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  • Fundraising Leadership Series

    Instructor: Thomas Vansaghi, Ph.D., Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, UMKC adjunct instructor, and associate professor of nonprofit leadership at William Jewell College

    The Fundraising Leadership Series provides development professionals with essential leadership skills to be a strategic leader in their organization. The unique design of this certificate series, co-created with nonprofit leaders, recognizes the central role of development in a nonprofit’s culture, strategy, and communications. Participants will engage with other development professionals in an interactive program that builds their capacity as organizational leaders and changemakers. Each session will feature senior nonprofit leaders from across the region who will share their expertise and experiences on the topic.

    Upon completion, development professionals will have applied experience in their organization’s context using leadership tools and knowledge they acquire. Additionally, they will exhibit the capacity to better lead strategic development operations in nonprofit organizations.

    The 2024 Fundraising Leadership Series:
    September 20, October 4, 18, November 1 and 15, 2024 (8:30-11:30am). Note: the September 20, October 18 and November 15 sessions will be held in-person and the October 4 and November 1, 2024 sessions will be held virtually via Zoom..

    The 2024 Fundraising Leadership Series has already begun. If you would like to be notified when we schedule the next offering of the Fundraising Leadership Series please let us know at culverm@umkc.edu / (816) 235-5720

  • Fundraising Tools Series – Crafting a Dynamic Annual Development Plan

    Instructor: Instructor: Thomas Vansaghi, Ph.D., , Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, UMKC adjunct instructor, and assistant professor of nonprofit leadership at William Jewell College

    Regardless of where your organization is in its budget year, it’s never too late to craft a powerful Annual Development Plan. This two-part program will empower you with an overview of what you need to tailor a plan that aligns seamlessly with your organization’s mission.

    The pre-recorded session will help you understand the 15 essential components that make up a successful Annual Development Plan, from donor engagement to campaign execution. (Video recording – 1 hour 19 minutes)

    The next live virtual session has not been scheduled yet, it will illustrate how those components work in practice through a discussion of real-world examples of successful Annual Development Plans. (Live session – 2 hours)

    What You Will Learn

    • Overview of the Annual Development Plan
    • Review of 15 Components of Annual Development Plans
  • Fundraising Tools Series – Demystifying Capital Campaigns: Preparing for Success

    Instructor: Tim Sweeny, Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership and founding partner of Praxis Nonprofit Strategies

    Set the stage for a successful capital campaign with this two-part program focused on the fundamentals: Assessing your organization’s readiness, determining the appropriate campaign structure, crafting a compelling case statement, and identifying prime donor prospects.

    The pre-recorded session will provide an overview of the concepts and components of capital campaigns, providing a solid foundation for your journey. (Video recording – 1 hour 22 minutes)

    The next live virtual session has not been scheduled yet, it will include a discussion of real capital campaigns, potential capital campaigning in participants’ organizations, along with plenty of time for questions and trouble-shooting. (Live session – 2 hours)

    What You Will Learn

    • understand the basic language and components of capital campaigns
    • explore the best capital campaign form and structure to guide your designated organization
    • determine the readiness of your organization to launch a capital campaign
    • begin exploring an outline to shape your capital campaign case statements
    • identify the primary donor prospects for your respective capital campaigns
  • Fundraising Tools Series – Effective Prospect Research

    Instructor: Thomas Vansaghi, Ph.D., , Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, UMKC adjunct instructor, and assistant professor of nonprofit leadership at William Jewell College

    Power your nonprofit’s success through effective prospect research and winning proposal writing. This two-part program will dive into effective strategies for conducting targeted research on foundations and individuals, empowering your organization to identify potential donors.

    The pre-recorded session will unpack the elements of effective individual and foundation prospect research, along with proposal writing, to propel your organization toward fundraising success. (Video recording – 1 hour 17 minutes)

    The next live virtual session has not been scheduled yet, it will include a discussion of real-world examples and challenges to help you elevate your understanding of prospect research and proposal writing. (Live session – 2 hours)

    What You Will Learn

    • Overview of Prospect Research and Proposal Writing
    • How to Conduct Prospect Research on Foundations
    • How to Conduct Prospect Research on Individuals
    • Searches for Foundation Funders
    • Searches for Individual Funders.
  • Fundraising Tools Series – Fundraising Fundamentals Part 1

    Instructor: Thomas Vansaghi, Ph.D.,, Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, UMKC adjunct instructor, and assistant professor of nonprofit leadership at William Jewell College

    Kickstart your fundraising journey with Fundraising Fundamentals Part 1, a program designed to build a robust foundation for success.

