Fund-Raising

Gain a broad overview of careers and fund-raising practices for nonprofit and educational institutions. Explore and learn the skills required to become a fund-raising professional, volunteer, or administrator. Lectures will include fund-raising ethics and principles, accountability, goals, and the components of a comprehensive fund-raising program. Learn to write the organization's mission and case statements, fund-raising proposals, plan a fund-raising event, and understand the practice of philanthropy. Topics include: fund-raising principles, case statements, annual gift giving programs, capital campaigns, corporate and foundation relations, proposal writing, planning special events, and recruitment and management of volunteers.

Learn the basic and successful techniques used to meet the goals of your non-profit organization's annual operating budget. Annual gift-giving campaign is the foundation of the fund-raising efforts of any program that require precision, energy and organization that must be implemented and refined every year. Develop an annual giving campaign that includes recruitment and organizing volunteered groups, create and write a case statement, direct mail and telemarketing campaigns designed to meet the special needs and challenges of your organization. Define and demonstrate the elements of a donor including the identification, prospecting, evaluating, cultivating, soliciting and maintaining a good donor relationship.

Board members and volunteers are the engines that drive every nonprofit organization, large and small. Explore the volunteer process and the relationship between board, volunteers, and staff. Understand the dynamics of the board and its roles and responsibilities. Gain an understanding of how to work with materials and publication tools used for recruitment, meeting agendas, minutes, board manuals, committee structures, mission statements and strategic plans. Receive practical tips on ways to recognize and evaluate board members and volunteers as well as how to survive crisis, conflict and the most common organizational problems.

In today's society, the bulk of philanthropic support comes from relatively few donors to charitable organizations. This course is designed for the fund-raising professional, nonprofit volunteer or executive director to identify, research, cultivate, develop relationships with and solicit potential major gift prospects. Guest presenters include non-profit fund-raising professionals who will discuss actual major gifts that have been made and analyze the motivations of the donors to make those gifts. Techniques include lectures, small group case study analysis, and role-playing. Occasional homework and two multi-week written assignments will deal with the non-profit organization of your choosing. You can reasonably expect to spend 1-1/2 hours per week on the class outside of classroom hours.

Are you interested in learning how to write grant proposals for nonprofit organizations? Gain an in-depth comprehensive understanding of grantmanship, including aspects of successful proposal writing; program development; funding research and strategic planning. Explore the key fundamental components of a grant proposal, by learning how to conduct research on your service interest, develop the organization's needs assessment, and where to find funding sources from foundations, corporations and government using the Internet. Learn how to prepare the program's budget that supports your written proposal and help position yourself and your organization for possible funding. Classes are progressively structured, allowing you to draft, refine and submit an actual proposal by the end of the course. Classroom exercises are designed to hone grant writing skills, using "how to" instructions, samples of proposals and supplemental materials received and discussed during the lectures. You will come away with an "I can do it!" attitude--the skills and knowledge needed to become a proposal writer. This class is appropriate for new and experienced proposal writers who want to sharpen their skills.

Strategic planning is an essential element of the fund-development process. With increasing competition for diminished funding sources, nonprofit organizations need to be held accountable for their finances and operations. Identify how to improve your organization's performance and match fund-raising methods to your organization's strengths. Develop mission and vision statements for your organization's goals, conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, develop and implement a tactical operating plan with benchmarks tied to your overall strategic plan. Set realistic goals integrating strategic planning into your daily activities and creating a focused mission. Class project will be to create an abbreviated strategic plan for your organization.

Marketing communication is an essential element of the fund-development process. With increasing competition for diminished sources, non-profit organizations must communicate their case for support using a variety of marketing and public relations methods and techniques in a strategic fashion. Discover how to identify and know your audiences and target your marketing messages in order to create an environment conducive to fund-raising success. Gain an understanding of how to develop and implement a marketing communications plan. Class project is to create an abbreviated marketing communications plan for your organization.

Ethics and standards are hotly debated subjects in the public forum today. These subjects are particularly critical to the Fourth Sector (philanthropy and nonprofit organizations), where working professionals move in the realms of trust, altruism, greater good, and millions of dollars. This course approaches this vibrant subject from a background of philosophy, culture, business, and the values intrinsic to the Fourth Sector. In this highly interactive class, you'll explore the origins of ethics, define modern ethical standards for your organization, engage in discussions and exercises involving topical current events, and prepare a communication standard of ethical excellence for your donors, board of directors and staff for professional philanthropic practices.

Deepen your experience in identifying how ethics and standards, which are hotly debated subjects in the public forum today, apply to the role of Board of Directors, staff responsibilities, and communicating moral and ethical excellence to donors. While this class builds upon material gained in the first five weeks, it can also stand alone as it will refine your existing skills in developing ethical fitness for your nonprofit organization. Identify how to educate and hold your Board of Directors to an ethical code of conduct as well as cultivating organizational conscience. Engage in discussions and exercises involving topical current events, and apply exercises to your organization's unique dilemmas and questions regarding nonprofit and philanthropic practices.

Does your public image do you justice? Dynamic presentation skills are a "must" for those in marketing, advertising and design management, public relations, fund-raising, sales and other careers that require the ability to communicate persuasively and with confidence. Beginning with the premise that we are always presenting ourselves, this hands-on course helps participants become comfortable, confident, and masterful presenters. The principles presented apply to business settings as well as to other activities in daily life. Course content is customized to focus on the interests and concerns of all attending. Participants practice exercises designed specifically for them, have the opportunity to make several presentations, and receive positive feedback and personal coaching from the instructor.