Introduction to Fundraising for Nonprofits Microcredential
Successful fundraising is a critical component for almost all nonprofits and a required competency for nonprofit leaders. Without effective fundraising, the fulfillment of nonprofit missions is impossible. In this introduction to nonprofit fundraising for working professionals, board members, and volunteers with less than two years of professional fundraising experience, participants will learn the fundamental mechanics, ethics, and strategies of effective fundraising, including developing, implementing, and evaluating your plan and building annual giving campaigns and special events that further your mission and engage and retain donors.
Workshop #1 - Fundraising 101: The Mechanics, Ethics and Strategies of Raising Money (Thursday, March 24, 9-11:00 AM)
In this course participants will discuss giving trends in the nonprofit sector, as well as learn basic fundraising tools and resources that will set an important foundation for the following courses. Participants will:
Workshop #2 - Unrestricted\Annual Giving: Building Sustainability at your Nonprofit Organization (Thursday, March 31, 9-11:00 AM)
Simply put, nonprofits cannot function without the financial support of others. Our organizations must build long term relationships with donors that will sustain their organizations. During this course, participants will learn the importance of building a robust annual giving plan integrating with their marketing and communications efforts. Participants will:
Workshop #3 - Special Events (Thursday, April 7, 9-11:00 AM)
Special events play an important role at every organization as they can be both important fundraising and friend raising tools. Although special events can be very labor intensive for the organization, there are ways to make these events both effective and efficient. During this course, participants will:
Workshop #4 - Stewardship & Donor Relations (Thursday, April 14, 9-11:00 AM)
Showing appreciation to donors is the number one way to ensure donors keep giving to your organization. While thank you letters are important, effective stewardship is much more than a simple letter. During this course, participants will
Workshop #5 - Digital Fundraising (Thursday, April 21, 9-11:00 AM)
Although on-line gifts account for less than 10% of all donations, having a digital strategy is an important component of any fundraising plan. Organizations must have a digital presence across multiple platforms. Organizations must also strategize to maximize their exposure to grow their fundraising efforts. Participants will
Workshop #6 - Building Your Fundraising Strategy: Planning, Assessment, and Evaluation (Thursday, April 28, 9-11:00 AM)
Building a clear, measurable, and mission-driven fundraising plan is essential for every organization. This session will help participants understand how to build an annual fundraising plan and the small, smart, and successive steps you can take to improve overall results. Participants will learn how to:
In this course participants will discuss giving trends in the nonprofit sector, as well as learn basic fundraising tools and resources that will set an important foundation for the following courses. Participants will:
- Review basic fundraising terminology
- Discuss common donor motivations for giving
- Review IRS polices that nonprofits must follow
Workshop #2 - Unrestricted\Annual Giving: Building Sustainability at your Nonprofit Organization (Thursday, March 31, 9-11:00 AM)
Simply put, nonprofits cannot function without the financial support of others. Our organizations must build long term relationships with donors that will sustain their organizations. During this course, participants will learn the importance of building a robust annual giving plan integrating with their marketing and communications efforts. Participants will:
- Discover necessary components of an annual integrated calendar including direct mail, donor acquisition and digital communication
- Review and discuss trackable metrics beyond dollars raised to grow their annual giving programs
- Discuss strategies to grow sustainer programs (monthly giving)
Workshop #3 - Special Events (Thursday, April 7, 9-11:00 AM)
Special events play an important role at every organization as they can be both important fundraising and friend raising tools. Although special events can be very labor intensive for the organization, there are ways to make these events both effective and efficient. During this course, participants will:
- Review and discuss the components of a special events plan
- Discuss appropriate post-event follow-up
- Discovery creative ways to raise funds beyond the typical gala format
Workshop #4 - Stewardship & Donor Relations (Thursday, April 14, 9-11:00 AM)
Showing appreciation to donors is the number one way to ensure donors keep giving to your organization. While thank you letters are important, effective stewardship is much more than a simple letter. During this course, participants will
- Discover new, unique ways to steward donors to ensure donor retention
- Discuss effective language for stewardship messages
- Review best practices and real-life examples of effective messaging
Workshop #5 - Digital Fundraising (Thursday, April 21, 9-11:00 AM)
Although on-line gifts account for less than 10% of all donations, having a digital strategy is an important component of any fundraising plan. Organizations must have a digital presence across multiple platforms. Organizations must also strategize to maximize their exposure to grow their fundraising efforts. Participants will
- Discuss integrating a digital strategy within their fundraising strategies
- Discuss Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other potential platforms for digital presence and fundraising
- Review best practice cases
Workshop #6 - Building Your Fundraising Strategy: Planning, Assessment, and Evaluation (Thursday, April 28, 9-11:00 AM)
Building a clear, measurable, and mission-driven fundraising plan is essential for every organization. This session will help participants understand how to build an annual fundraising plan and the small, smart, and successive steps you can take to improve overall results. Participants will learn how to:
- Evaluate their fundraising program's true effectiveness
- Develop short and long-term goals based on current performance
- Better plan for the next fiscal year
- Operate a more effective organization which will result in more philanthropic dollars to support their missions
About the Presenter:
Michael J. Buckley, CFRE
Principal, The Killoe Group
A career fundraiser, Michael J. Buckley, CFRE, is a non-profit consultant and coach working with organizations to manage annual and capital campaigns, provide staff and leadership trainings and provide counsel to strategically advance the overall mission of the organizations he works with. Prior to his consulting career, Mike spent nearly twenty years in various leadership fundraising roles at non-profits in both animal welfare and higher education environments. Mike started his fundraising career as a student phon-a-thon caller at his alma mater and ultimately served as the Vice President for Philanthropy & External Affairs at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in Albany, NY. A passionate supporter of the profession of fundraising, Mike is the Past President of his local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and holds the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) distinction. Mike has presented multiple presentations to national audiences, including the AFP Donor Retention Workshop.
Principal, The Killoe Group
A career fundraiser, Michael J. Buckley, CFRE, is a non-profit consultant and coach working with organizations to manage annual and capital campaigns, provide staff and leadership trainings and provide counsel to strategically advance the overall mission of the organizations he works with. Prior to his consulting career, Mike spent nearly twenty years in various leadership fundraising roles at non-profits in both animal welfare and higher education environments. Mike started his fundraising career as a student phon-a-thon caller at his alma mater and ultimately served as the Vice President for Philanthropy & External Affairs at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in Albany, NY. A passionate supporter of the profession of fundraising, Mike is the Past President of his local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and holds the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) distinction. Mike has presented multiple presentations to national audiences, including the AFP Donor Retention Workshop.
