Fundraising Academy
Cause Selling Education on The
Nonprofit Show

The “Moneyball” thesis is simple: By using statistical analysis, small-market baseball teams can change their odds for success by accruing assets that are undervalued or overlooked by other teams (and selling ones that are overvalued). Through a Cause Selling lens, this thesis could be compared to a small organization regularly securing large donations that have traditionally been captured by larger national entities and institutions such as medical research organizations, hospitals, global humanitarian organizations, and more.

In today’s society, where nonprofit sector information is more accessible and transparent than ever before, it’s not just the mission of the more established organizations that yields larger donations. There are considerable disparities at play, and one of them is the ability to secure the very best in fundraising talent and the systems and tech that support their continued success.

Cause Selling, a relationship-driven fundraising model, prepares emerging fundraisers to more intentionally and authentically develop lasting relationships with their donors. Developed using future-proof, for-profit sales best practices, the eight-step Cause Selling Cycle guides fundraisers through a strategic process to identify qualified prospects, connect them with their cause, and transform their prospects and donors into lifelong supporters and champions. This webinar will explore how to leverage Cause Selling principles to set yourself apart, attract new revenue sources, and future-proof your career.

Key Takeaways:

• Discuss why further professionalization of the sector is essential to attracting and retaining the best, brightest, and most motivated individuals.
• Explore the tools and skillsets that will make emerging fundraisers stand out.
• Learn key steps in the Cause Selling Cycle to future-proof your fundraising approach and more confidently seek and secure larger monetary gifts for your cause.

Join us for an interactive panel discussion on Black experiences in professional fundraising. Moderated by seasoned fundraising practitioner and Fundraising Academy instructor Tamika Franklin, this conversation will explore multiple perspectives and help you build on your experiences and background knowledge as an emerging fundraiser. From their careers as fundraisers of color, the panelists will share how they leverage background knowledge as an asset to grow professionally. Build on your own professional experiences with these insights to inform and enrich your fundraising practice.

This August marks the 10th anniversary of Black Philanthropy Month, which celebrates and elevates African-decent giving. Celebrate with us as we set aside time to connect, reflect, and grow your impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how your experiences as a fundraiser are part of a larger conversation.
• Explore how to be true to your whole self and grow as a fundraising leader.
• Discover tactical next steps to engage and cultivate philanthropy amongst donors of color.

Today, many fundraisers are finding themselves facing different challenges and opportunities in the current fundraising climate. As a fundraiser, you may be new to an organization, or you may have new donors you have not yet cultivated. Perhaps you have never met your donor in person, as your entire relationship has been conducted virtually! This webinar will explore how you can use these situations to your advantage and ultimately discover the most important fact of all – your donor’s Why.

Join us for a live panel discussion on exploring philanthropy and building successful nonprofit careers. This conversation will focus on key recommendations for emerging nonprofit professionals. Moderated by a Fundraising Academy alumni, our panel of mentors will share their stories and experiences in the fundraising world. Learn from your peers and the amazing community of experienced fundraisers and nonprofit professionals to find resources to help you succeed.

Panelists:

• Javier Guerrero, President and CEO, Coastal Roots Farm
• Suzanne Stone, Chief Strategic Solutions & Programs Officer, Livestrong
• Michael Riordan, Director of Marketing, Compass Community Center

Dive deep into each step of the Cause Selling Cycle as Tony Beall, Sr. Director of Fundraising Academy, joins the American Nonprofit Academy on The Nonprofit Show to share his stories and best practices. Tony is joined by co-hosts Julia C. Patrick, CEO of The American Nonprofit Academy, and Jarrett Ransom, The Nonprofit Nerd and CEO of The Rayvan Group. In this series, you will learn how to connect potential donors with your cause and build stronger relationships with them.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of prospecting and pre-approach in an increasingly competitive nonprofit sector
• The importance of developing genuine listening skills
• How to build units of conviction for use in your presentations
• Basic strategies for overcoming objections
• How to recognize donation signals as the moments when a successful ask is most likely
• Keys for retaining a higher number of donors

In this webinar, you will learn how to structure meaningful, question-driven conversations that will help build lasting relationships with donors. Because the entire process should be focused on the donor, the Need Discovery step is the most critical. It’s there for you to ask questions and get to know your donors so that you can discover what matters most to them. At its core, fundraising is engaging donors and learning what they do, how they do it, who they do it with, and why they do it that way. Find the answers to those things, and you can align what matters most to them and your cause. Together we will study the functions served by various types of questions and when to use them in the Cause Selling Cycle.

