Advanced Fundraising Strategies

While the economy has certainly affected the nonprofit sector, philanthropy is still strong and people are still giving to charitable organizations. Learn strategies to expand your fund development efforts and increase contributed income for your organization.

This ADVANCED Fundraising Strategies seminar is appropriate for organizations with experience at basic fund development, have a fund development plan in place, staff time allocated to the fundraising function, and experience raising funds from individual as well as institutional donors.

This four-part seminar blends classroom sessions with individualized coaching to ensure each organization can apply strategies and develop plans for new fund development efforts. NSC instructor Donna McGinnis, MBA, CFRE, will lead this educational experience.

Participants completing this seminar will be able to:

Produce and promote giving opportunities for corporations and businesses utilizing philanthropy, sponsorship and corporate social marketing
Understand the necessity of relationship-building with private foundations
Understand how to increase unrestricted funds by learning how to cultivate, solicit and steward individual donors using an array of methods in a strategic annual giving campaign
Identify potential major individual donors and determine the personalized interaction required to cultivate, solicit and steward major donors
Understand the basic elements and strategies of planned giving
Gain competence in making face-to-face solicitations
Explore the ethics of fundraising
Understand governance issues surround fundraising– especially explore expectations for board members, their roles/responsibilities
Learn the basics of fundraising management including the cost of raising money and organizational readiness to raise funds
Discuss strategies to strengthen relationship internally between the development staff and the program staff

When and Where

The seminar series will be offered in St. Louis on March 17, April 14, May 12 and June 9. Hours are 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM each seminar date scheduled. A commitment to participate in all four sessions of the series is required.

Registration Fee

There is a nominal fee of $250 per organization. Organizations are required to send two participants. Space is limited to ten organizations (20 individuals) to ensure quality of training.

[Download Application Packet: Word | PDF] | Deadline to apply: March 1, 2010

Target Participants

This workshop is designed for health-related nonprofit organizations that have had at least two years of experience with fund development and seek to take their fundraising efforts to the next level. Executive Directors and Development Directors should attend; agencies without a development staff position will benefit from having a Board member or fundraising volunteer attend.

Donna McGinnis

Donna McGinnis has served the nonprofit sector for nearly 20 years, with particular expertise in fund development. She leads the Nonprofit Management Program at Washington University in St. Louis, which grants graduate certificates and master’s degrees. In addition to teaching at Washington University, Donna is involved in many other efforts serving the nonprofit sector.

Prior to her work in higher education, she served as a development director, an executive director, and as a consultant with The Rome Group, where she provided counsel to more than 60 charitable organizations in a variety of fields. She has been an active leader and mentor in her profession and a dedicated volunteer to her favorite causes.

Donna has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Washington State University and an MBA from Webster University. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

The mission of NSC is to strengthen our region's nonprofit organizations and the nonprofit sector as a whole by providing programs, services, and resources that inform, promote, and connect nonprofits as they work to improve people's lives.

[Download Application Packet: Word | PDF] | Deadline to apply: March 1, 2010

Support for this NSC program was provided by the Missouri Foundation for Health.