Unique Custom Training
What makes this training unique? It’s customized for the specific needs of your organization. You pick the classes that are most important to you, the times that fit your schedule, and the participants. (There is no limit to the number of class participants). If you’re in doubt about the educational programs you need,
Bill Harrison will provide an initial, no fee consultation to suggest appropriate educational offerings.

For example:

1. Confused about conducting a capital campaign? Bill has coordinated more than a dozen and can confidently lead you through the process.
2. Interested in a basic fundraising course that motivates board members to be fundraisers? Bill has taught basic fundraising courses at Arizona State University for the past five years.
3. Curious about major gifts and planned giving? Bill has created and coordinated programs that have generated millions of dollars in philanthropic income.
4. Unfamiliar with the techniques needed to write successful grant proposals? During his 30-year career, Bill has written hundreds of successful grant proposals.
5. Undecided whether you should create a special event? Bill has created and coordinated dozens of dynamic major events.
6. And much more on many topics!

What does this custom training cost?
Bill charges a flat rate of $500* per classroom hour.
(Travel and handouts are an additional expense.)

Is this a good investment?

It’s easy to do the math. If your organization wants a five-hour program for twenty people, that equates to only $125 a participant.

To send a single employee or volunteer to a fundraising school, conference or workshop could cost you ten times that amount.

(*Fee is negotiable depending on the number of classroom hours scheduled.)

Classes Offered:

1. Fundraising Methods and Strategies
This is the most comprehensive fundraising class you will ever find. Presented at the Arizona State University Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management for the past five years, this class leads participants through the entire spectrum of fundraising activities. Participants will learn about setting fundraising goals, encouraging volunteers to be active in the development process, how to identify, cultivate and solicit major donors, and how to create a dynamic and successful special event – and that’s just in the first day! During day two participants will learn the finer points of successful grant writing, how to execute a capital campaign, and the importance of planned giving to the future growth of the organization. The final day provides in-depth information and discussion on the importance of a recognition program and will challenge participants with ethical fundraising dilemmas. Participants will receive more than 125 pages of handouts to use as a future guide.
Class time: 20 hours

2. Developing Your Case for Support
Wouldn’t it be great to have a written document that succinctly explains why your charitable organization deserves the support of individuals, corporations or foundations? This document is called a Case for Support and your organization needs one if you’re going to successfully raise philanthropic dollars. This workshop explains the four major uses of a case for support, how to write a persuasive document, those staff and volunteers involved in writing the case, and how the finished case for support should be evaluated. Participants will discuss researching and developing the content for the case and creating a sense of urgency in the document. In small groups, participants will be challenged to formulate a case for support.
Class time: 2 hours

3. Motivating Your Board of Directors to be Fundraisers
Every charitable organization is required by law to have a board of directors. This group of community volunteers provides leadership, insight and financial support. Unfortunately, some organizations flounder and struggle because the board members are less than adequate in their role as leaders and fundraisers. What can an organization do to increase the fundraising effectiveness of the board? How should new board members be recruited and trained? How do you motivate board members to give and solicit gifts? When is it proper to fire a board member? In small groups, participants will be asked to develop a job description for new board members, formulate a plan to recruit new board members and discuss board dilemmas.
Class time: 2 hours

4. Focus on Major Gifts
If your organization isn't investing significant time and effort into securing major gifts, it's shortsighted and detrimental to your organization in the long run. It's estimated that more than $40 trillion dollars will move from parents to children in the next decade. Now is the time to implement a comprehensive major gifts program. This workshop will give you the tools you need to be successful. Participants will learn about the nature of major gifts and the psychological reasons why people make large gifts. Participants will also learn how to recognize major gift prospects, how to research those prospects, how to make the initial contact, and the critical techniques and programs necessary to keep those prospects excited about your organization. Participants will be challenged in small groups to make actual solicitations.
Class time: 4 hours

5. Creating Successful Special Events
What would fundraising be without special events? Every year charitable organizations create new and exciting activities to generate philanthropic revenue. Special events aren’t the most cost-effective or efficient way to raise philanthropic income; however special events must be a part of every fundraising program because they raise money, increase public awareness, open doors, and they help recruit new donors and volunteers. This workshop will provide participants with the information they need to create dynamic special events while avoiding the pitfalls of poor event management. Participants will discuss micro-budgeting, finding a chairperson, recruiting volunteers, soliciting sponsorships, involving the media, creating a recognition plan, locating and working with celebrities, and conducting an evaluation at the completion of the event. In small groups, participants will be challenged to create the “perfect” special event.
Class Time: 2 hours

