9 free eBooks to help you brush up on basics and build new skills

Summer is a great time to explore Candid’s collection of free eBooks and audiobooks for titles that can help you achieve your goals as a nonprofit professional. Our collection covers a variety of topics to meet you where you are in your nonprofit career—whether you’re brushing up on core skills, leveling up your leadership skills, or venturing beyond your comfort zone to get ahead of the curve on new technology. Here are nine free eBooks to check out for inspiration. 

Nonprofit fundraising basics

Even for experienced fundraisers, it’s always a good idea to refresh core strategies to get the funding your organization needs. Hone existing skills and ensure that you’re equipped with the latest methods to achieve your fundraising goals with these recent titles.  

• How to Write a Grant Proposal by Cheryl Carter New and James Aaron Quick. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions, real-life examples, and templates to help you master the art of writing successful grant proposals. 

• Demystifying Fundraising Funnels: A Digital Marketing Blueprint to Fund Your Non-Profit by David Higgins. This book offers actionable strategies and a channel-by-channel approach to online fundraising, offering advice on topics ranging from enhancing communications to building a funnel campaign, as well as the tools needed to thrive in the digital economy. 

• The Nonprofiteer’s Fundraising Field Guide: 30 Practical Ways to Boost Philanthropy Through Servant-Leadership by Evan Wildstein. Emphasizing the power of servant-leadership, this guide provides a practical roadmap for engaging donors, increasing revenue, and advancing philanthropy. Read Philanthropy News Digest’s (PND) review. 

Level up your leadership skills

If you’re looking to enhance your leadership skills to take your mission to the next level, these titles can help you improve operations, foster strong team dynamics, and harness the power of diverse perspectives. 

• Scaling Altruism: A Proven Pathway for Accelerating Nonprofit Growth and Impact by Donald Summers. This toolkit for nonprofit leaders provides actionable strategies to elevate their organization’s impact, offering leadership best practices and guidance on fundraising and cash flow, including revenue tools and staff integration.  

• Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg. This book illustrates how understanding and leveraging the practical, emotional, and social layers of conversation can transform your communication skills and help you connect more effectively with your team. 

• Reconstructing DEI: A Practitioner’s Workbook by Lily Zheng. This companion workbook to DEI Deconstructed offers practical exercises and tools designed to empower nonprofit leaders in driving lasting diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes within themselves and their organizations. 

Innovating for change

For nonprofits looking for the latest innovations to maximize their impact, these titles provide ideas to use new technology for social change. As AI becomes more mainstream, prepare your nonprofit to embrace this transformative shift in the social sector. 

• The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human-Centered in an Automated World by Beth Kanter and Allison H. Fine. On the precipice of a new era in technology, it’s important to make sure your mission remains human-centered and ethical while embracing innovations like AI. Read the PND review. 

• The Tech That Comes Next: How Changemakers, Philanthropists, and Technologists Can Build an Equitable World by Amy Sample Ward and Afua Bruce. This book outlines strategies to develop technology for a more equitable world and steps for nonprofit leaders to move toward positive change. Read the PND review. 

• AI for Social Good: Using Artificial Intelligence to Save the World by Rahul Dodhia. This title offers an accessible explanation of how AI tools work, providing practical insights, real-life examples, and guidance on integrating AI into projects and policies for positive impact. 

Whether you’re getting back to basics or ready to tackle new frontiers, you can develop your skills throughout the year. Browse our collection of free eBooks and audiobooks on nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and related topics. 

To get started, see “How can I access Candid’s eBook collection?” If you have additional questions or need assistance navigating Candid’s educational resources, reach out to our team of online librarians at onlinelibrarian@candid.org or via our website.