Gold-tinged leaves and crisp morning air signal the return of fall. But autumn brings more than falling leaves, shorter days, and pumpkin spice; for many, the end of summer means "back to school." If you cannot return to a real-life classroom for a continuing education course, reinvigorate your inner student by diving into some serious reading.

The required reading list for the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving’s Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (ECRF) course is an insightful dip into the fundamentals of development.

• Good to Great and the Social Sectors. Jim Collins' monograph was written to address questions raised by nonprofit leaders in response to Collins' bestseller, Good to Great.
• “Laws Concerning Gifts to the Poor.” Written by Moses Maimonides, the revered 12th century Spanish rabbi, this selection from his larger work discusses charity.
• A Spirituality of Fundraising. In this spiritual approach to fundraising, Henri Nouwen says that it benefits both the one who gives and the one who receives.
• The Life of Faith and The Faithful Use of Possessions. This text by Luke Timothy Johnson originated as a lecture presented to the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving in 2006.

Perusing this reading list of brief but penetrating books may inspire you to plunge into the ECRF course, or it may encourage you to explore resources on fundraising offered by the In Trust Center. Regardless, the ECRF list is an excellent launch into re-examining the principles of fundraising.

To explore further resources on fundraising, we recommend the following: 

• In Trust magazine articles on fundraising.
• In Trust Blog posts on fundraising. 
• Lake Institute on Faith & Giving recommended resources.