6. Direct Mail Fundraising
Does direct mail fundraising work? Of course it does! Using the mail is an excellent way for your charitable organization to cultivate new donors, build your prospect base, herald your mission, and increase philanthropic income. This workshop will provide you with the information you need to establish and manage a successful direct mail program. Participants will discuss the parts of a dynamic mailing package and how it’s created. Also discussed in the workshop will be the use of premiums, working with a mailing house, testing a mailing package, frequency and timing of mailings, record keeping, postage, recognition of gifts, and how to motivate small gift donors to become major gift donors. In small groups, participants will evaluate, and critique, actual mailing packages.
Class time: 1 hour

7. How to Establish & Benefit from a Memorial Giving Program
A Memorial Giving Program is a simple and effective fundraising method to generate additional philanthropic dollars to your organization. Participants in this workshop will discuss the popularity of memorial giving and how to encourage, accept and record these gifts. Also discussed will be the important steps necessary to create a memorial giving program, development of the ancillary materials and how to provide recognition for memorial gifts. In small groups, participants will analyze established memorial giving programs and develop a new program for their organization.
Class time: 1 hour

8. Thank You! The Art and Science of Donor Recognition
You must thank your philanthropic donors! If a charitable organization doesn’t thank individuals, corporations and foundations, they will lose those contributors. There are numerous ways to show appreciation and this workshop explores many of the most popular methods. The participants will not only discuss the reasons for recognition but will decide what to do when a donor refuses recognition or demands recognition that is above and beyond the norm. Participants will talk about recognition displays, donor trees, donor gifts, the costs associated with recognition, establishing giving levels, and the need for a recognition plan and recognition policies and procedures. Each participant will be required to formulate a gift plan for a specific contribution scenario.
Class time: 2 hour

9. The Organizational Newsletter as a Fundraising Tool
Newsletters, whether printed or electronic, are no longer a luxury -- they are a necessity to a charitable organization. Even if your organization has an internet Web site, the organizational newsletter serves many useful purposes. The participants will learn how to work with designers and printers, the importance of effective layout and design, generating articles, and using color to achieve better fundraising results. Participants will also analyze published newsletters to discover the benefits they offer the organization. In small groups, participants will create a newsletter, name it, and design the publication.
Class time: 1 hour

10. Creating a Legacy Society From the Ground Up
A legacy society provides your most loyal donors with a way to perpetuate their financial support. In addition to creating a lasting and powerful bond between your donors and the organization, a legacy society also generates new support through public awareness. The challenge is to establish a legacy society that will not only motivate the donor to join, but also to continue their support. How do you create a legacy society? What promotional materials do you need to develop? How do you identify legacy society prospects? How do you contact them? What are the most important listening techniques when talking with prospective society members? What kinds of gifts can people give to a legacy society? Participants of this class will not only receive answers to these questions and more, they will also be challenged with actual donor dilemmas and creating the framework for a new legacy society.
Class time: 1 hour

11. Grant Writing Fundamentals
Charitable organizations must know the basic fundamentals of successful grant writing to increase their philanthropic income. This workshop will provide you with the materials and information you need to successfully compete for grants. Participants will discuss the ten essential things they must know to receive grants and the critical importance of following granting guidelines. Participants will also talk about where to research and contact granting agencies, what should be included in grant proposals, and the twenty most commonly made mistakes organizations commit when writing and submitting grant proposals. In small groups, participants will study giving guidelines, analyze grants, and begin drafting an actual proposal.
Class time: 2 hours

12. Philanthropic Warfare! Developing Your Capital Campaign
To successfully raise millions of dollars to remodel or build new structures takes an army of dedicated volunteers, outstanding leadership, a well-developed and articulated plan, and a compelling case for support. The participants in this class will learn the most important components of a capital campaign, when not to conduct a campaign, the role of a campaign consultant, the importance of a feasibility study, and all the costs associated with a campaign. In small groups, participants will select a capital project to fund, create the case for support, and plan the actual campaign.
Class time: 2 hours

