'Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision-Making' by Cherian Koshy premiered at #132 on the USA Today Bestseller list upon its publication and also ranked #6 on Amazon's list of books on business and finance. The book bridges neuroscience, behavioral economics, and storytelling to reveal how the brain makes decisions about giving and how fundraisers can design donor experiences that feel human rather than transactional. The USA Today list ranks the top 150 best-selling books across all genres and formats nationwide, making this achievement particularly significant for a book focusing on nonprofits, as specialized professional topics typically have smaller target audiences compared to mass-market fiction or general business books.
Koshy, a fundraising and behavioral science expert, expressed humility about the book's reception, noting it represents the culmination of two decades of work in fundraising, leadership, and behavior science. He emphasized that earning a spot on the USA Today bestseller list—nearly unheard of for a fundraising book—underscores a powerful truth about the nonprofit sector's eagerness for science-based insights that make generosity more meaningful and effective. Koshy described Neurogiving as more than a book, calling it a movement reshaping how the field understands donors, designs experiences, and inspires generosity.
The book integrates up-to-date insights from neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and proprietary research into a comprehensive roadmap for generating donor experiences that maximize generosity and long-term commitment. Readers will find illustrative examples and research-informed strategies for applying the book's principles in real-world fundraising contexts, accessible descriptions of why people give and why they might give repeatedly, and exploration of the potential role for artificial intelligence and machine learning in donor engagement and personalization. Perfect for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and philanthropy professionals seeking to increase donor engagement and retention, Neurogiving serves as an invaluable resource for major gifts officers, development directors, marketers, fundraising consultants, and fundraising trainers. The book's success on mainstream bestseller lists indicates a broader cultural shift toward applying scientific rigor to philanthropic practices, potentially transforming how organizations approach donor relationships and fundraising strategies across the nonprofit sector.