    Start with a pre-recorded session that introduces you to the world of nonprofits and civil society with an exploration of the history of nonprofits and fundraising. You’ll leave with an understanding of philanthropy and fundraising, fundraising philosophy, and the history of the art and science of fundraising.
    (Video recording – 1 hour 42 minutes)

    The next live virtual session has not been scheduled yet, it will acquaint you with the nonprofit sector, including local and national fundraising trends, a discussion of why people may hesitate to give money and time, and an introduction to the topics of fundraising structures such as the donor pyramid, moves management, and staff and board roles in fundraising.
    (Live session – 2 hours)

    Note: this session was previous named Organizing for Fundraising: An Introduction.

    What You Will Learn

    • Overview of Philanthropy and Fundraising
    • Philosophy of Fundraising
    • History of Fundraising
    • National Fundraising Trends
    • Kansas City Fundraising Trends
    • What don’t people give money and time?
    • The Donor Pyramid
    • Moves Management
    • Roles of Staff and Board in Fundraising
  • Fundraising Tools Series – Fundraising Fundamentals Part 2

    Instructor: Thomas Vansaghi, Ph.D., , Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, UMKC adjunct instructor, and assistant professor of nonprofit leadership at William Jewell College

    Continue your exploration into the dynamic realm of fundraising with Fundraising Fundamentals Part 2.

    The pre-recorded session will unlock the keys to purpose-driven fundraising, help you navigate the fundraising cycle, and delve into the strategic use of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). (Video recording – 1 hour 18 minutes)

    The next live virtual session has not been scheduled yet, it will explore the nuances of fundraising leadership, discuss the impact of changing constituent demographics, and underscore the importance of stewardship and donor recognition.
    (Live session – 2 hours)

    Note: this session was previous named Organizing for Fundraising.

    What You Will Learn

    • Purpose Driven Fundraising
    • The Fundraising Cycle
    • Donor Advised Funds
    • Leadership and Fundraising
    • Constituency: Changing Demographics and Fundraising
    • Stewardship and Donor Recognition
  • Fundraising Tools Series – Getting Started with Proposal Writing

    Instructor: Thomas Vansaghi, Ph.D., , Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, UMKC adjunct instructor, and assistant professor of nonprofit leadership at William Jewell College

    Creating compelling, well-structured, and persuasive proposals that effectively communicate value. This two-part program will equip you with practical insights to elevate your proposal-writing skills and increase your chances of securing funding.

    The pre-recorded session includes an overview of the proposal writing process, the letter of inquiry, and proposal components, along with tips for success and red flags to watch out for. (Video recording – 1 hour 29 minutes)

    The next live virtual session has not been scheduled yet, it will use real proposals to provide a hands-on understanding of their structure and components. We’ll also discuss how to tailor your approach to meet the unique requirements of each grant opportunity and delve into effective strategies for engaging with foundations. (Live session – 2 hours)

    What You Will Learn

    • The Proposal Writing Process
    • The Inquiry Letter
    • The Components of the Master Proposal
    • Red Flags and Tips on Proposal Writing
  • Fundraising Tools Series – Measurement and Evaluation in Fundraising

    Instructor: Thomas Vansaghi, Ph.D., , Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, UMKC adjunct instructor, and assistant professor of nonprofit leadership at William Jewell College

    Whether you’re new to fundraising or seeking to elevate your skills, this two-part program will lay the groundwork for measurement and evaluation in fundraising.

    The pre-recorded session will address the ‘why’ behind evaluation, explore the basics of social impact, and discuss types of evaluation, theory of change, logic models, and dashboards. (Video recording – 1 hour)

    The live virtual session has not been scheduled yet, it will delve deeper into measurement and evaluation, including a discussion of how to implement dashboards to provide strategic fundraising insights.
    (Live session – 2 hours)

    What You Will Learn

    • Why evaluate?
    • Basics of Social Impact and Evaluation
    • Theory of Change
    • Logic Models
    • Types of Evaluation
    • Dashboards
  • Fundraising Tools Series – Transform Volunteers into Fearless Fundraisers

    Instructor: Tim Sweeny, Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership and founding partner in Praxis Nonprofit Strategies

    Reluctant volunteers can transform into fearless fundraisers. This two-part program will show you how you can shift your volunteers’ approach to fundraising from dread to enthusiasm.

    The pre-recorded session will explore concepts and components related to fundraising with volunteers, including the giving landscape in the United States, the motivational underpinnings of fundraising, and how volunteers and staff can effectively support the fundraising cycle. (Video recording – 1 hour 16 minutes)

    The live virtual session has not been scheduled yet, it will include a practical and tailored discussion of how volunteers can support fundraising in participants’ organizations.
    (Live session – 2 hours)

    What You Will Learn

    • explore the philosophical and motivational underpinnings behind fundraising
    • examine the basic fundraising cycle and how volunteers can support it
    • begin identifying the fundraising support most needed from volunteers at their designated organizations; and
    • begin defining the systems needed to support volunteer fundraising.