13. Removing the Myths of Planned Giving
Many charitable organizations believe that planned giving is beyond their staff capabilities so they fail to take advantage of this outstanding giving method. The main thrust of this class is not to present all the details and methods of planned giving. Rather, this class helps dispel the myths surrounding planned giving, explains the benefits of a planned giving program, gives practical advice about establishing a planned giving committee, and the benefits of a walls clinic. Participants will also be challenged with several planned giving dilemmas.
Class time: 1 hour

14. Fundraising in Cyberspace
How can you raise substantial philanthropic dollars on the internet? What should organizations know about the internet to be more successful in raising funds? What precautions should organizations take to avoid being victimized? This class discusses web sites, donor research, legal issues, and the future of fundraising in cyberspace. In small groups, participants will be asked to develop and/or improve Web sites to promote their organization.
Class time: 1 hour

15. Fundraising and the Law
Misunderstanding and ignorance of the laws that govern the charitable world can be fatal to an organization. You must comply with IRS rules and postal regulations to maintain your charitable status. This class will discuss some of the more important aspects of law as it pertains to the charitable organization and fundraising activities. Additionally, there will be legal situations that will be discussed in small groups with conclusions presented to the entire class.
Class time: 1 hour

16. Fraud, Flakes and the Fun of Ethics
Every charitable organization will eventually face an ethical dilemma. How you handle that ethical dilemma could strengthen your organization or cause irreparable damage. Participants to this very popular workshop will discuss personal choices and the seven important questions they should ask when faced with an ethical dilemma. Also discussed will be the six potential ethical fundraising abuses every charitable organization could face, percentage-based compensation, legal issues, and tainted money. In small groups, participants will analyze an actual fundraising ethical dilemma, formulate a conclusion using an ethical checklist, and then discuss that conclusion with the entire class.
Class time: 2 hours

17. Ten Things You Absolutely, Positively,
Unquestionably Must Know to Improve Your
Chances of Receiving Corporate and Foundation Grants
Why do so many organizations fail when they try to receive grant dollars? They don’t follow the rules! This class will not only give participants the rules, but will show them how to write successful grant proposals. Participants will learn the importance of guidelines, identifying and contacting potential funders, the proper appearance of a grant proposal, and the most commonly made mistakes organizations commit when writing and submitting grant proposals. Participants will also have the opportunity to evaluate actual grant proposals.
Class time: 1 hour

18. Ten Mistakes Guaranteed to Doom Your Fundraising Efforts
The best way to be successful in your fundraising efforts is to know how to avoid the pitfalls and minefields! In addition to learning the ten mistakes, participants will also learn how to avoid those mistakes, create a dynamic organization, and raise more money. In small groups, participants will discuss actual problems associated with a fundraising program and will be challenged to solve the problem, formulate a development strategy, and then discuss that strategy with the entire class. If your organization is just starting a fundraising program, or is experiencing growing pains, this class is a must.
Class time: 1 hour

19. How to Hire a Fundraising Consultant
A fundraising consultant can help your charitable organization raise more philanthropic income. However, hiring a consultant who is unqualified, inexperienced or is a poor fit, can hinder your fundraising efforts, diminish your cash reserves, and alienate your board and administration. Participants to this workshop will learn why to hire a consultant, what to do internally before seeking outside help, and how to locate a qualified fundraising consultant. Also discussed will be the interviewing process, suggested interview questions, evaluating fees and expenses, the importance of a written contract, a primer on checking references, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of the fundraising consultant. In small groups, participants will be challenged with an actual hiring scenario.
Class time: 1 hour

20. How to Hire a Fundraiser
Whether your organization is hiring its first professional fundraiser or adding to the current staff, this class is a must. In a highly competitive market, your organization needs to be attractive to top-notch, fundraising professionals. What skills should your new fundraiser possess? Where should you advertise for a new fundraiser? What should the initial interview tell you about the candidate? What salary should you be prepared to pay? What results can you expect from your new employee in the first year? What are the warning signs that the fundraiser isn't a good fit with your organization? Should you invest in the services of an executive search firm? Participants will review job descriptions, draft interview questions, and make actual hiring decisions.
Class time: 1 hour

