1. Choosing Your Road: Organizational Development Specialist or Just Another Fundraising Technician

Session description: There are fundraisers and organizational development specialists – the latter classified as change agents serving the entire organization and looking beyond the immediate need for funds. Guaranteed. Every organization needs its own in-house organizational development specialists to survive and flourish – and the development officer should be one of these specialists. You choose whether or not you want to be more than a great fundraising technician. P.S. Probably more than 75% of “fundraising problems” are not fundraising problems at all.

This presentation challenges the development of our profession and our professions and has resonated with fundraisers from Australia to Kansas City.

Audience: Executive Directors and Development Officers. All levels but some experience in the profession is best.

Timeframe: Multiple versions available – keynote address; 75 minute and various length workshops including all daylong workshop or incorporated as an element in a more comprehensive seminar.

2. Creating a Fund Development Plan That Produces Ownership and Results

Session description: How you create your plan is as important as the resulting plan. An effective process builds ownership and accountability among staff and board. This workshop is designed to help you re-think how you create your fund development plan and what should be included in the plan.

Audience: Executive Directors, Board members, Development officers. Some experience with fundraising is preferable.

Timeframe: Multiple versions available from 75 minutes to all day

3. Yes, You Can Ask for Big Gifts

Session description: Face-to-face solicitation is the best way to raise money. Need help convincing your board members? Want some tips to develop their skills? Then this may be the workshop for you. You will participate in a solicitation role-play.

Audience: Executive Directors and Development Officers. Entry level and mid-level.

Timeframe: Multiple versions available – 75 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 and 2 hour versions available

4. Basic principles of fund development and best practice

Session description: This all-day seminar integrates the following elements: understanding your role as an organizational development specialist, fostering a culture of philanthropy in your organization, enabling volunteers, and building profitable relationships that last. The seminar brings it all together through the fund development planning process.

Audience: Most useful for volunteers and staff who are new to fund development. However, experienced development officers have indicated that the session is useful for their board members.

Timeframe: Multiple versions available – 2 hours and more. I have developed (and continue to revise and deliver) a comprehensive 15-hour curriculum that is directed at teams of attendees from organizations, including board members. I have presented this comprehensive multi-session version over a period of 6 months for grantees of various community foundations

5. Strategic Fund Development in a Changing Marketplace – Your Role

Session description: This all-day seminar integrates the following elements: understanding your role as an organizational development specialist, fostering a culture of philanthropy in your organization, enabling volunteers, and building profitable relationships that last. The seminar brings it all together through the fund development planning process.

Audience: Most useful for individuals with some experience; however, even entry-level professionals have indicated that this was a helpful session.

Timeframe: 6-7 hours

6. The Power of Individual Donors

Session description: In times of recession or crisis, bull market or bust, individuals and families give small gifts and large to diverse causes. Indeed, their loyalty is likely stronger than government, foundations or corporations. These individuals provide much needed support for your organization. Small gifts. Large gifts. Bequests. Hundreds of donors or thousands. All this can be yours with thoughtful planning, focused volunteers, and well-designed strategies. This workshop offers you ideas about:

• Getting to know your donors and prospects
• Identifying those who may be predisposed to your cause.
• Cultivating relationships to encourage loyalty and gift increases.
• Designing the ask and soliciting the gift.

Audience: General audiences. Some experience required. Delivered in Calgary in February 2003 and the CASA National Conference in Boston in March 2003. Very well received.

Timeframe: 6-7 hour program.

7. Building profitable relationships that last

Session description: Relationships are critical to the success of not-for-profit organizations. But how do we establish relationships that are more than one-dimensional workplace connections? And how do we keep the donor (and prospective donor) at the center? You will see the difference in your bottom line as you build relationships that mature and become more productive throughout the relationship with your organization.

Timeframe: Multiple versions available – keynote address, 75 minutes to all day

8. Creating and managing the 4 relationships that are critical to fund development

Session description: This daylong seminar focuses on the premise of Joyaux’ book Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last. Specifically: the organization’s internal relationship including systems thinking; the organization’s relevance to the community, as determined by strategic planning; the organization’s ability to build relationships; and, the organization’s capacity to enable its volunteers.

Timeframe: 6-7 hours

9. Developing the Best Proposals for Foundations and Government

Session description: The best proposal starts with a good program and depends upon the right prospect. First the workshop describes the process to identify the right prospects for your organization and program. There’s more to it than reading application guidelines! Second, the workshop describes, in detail, the major elements of a proposal. Finally, the workshop provides you with writing tips personalized to foundations and government.

Timeframe: 1.5 and 2 hour versions available

10. Preparing for a capital campaign

Session description: A capital campaign is not just about the money; it’s about the growth of your fund development capacity over the longer term. And launching a capital campaign is all about readiness and capacity to do so. This session – available in various lengths – helps staff and board members ask the right questions, identify critical issues, and enhance institutional readiness.

Timeframe: Multiple versions available – 75 minutes to 2 hours

11. What the CEO Needs to Know About Fund Development

Session description: This is session directed to CEOs (and other senior staff), and addresses the following topics: the key fund development principles that every CEO and senior manager should know; the “rules of engagement for the board and the individual board member”; how to evaluate the effectiveness of the development operation; and, the role, job description and qualifications of a chief development officer.

Timeframe: Available in various length sessions