to approach hard challenges like a master. You’ll not only become more effective on behalf of the agencies you work with, but you’ll be equipped to avoid costly, even disastrous, mistakes simply because Pagnoni identifies them for you and shows how to deal with them.

Pagnoni’s willingness to share the lessons of his decades in the profession may just make this the most valuable book on fundraising you will ever read.

Here is what others are saying:

Right at the start, I fell in love with this new book by Laurence Pagnoni. And the love went all the way to the end. —Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE, Philanthropy Program, St. Mary’s University, Minnesota

It’s rare that an author writing about fundraising offers anything we haven’t heard (or read) before. Rarer still when new ground is broken, and, where necessary, dogma challenged. Rarest of all is when we are shown, not told, through entertaining but instructive stories that make everything crystal clear. Laurence A. Pagnoni is that author, and this is that book. —Stephen C. Nill, JD, Founder and CEO, CharityChannel

This is the fire behind all the fundraising smoke. Read it, and re-read it annually. —Michael L. Taylor, CFRE, President, LAPA Fundraising

You need this book—don’t start fundraising without it! —John Baguley, President, International Fundraising Consultancy

Imagine finding one fundraising book that lays the foundation for advanced thinking about how your nonprofit can raise more revenue? Mission Accomplished. —John Cunneen, Founder, TripleOne Consulting

As a nonprofit professional with 35 years of experience, who has served as a long-time NonProfit PRO contributor and advisory board member, Laurence brings a unique wealth of leadership and fundraising knowledge to our sector. This book is no simple how-to guide for beginners; this book is a compilation of key lessons learned over his fundraising years. The contents of this book encourage inquisitive thinking and advanced thinking to fundraising strategy. As an example, one of my favorite chapters in the book is “Fundraising Is Art and Science” — simply due to the fact that fundraising is not and should not be just an ask-and-receive strategy. It requires research, experimentation and an understanding of emotions. And this chapter fully explains what makes fundraising an art and a science, and dives into how the two can work together to help nonprofits get the most out of their fundraising. He seamlessly weaves together problems that nonprofit professionals have (or will eventually face) and the solutions to help them solve those issues. Each chapter dives into different foundational topics, shares individual stories of different nonprofit professionals and offers valuable insights for executives looking to learn how to advance their missions. This book is a great resource for every nonprofit professional seeking to learn how to learn the finer details of fundraising, and for those who want to master it as well. —Nhu Te, Editor-in-Chief, NonProfit PRO