21. Creating and Conducting a Successful R.E.C.O.N. Study
What do you really know about your philanthropic donors, constituents, volunteers, and supporters? This class will discuss a coordinated, information gathering process that includes face-to-face interviews with your constituents. The information you receive from these interviews will help you make critical organizational decisions about new activities, assist in modifying existing programs and assure future support from these individuals. Class participants will learn how to develop R.E.C.O.N. study questions, how to contact supporters, when and where to set up meetings, and the most effective techniques for conducting informative interviews. Participants will also learn how to be an active listener, tips for follow-up after interviews, and how to use and manage the data collected from personal meetings. Participants will be challenged with case studies and establishing R.E.C.O.N. study questions.
Class time: 1 hour

22. The Celebrity Challenge
Celebrities can add excitement and glamour to a special event. However, a celebrity-driven special event is a time-consuming and labor-intensive activity that must be managed correctly to avoid potential headaches. Some of the questions this class will answer include: How do you find celebrities? Should you pay the celebrity or find someone who will perform pro bono? What should your organization do before you contact a celebrity? What should you know about celebrity contracts, managers, agents, and full-service production companies? How should you treat the celebrity, before, during, and after the event? How should you thank the celebrity? Participants of this class will be challenged to select a celebrity, create a job description for the celebrity, and develop a schedule of promotional activities.
Class time: 1 hour

23. Creating a Successful Endowment Program
Endowments are a sign of a fiscally responsible, well-prepared and forward-looking nonprofit organization, ready to weather economic downturns and ensure long-term survival. If your organization hasn’t taken a serious look at establishing an endowment program, this class will lead you step-by-step through the process. This class will discuss the various types of endowments to help you decide which one is right for your organization. Participants will also learn about the myths surrounding endowments and how an endowment program benefits from a close alignment with capital campaign and planned giving activities. In addition to learning about marketing an endowment program to organizational constituents, participants will also receive information on executing the endowment agreement, critical issues relating to modifying an endowment, efficient techniques for managing the endowment and important considerations regarding disbursement of endowment funds. In small groups, participants will be challenged to create, and manage, a new endowment fund.
Class time: 2 hours

Career Development Classes

24. Creating Dynamic Presentations
Great speakers know how to grab an audience, enthrall them, and send them away happy and satisfied! Great speakers know the techniques that will engage participants, challenge them, and provide them with the information they need to be successful in their careers. This workshop will not only teach participants essential skills to effectively present in front of diverse groups, it will also help them assess the needs of the audience, answer questions, deal with difficult people, and learn how to ensure involvement and cooperation from the audience. The workshop will also provide step-by-step assistance in developing dynamic visual aids. Participants will be challenged to outline an actual presentation and present the opening segment.
Class time: 1 hour

25. Building Your Fundraising Career
What experience, knowledge and education does it take to be the senior development officer? This workshop will provide participants with the information they need to build a rewarding and satisfying fundraising career. Participants will discover when to change jobs. When you should negotiate for more salary and benefits. Why a mentor is critical to professional growth. How networking at fundraising conferences and seminars can boost your desirability by potential employers. Participants will also learn what to do and say when an executive search firm calls; the value of certification; and the critical importance of being actively involved with professional fundraising organizations. Participants will engage in a fun and exciting interactive exercise called “The Career Game.”
Class time: 1 hour

26. When It’s Time to Say Goodbye! Leaving Your
Fundraising Job With Style
If you’re a fundraiser, you will probably change jobs at least five times in your career. Whether you resign your fundraising position or succumb to the termination ax, you should know how to leave your job professionally and without burning important bridges. This dynamic class will provide valuable information on resignation do’s and don’ts, how to write a proper letter of resignation and the benefits and shortcomings of exit interviews and counteroffers. Participants in this class will discuss what to do before and after they resign, “Employment At-Will” laws, severance pay, how to address leaving with financial donors, emotional issues, and what information and materials you can and can’t take with you when you walk out the door. Actual employment and termination scenarios will be discussed by participants.
Class time: 1 hour

27. Making the Move from Profit to Nonprofit
Perhaps you suffered through a corporate downsizing. Maybe you succumbed to a corporate reorganization. It could be that you just want a new career that's more satisfying. You have set your sights on working for a nonprofit organization, but you don't know where to start looking for that new position. This workshop will answer important questions you have about making the transition from the profit world to the nonprofit world. This workshop will not only help participants understand the fundamental differences between profits and nonprofits, it will also dispel the myths that surround working for nonprofits. Participants will learn how to prospect for jobs in the nonprofit sector, rewrite their resume to be competitive, and how to avoid making fatal job-hunting mistakes when interviewing for a new position with a nonprofit organization.
Class time: 1 hour