The past year of COVID-19 has been a wild ride for nonprofits, full of unexpected challenges, new daily realities, and, in many cases, increased demand for services. Now we can look back at 2020 and reflect on the best practices that nonprofits have implemented in our new virtual world. Take a dive into the lessons learned and how fundraisers can continue supporting their organizations into 2021.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXwHfUia9lk

This webinar highlights why online fundraising is vital to your organization’s long-term fundraising strategy, explores ways to position your organization on social media, shows how to cultivate peer-to-peer fundraising and provides details to improve data analytics.

In this webinar you’ll learn how to data mine your existing database and resources to identify and qualify prospects; discover how to thoughtfully leverage referrals and centers of influence to open new doors to prospects; and practice qualifying prospects using MADDEN, a proven prospect qualifying process.

In this webinar you’ll learn how to qualify and curate leads for a more targeted engagement strategy; communicate your cause with prospects, donors and colleagues during a time of crisis; and ramp up your stewardship program in an uncharted fundraising landscape.

Time management can seem like an intimidating topic. In this webinar you’ll learn how to manage your time and take control of your activities. Lenise will teach you how to establish processes that help you direct your actions and achieve focus for better results in your fundraising career.

In this webinar, you’ll learn about the strategies you can take now to protect your organization during these uncertain times. You’ll complete the webinar equipped to take timely and effective action.

In this webinar, we’ll explore the most effective ways to grow your social media reach and tap into the unique opportunities of each platform.

In this webinar, we’ll explore how to identify and activate influential supporters to take their advocacy to the next level.

There’s no getting around it. If you’re a nonprofit fundraiser, you will face objections from donors. Instead of trying to avoid or ignore them, smart fundraisers see objections for what they really are: opportunities.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can prepare your organization for crisis before it hits. Organizations of any size and in any sector of the nonprofit world can be pulled into a controversial issue. But you can be prepared and confident when the time comes.

Does your institution need more investors? Do you have ownership in ensuring the fiscal health of your institution? Cause Selling the Sanford Way may be the solution you’ve been seeking. Learn about the relationship-driven donor cycle and the role an academic leader plays in each stage, and gain a better understanding of how to build donor work into your role.

Strong donor relationships are critical to fundraising success at all stages of the development cycle and at all levels of giving. This webinar covers how to invest in the practice of valuing, nurturing, and earning donor loyalty from the start to retain your loyal donors before and after the holiday giving season.

This webinar covers the latest thinking on well-being in the nonprofit workplace based on presenter Beth Kanter’s book, “The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact Without Burnout.” Hear examples and insights from nonprofits that have created and implemented a culture of well-being in the workplace that supports results.

December is the single biggest month for charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations – more than 30% of annual gifts come in December! So, how do you make the most of this year-end-giving blitz? Start planning early.

First impressions matter — you’ll never get a second chance to make one, so make the initial meeting count. During this webinar, we’ll discuss both your nonverbal approach and verbal greeting, as well as describe the seven interest-capturing statements that deepen your connection with prospective donors.

This valuable webinar will help you identify actual methods and techniques for broadening your pipeline to include a more diverse major donor base.

Whether you’re looking to expand your donor base, grow awareness for your mission, or give your supporters a new way to get involved, peer-to-peer fundraising is a strategy you can’t ignore. This webinar will dive into the strategies and tactics needed to plan and execute a successful peer-to-peer campaign.

Digital fundraising has become a vital tool to effectively and creatively engage, inform, and steward your donors. Join our webinar to learn how to determine the right digital platforms and set goals for your nonprofit’s social media strategy that map to your organization’s strategic goals.

Cause Selling is the key to forming long-term relationships that ensure the future of your nonprofit. Fundraising Academy’s Cause Selling Cycle explores the eight steps that successful fundraisers must take to achieve and surpass their goals. Based on proven for-profit business principles, these steps have been uniquely formulated to combine the best of the business world with the heart of nonprofit fundraising.

This webinar discusses the importance of building meaningful relationships with black donors and communities and why black giving matters.

Kulik will share career strategies, including dealing with multi-generational offices and successfully building relationships with your organization’s donors.