Fundraising Summit

Morning

Flip the Script: A Growth Mindset and Plan for Donor Acquisition

Do you find yourself feeling like the donor pool is tapped out? Do you return to the same pool of donors over and over again? Are you in search of new approaches to find new donors? Then this workshop is for you! Together will bust the myths of the shrinking donor pool and get you motivated to engage new donors.

Participants will:

·        Understand the importance of a growth mindset around donor acquisition.

·        Explore a variety of donor acquisition tactics.

·        Choose two or three practical donor acquisition tactics to incorporate into their fundraising plan.

Afternoon

Are You New Here? Creating a Welcome Series

Once you find new donors, what do you do? Stop the leaky bucket! Donor retention is critical to our fundraising efforts – yet the national average remains alarming low, especially for first time donors (approx. 23%). This workshop will explore how a robust welcome series and documented process for engaging with first time donors can make all the difference.

Participants will:

·        Understand the importance of focusing on new donor engagement.

·        Develop a practical, right-sized welcome process for new donors.

·        Share an initial welcome message with fellow participants for feedback.

Morning

Playing the Guessing Game? The Power of a Donor Survey

Do you know why your donor’s support you? What they hope to do with their philanthropy? How they want to engage with your mission? We worry about communicating too much or “bothering” donors. If we don’t ask, we won’t know – and we are left guessing. This workshop will explore the art of creating donor surveys and what to do with the results.

Participants will:

·        Understand why donor surveys are important in building strong relationships with donors.

·        Understand how to create and use effective surveys for different donor groups.

·        Develop at least two surveys with a planned follow-up process.

Afternoon

Do You Even Know Me? Using Data & Identifying Groups

Communicating with donors to keep them engaged is critical to any strong fundraising plan. But how do we do it with limited time capacity? How do we ensure our donor data is driving our engagement groups? This workshop will provide an opportunity to gain perspective on your donor data to create groups that will drive effective donor stewardship.

Participants will:

·        Understand the importance of working with clean data.

·        Consider various perspectives of donor data and relationship to drive stewardship and fundraising appeal efforts.

·        Create engagement plan and an appeal for two donor groups – including monthly donors.

Morning

Numbers Don’t Lie: Storytelling with Data

You've been told that giving is an emotional response -- lead with the heart. You've heard all the should. You should: tell stories, report outcomes, share impact! How can you do it all? How do you share impact, outcomes, and stories? This workshop will explore the art of Storytelling with Data, where you’ll be guided through the power of incorporating data into your storytelling -- and hear practical suggestions for how to do it.

Participants will understand:

·        Why incorporating data is important.

·        When and how to integrate data and storytelling.

·        Write a first draft of a story incorporating data – and receive feedback.

Afternoon

Perfecting the Three-Point Turn: Soliciting at an Event

Events are wonderful opportunities to gather the community, raise awareness about your organization, and raise funds for your mission. But knowing the best timing, story, and approach for soliciting funds can be tricky. This workshop will walk through effective event program approaches for various event types to create an irresistible “three-point turn” ask of your attendees.

Participants will:

·        Explore the various event types that will lead to effective solicitation.

·        Understand the best time and approach to make an ask during different types of events.

·        Practice the three-point turn – for the audience.

Morning

How to Beat the 45 Second Attention Span: Developing a Multi-channel Campaign

Developing one appeal piece can be tough enough – and creating a multi-channel approach can feel daunting. This workshop will be an immersive experience in preparing a multi-channel campaign. From getting the first words down on paper to creating a full campaign package – come ready to write with abandon, receive feedback, and ruthlessly edit.

Participants will:

·        Understand the importance of a multi-channel approach to fundraising to capture donor attention.

·        Draft, review, revise, revisit, and edit a multi-channel fundraising campaign.

Afternoon

“Mocking Up” the Major Donor Ask

When it comes to major donor personal solicitation, do you find yourself asking: How do I get started? What do I say? Do I make an ask at the first meeting? This workshop will offer opportunities to practice the donor ask. Through conversation role-play and receiving feedback from your fellow participants, you’ll gain confidence and clarify your process in a safe, supportive environment.

Participants will:

·        Understand the rhythm and progression of a major donor ask.

·        Role-play the process of major donor conversations.

·        “Pitch” and receive feedback, questions, clarity from fellow participants about what works and what doesn’t.