Classes to help build your Communications Skills

28. Great Public Speaking is Acting!
Have you ever wished you could be a dynamic public speaker? An individual who could effectively motivate and influence people as well as communicate the mission of the organization to donors and prospects? If that’s your desire, this class is a must for you. Think about the speakers you’ve heard in the past. Were you impressed or left cold? Did the speaker act enthusiastic? Did she have a powerful voice? Did he present an important message? Did she use exciting and memorable visual aids? These are all techniques and traits that can be learned in this class. Speaking and acting techniques are closely related and this class explores the best and most effective ways for you to become a vibrant and unforgettable speaker. Participants will learn about researching a speech, staging the presentation, using props effectively, interacting with the audience, and the proper use of audio-visual equipment. Participants, working in groups, will develop all the materials needed to create a vibrant presentation.
Class time: 1 hour

29. Liberating the Author in You!
Sometimes you need a little push to make your writing dreams come true. This workshop will provide that push. This exciting, informational and motivational program will explore the writing life and what it means to be a writer. Participants will discuss the ten reasons to write, the commitment necessary to be successful and the three most commonly asked questions that all writers must answer. Also during the workshop, participants will discuss the eleven steps to complete a writing project, editor etiquette, and overcoming the writing obstacles that stand in the way of success. In small groups, participants will be challenged to formulate a writing plan and develop a schedule for success.
Class time: 90 minutes

30. The Ethics of Writing
Should you use that famous quote in your article? Is it plagiarism? Will you face the wrath of an intellectual property lawyer if you use a sentence or two from another author’s book? All writers face ethical dilemmas, so a primer on ethics is a must. Participants will discuss intellectual property laws, libel, copyright laws, plagiarism, invasion of privacy, conflict of interest and piracy. Participants will also discuss information that is in the public domain, the five great myths of copyright, and how work-for-hire can impact your writing. In small groups, participants will be challenged to resolve actual ethical writing dilemmas.
Class time: 90 minutes

31. So You Want to Be a Writer?
Writing can be an all-consuming addiction. Once you’re hooked there’s no turning back. If this describes you, then this workshop is a must. Part motivational, part instructional and completely entertaining, this workshop will provide the participants with quotes, quips and enough information to go home and continue to write with alacrity. This workshop will also provide basic information about starting a writing career, building on that career and finding publishing success. Also discussed will be researching article ideas, interviewing techniques, submitting articles for publication and the ten things that most people don’t understand about writers. In small groups, participants will be challenged to establish a personal writing plan.
Class time: 90 minutes

32. Writing Award-Winning Articles
Bill J. Harrison, CFRE, has ten national award-winning nonfiction articles to his credit. He will share with participants his techniques for finding article ideas, his research methods, and the way he composes articles to impress judges. Participants will discuss building a relationship with editors, interviewing techniques, article etiquette and a dozen nearly fatal mistakes when pitching an article idea. During the workshop, participants will be challenged to learn interview techniques by exercises designed to improve their skills.
Class time: 90 minutes

Keynote Addresses

33. 25 Things I’ve Learned in More Than 25 Years of Fundraising
This lighthearted presentation honestly reflects on the foibles, pitfalls and triumphs of Bill Harrison’s career in fundraising. For nearly thirty years he has labored in the fundraising trenches, helping donors, coordinating volunteers, establishing funding programs, and working with boards. There is wisdom in this presentation that only an experienced fundraiser can impart. Bill candidly discusses the uniqueness of the profession, being disappointed by board members and volunteers, the thrill of a job well done, and the future of fund development. Participants can expect to laugh, nod their heads, and groan at the absurdity that can only be part of working in the nonprofit world.
Presentation time: 35 minutes

34. “A Tale of Two Books”
This stirring and motivational keynote address compares and contrasts two famous writers. Dale Carnegie achieved instant recognition and greatness, selling millions of books that improve the lives of humanity. The other author, John Kennedy Toole, won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, but suffered a short and tragic life. It’s ironic that these two individuals have so much in common and yet, they found success in very different ways. This dynamic presentation provides a strong message of persistence, tenacity, and maintaining faith in yourself and your abilities. Writers and non-writers alike will be moved and motivated by this presentation.
Presentation time: 35 minutes

NEW CLASSES!

