Leading for Powerful Results Agenda

Tentative Agenda

Audience: The audience will include both CEOs and CDOs for the entire course.

Day One:

8:00 a.m. –   Registration

8:30 a.m. –   Introductions, Review Agenda

  • Expectations and Obstacles
    • Group exercise to identify expectations for the course and current challenges
  • Fundraising is a Management Function
    • Review of the six fundraising management functions as represented by
    • The Fund Raising School Cube
  • The Fundraising Environment
    • Where are the dollars; foundations, corporations, individuals; annual giving, major gifts, planned gifts, campaigns – perpetual campaigns; what’s new in fundraising today?
      • Giving USA
      • Philanthropy Outlook
      • The Fundraising Cycle

10:15 a.m. –  Break

10:30 a.m. –  The CEOs Role in Fundraising

  • Nonprofit CEOs have a vital responsibility throughout the fundraising process as keepers of the story and as
    primary stewards of resulting gifts.
  • The Donor Pyramid
    Maintaining balance among the various levels of The Donor Pyramid is critical to long-term fundraising success.
    The session will cover the roles CEOs, CDOs, staff, board members and volunteers play in the cultivation of
    donors at each level.
  • The discussion on the Donor Pyramid will cover the pros and cons of special events.
  • The Eight Step Major Gifts Process
    For many nonprofit organizations, the CEO works most closely with the CDO on the cultivation of major gifts. The definition and importance of a “major gift” is determined within the context of the organization’s scope, size, fundraising history and budget. The session will cover the roles of CEOs and CDOs and how to research and evaluate prospective donors, involve board members and volunteers in the process.

11:45 a.m. –  Break

12:00 p.m. –  Lunch and Panel Discussion 

  • Lessons From the Field
    The local nonprofit CEOs will share stories of how to build a strong development team, manage expectations and how to watch for “land mines.”

1:30 p.m. –  Break

1:45 p.m. – The Role of Volunteers
Board members are entrusted with the legal and stewardship responsibilities of philanthropic organizations. The session will cover how to identify characteristics that will assist with recruiting effective board members. Do we need volunteers or can professionals just do what needs to be done? How do we most effectively organize volunteers to raise dollars?

3:00 p.m. – The Role of Consultants in Fundraising
What can fundraising consultants do for you? What can consultants do that perhaps paid staff can’t do? What might these people cost? How do we select the right consultants?

3:45 p.m. – Break

4:00 p.m. – Frameworks for Ethical Decision Making
Case Study: What is the color of their money?

5:30 p.m. – Adjourn for the Day
Reception for CEOs and CDOs
Day Two: CEO’s and CDO’s together

8:00 a.m. – Review of First Day; Questions, Issues

8:30 a.m. – The Role of the Development Director and Development Staff
What’s the story on this profession; what training do they have; where do they get it. What are the different models of organization for development departments? The session will include a review of updated research conducted by the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Fundraisers, Their Careers, Stories, Concerns and Accomplishments.

9:30 a.m. – Building the Development Team: The CEO/The CDO/The Board
Who does what and how they work together?
The session will allow time for participants to talk about the models they use or have used in various settings, what models seem to work best, what tools they use and what tools have proven useful.

10:30 a.m. – Break

10:45 a.m. – Key Issues in Fundraising-Ask the Experts 

12:00 p.m. – Lunch and Panel Discussion on Corporate, Foundation and Individual Giving in Northeast Ohio

1:30 p.m. – Break

1:45 p.m. – The Art of Asking for a Philanthropic Gift
The session will outline the steps for asking for a major gift. Participants will be divided into small groups to complete a guided major gifts solicitation simulation.

3:00 p.m. – Break

3:15 p.m. – Creating Your Vision and Fundraising Plan
Participants will work in small groups

4:30 p.m. – Wrap Up

5:00 p.m. – Adjourn