35. Courting Corporate Sponsors
Finding and wooing corporate sponsors has never been more important to charitable organizations. The dollars and manpower corporations provide can mean the difference between success and failure of organizational activities. Using historical, and often amusing, Victorian Courting Rituals as a model, this class will provide participants with the information they need to conduct an internal audit that will help them match their charitable mission with corporate prospects. Participants will also discuss successful techniques for contacting potential corporate sponsors, how to write sponsorship proposals, and critical methods of effective follow-up. The class will also present ways to promote sponsors and provide lasting and dynamic recognition. A critical component of the class will be the discussion on how to protect your organization when corporate sponsorships turn sour or unreasonable demands are made on your charitable organization by a corporation.
Class time: 1 hour

36. Eleemosynary Says it All! The Vocabulary of Fundraising
This workshop should be a required course for all charitable organizations that want to: be conversant in the process of raising money; make sound financial and strategic decisions about fundraising methods and strategies; and raise more money. Participants will not only learn many of the unique words associated with fundraising, they will also learn the way those words fit together to describe dynamic and successful fundraising programs. This fun and informative workshop will not only improve vocabulary it will also give practical advice on starting a fundraising program, creating new philanthropic activities, managing existing programs and ultimately helping to increase needed revenues. Participants will be challenged with fundraising word exercises that will perplex, frustrate and enlighten.
Class time: 1 Hour

37. Enhance Your Writing With A Perfect Interview
The best way to create depth and authority in your non-fiction articles is to add the thoughts, ideas and quotes of experts. This workshop will help participants find, research, locate and contact experts who are willing to be interviewed. Participants will discuss the important listening and questioning techniques that are successfully employed by television talk-show hosts. In addition to learning the five best interview questions guaranteed to elicit dynamic responses, participants will also learn how to obtain valuable information even from the six types of difficult interviewees. Also discussed will be the techniques for interviewing celebrities, recording interviews, and the placement of quotes in articles. During the class,
participants will conduct actual interviews to help enhance their skills.
Class time: 90 minutes

38. Selling Yourself as a Writer (Eventually you have to say something!)
Whether you write in the comfort of your cozy den or at the corner table at Starbucks, you probably spend huge amounts of time in non-verbal communications. Eventually you must abandon the security of your keyboard to communicate with other people. Writers are required to sell their literary creations to editors and publishers at conferences and be persuasive on the phone when pitching a new article idea. Writers are also asked to participate in book-signings and interviews with newspapers, radio and television reporters. Are you prepared to sell yourself? This class will provide participants with the critical techniques for developing a thirty-second introduction. Participants will also learn the importance of wowing editors and publishers at writing conferences in fifteen minutes or less and the value of clarity, brevity and enthusiasm when pitching new writing projects. Participant will discuss the tools necessary to sell their writing to editors, publishers and the reading public. In small groups, participants will be challenged to create a “sales pitch” for a writing project.
Class time: 90 minutes

39. Make Editors Love You!
Magazine editors are not your enemy! In fact, they are a writer’s best friend. These hard-working individuals are committed to making you the best writer you can be. Building good relationships with editors will ensure more and better writing assignments, fatter paychecks and less stress on you. This workshop will show you how you can improve your chances for publishing success by learning the Golden Rule of dealing with editors. Participants will discuss the dozen nearly fatal mistakes when pitching a magazine article and how to avoid them. Also discussed will be the importance of following editorial guidelines, improving your verbal communications skills, and what you can and can’t expect from magazine editors. Participants will be challenged to write lead paragraphs and interview questions for assigned articles.
Class time: 90 minutes

40. Enthusiasm! (Or making people wonder what you’re up to!)
The power of enthusiasm cannot be underestimated. In a recent poll of distinguished leaders in the non-profit community, enthusiasm was listed as the number one trait needed to be successful. If you’re enthusiastic you will inspire others to emulate you, you will stand out in a crowd, your attitude will help set a positive tone for meetings and activities, and you will be viewed as a leader. This class will discuss the importance of enthusiasm and how developing an enthusiastic attitude will help you in every facet of your life and career. Participants will learn how to add enthusiasm to their voice, façade, and speaking and presenting style. They will also learn how to be an enthusiastic listener and improve their skills at remembering names when networking. Most importantly, participants will discuss the five techniques to help build enthusiasm. Participants will also be challenged to develop an enthusiasm list and discover the benefits of finding an enthusiastic mentor.
Class time: 1 Hour

41. Creating a Fundraising Plan
A comprehensive written plan is needed to establish a successful fundraising program. This workshop will provide participants with the tools necessary to write a dynamic fundraising plan that will provide focus for staff and volunteer activities, establish logical time-lines for the creation of programs, and help increase philanthropic income. Participants will also learn development strategies by building the pyramid of giving and debunking the myths that hinder fundraising efforts. Research techniques will also be explored, fundraising costs outlined and there will be extensive discussion about the importance of internal and external analysis and the formulation of funding goals and strategies. Also discussed will be the importance of integration of philanthropic activities as well as suggestions for presenting and implementing the fundraising plan. Participants will be challenged to create the outline of a fundraising plan that will include realistic and obtainable philanthropic goals.
Class time: 1 Hour

42. Use N.I.T.R.O. To Boost Your Fundraising Success
Building a successful fundraising program can be both exciting and frustrating. There will be fleeting moments of glory often preceded by extended periods of self-doubt and aggravation. This workshop will provide in-depth discussion of the five critical components necessary to achieve philanthropic success for your organization. Participants will study the Nexus of fundraising – the joining together of documents and planning materials that help build a launching platform for fundraising activities. This section will include a discussion on strategic planning, fundraising plans, policies and procedures and the importance of creating a recognition plan. Participants will discuss Ingenuity and how it applies to the competitive nature of gifting. This section will also provide valuable insight into the analysis of internal and external publics. In the Tenacity section participants will discuss the time-lines and costs associated with creating and sustaining development efforts. Establishing Realistic Goals will present numerous examples of fundraising goals and how those goals can be obtained. The importance of Optimism in the creation and building of a successful fundraising program cannot be overstated. Participants will be challenged in small groups to create a nexus of fundraising that can be implemented for fundraising success.
Class time: 1 Hour

43. Fundraising Basics
This is the perfect workshop for your organization if you want to help your board members, staff and volunteers understand the process of raising money. Participants will not only learn the unique vocabulary associated with fundraising, they will also help construct a pyramid of giving to visualize the integral relationships of fundraising activities. Participants will receive valuable information on the philanthropic desires and requirements of corporations, foundations and individuals and learn the necessary techniques to solicit philanthropic support. The importance of major gifts will be discussed as well as the nine steps to help individuals become comfortable with asking for contributions. Participants will also discuss seven troublesome myths that often interfere with successful fundraising programs. In small groups, the workshop participants will be challenged with numerous recognition dilemmas.
Class time – 1 hour

Exciting New Workshops!

44.  Finding and Recruiting Board Members
Does your charitable organization dream of having a dynamic and powerful board of directors populated with the top movers and shakers in the community?  Would new board members provide a diversity of thinking, social capital and productive insights to your decision-making process?  Do you believe that exceptional board members are hard to find and recruit?  If you answered yes to these questions, then this workshop is for you.  This workshop will help your organization:  1.  find and successfully recruit new board members; 2.  stand out from the crowd when recruiting leaders; 3. understand how diverse board members will improve your organization.  Internal and external organizational evaluations will be conducted during the workshop as well as establishing volunteer talents needed on the board.  Of key importance to participants will be the thirteen suggestions for finding potential new board members.  The participants will also discuss how to research potential board candidates, call for an appointment, and be an active listener in the interview process. Simulated interviews with potential board candidates will challenge the participants.  
Class time – 90 minutes. 

45. Building Donor Loyalty

When organizations lose financial donors they lose far more than just a source of philanthropic income, they lose a friend and supporter and future gifts that can’t be easily replaced. This workshop will discuss the critical importance of donor loyalty to the health and growth of your organization. Participants will discuss the basic truths about donor loyalty and the six valuable techniques for cultivating donors. Also discussed will be the importance of learning about your donors through a study that encourages face-to- face meetings. Interview and listening skills will be discussed and demonstrated in the workshop. In small groups, participants will be challenged to create a donor cultivation program and conduct an actual donor interview.
Class time: 1 hour

46. Asking Individuals to Give

Individuals contribute nearly 85 percent of all financial gifts made in this country. If your organization isn’t actively soliciting individuals to support your mission, you’re not achieving your philanthropic potential. Participants in this dynamic workshop will learn why, and how, individuals give, why asking is so stressful and helpful techniques to reduce that stress. During the workshop participants will build a pyramid of giving, dispel troublesome fundraising myths and learn how to increase personal communications with donors. Valuable information will be presented to improve listening skills and follow-up techniques that will increase fundraising results. The nine essential steps needed to establish a successful individual giving program will also be discussed by participants. In small groups, workshop participants will be challenged to make actual individual solicitations.
Class time: 90 minutes

47. The Boon of Baby Boomers

More than 77 million baby boomers are alive and well in the United States. These individuals are financially more generous than their parents, are well educated, are a bit self-centered, and will probably inherit more than $50 trillion over the next decade. How do you encourage baby boomers to serve on your board and contribute to your charitable mission? How can you cultivate close relationships with these individuals and build donor loyalty? How do you convert a baby boomer from an “outsider” into an “insider?” This workshop will not only answer all these questions but will also provide valuable guidance enabling your organization to ultimately benefit from the wisdom, guidance and financial support of the baby boomer generation. Participants will discuss the six basic techniques for cultivating boomers and five facts that will help secure donor support. Also during the workshop, participants will learn how to research boomers, when to conduct personal interviews and the importance of having a planned giving program for the benefit of boomers. Participants will be challenged with actual baby boomer interviews. (Note: Bill J. Harrison, CFRE is a baby boomer and knows what he’s talking about!)
Class time: 90 minutes

48. Presenting To Your Board Like A Pro!

Your board members require lucid, succinct, and up-to-date information to help them make crucial organizational decisions. You may be asked to present that information. Will you be ready? Do you know the best ways to impart information, in the least amount of time, with the best overall results? This workshop provides participants with dynamic training and presentation techniques that can help them prepare for any public speaking assignment. In this workshop participants learn seven proven methods to inform and motivate, and how to handle difficult questions and equally difficult board members. Dealing with “stage fright,” creating memorable PowerPoint programs, learning the critical three P’s of preparation, and understanding the Do’s and Don’ts of how to end your presentation professionally, are discussed during this entertaining and informative workshop. In groups, participants are challenged to create an actual board presentation using rigid guidelines.
Class time: 90 minutes

49. Creating a Fundraising Culture

Creating a successful fundraising program requires more than conducting a profitable special event or writing a winning grant. Organizations that aggressively embrace a fundraising culture consistently generate substantially more philanthropic revenue. This workshop will explore fundraising cultures and explain, in-depth, the nexus of development and the critical components necessary to increase philanthropic support. Participants will discuss the value of the case for support, the continuous need for board and staff buy-in, the essential elements of a fundraising plan and the importance of including philanthropic activities in the organizational strategic plan. Also discussed in the workshop will be the process of fundraising, including the pyramid of giving, myths associated with fundraising and the significance of recognition. A case study of an organization that successfully adopted a fundraising culture will be discussed by the participants. The case study will provide the logic of communicating fundraising programs to all internal and external publics, suggestions for educating and training volunteers and the seven action steps to create a fundraising culture. Participants will be challenged with a dynamic exercise to create a fundraising culture implementation plan.
Class time: 90 minutes

50. Social Entrepreneur – For Profit or For Purpose?

Charitable organizations face daunting challenges caused by escalating costs, reductions in resources, fierce competition for charitable gifts, mounting pressures from funders, and the increasing number of people in need. To survive and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace, nonprofits are re-thinking the way they provide services, evaluating potential collaborations with competitors, and studying new methodologies for generating revenue. This workshop will present an introduction to social entrepreneurship and offer the information and tools needed to build a stronger organization. Participants will discuss the meaning of social entrepreneurship and review case studies of successful earned-income endeavors. Also discussed will be the dynamic characteristics of a social entrepreneur, the benefits and challenges of creating an earned-income enterprise, the fear factors associated with embracing change, and the five actions steps to integrate philanthropic activities with social entrepreneurial ventures. Participants, in small groups, will analyze the mission of several charitable organizations and make business and programmatic recommendations for social entrepreneurial changes.
Class time: 90 minutes