Fundraising Essentials with Mikhael Bornstein

Dates: September 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7 and 14

Times: 1:00 - 2:30 PM ET

Cost: $200

‍

This seminar series is ideal for new fundraisers, part-time fundraisers, and those who work in small fundraising shops.

Mikhael's mentor once said, “Fundraising is easy, but you have to get the basics right.” He's not sure fundraising is ever easy, but it is absolutely crucial to get the basics right. And that is what this seminar series is all about.

Over three weeks, we will focus on the essentials of fundraising. We will explore the fundamental principles of effective fundraising, review the most common forms of fundraising, and learn how to grow your fundraising results.

In addition to six 90-minute interactive webinars, you will receive six resource manuals containing checklists, templates, and step-by-step guides.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this seminar series, participants will understand:

1. Current trends in fundraising and how they impact fundraising practice

2. Fundraising ethics and fundamental principles

3. How to effectively ask individuals for major gifts

4. How to use direct marketing techniques to grow a strong base of support

5. The practices of effective grant writers

6. How to organize successful and cost-effective special events

7. How to generate revenue and awareness through online fundraising

8. How to structure a fundraising program that will generate results and maximize return on investment

Session 1 : Fundamental Concepts

This week is about learning the foundations of effective fundraising practice. You will learn the fundamentals of fundraising ethics. You will explore case studies and real-world examples that introduce the essential concepts that drive effective fundraising. You will receive a 90-minute interactive webinar and a resource manual containing checklists, templates, and step-by-step guides.

Session 2: Major Gift Fundraising

This week will introduce the essential practices of effective major gift fundraising. You will learn how to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects. You will learn the essentials of making face-to-face asks and how to deal with rejection. Whether your organization defines a major gift as $500 or $25,000 by the end of this session you will understand how to successfully ask for major gifts and grow your fundraising program. You will receive a 90-minute interactive webinar and a resource manual containing checklists, templates, and step-by-step guides.

‍Session 3: Direct Response Fundraising

This week will introduce the essential practices of effective direct response fundraising. You will learn about the most common forms of direct response fundraising, including direct mail, email, and telemarketing. You will learn how to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward direct response prospects. You will learn how to write effective appeal and stewardship letters. Finally, you will learn when and how to work with external direct response vendors. You will receive a 90-minute interactive webinar and a resource manual containing checklists, templates, and step-by-step guides.

Session 4: Grant Writing

This week will introduce the essential practices of effective grant wiring. You will learn how to research and identify philanthropic foundations. You will learn how to cultivate, solicit, and steward foundation funders. You will learn how to organize your grant writing program. Finally, you will learn how to write effective letters of inquiry and grant proposals. You will receive a 90-minute interactive webinar and a resource manual containing checklists, templates, and step-by-step guides.

Session 5: Special Events and Online Giving

This week is about rounding out your portfolio of fundraising tools. You will learn the essentials of cost-effective special events. You will learn how to organize fundraising events that raise revenue without burning-out staff and volunteers. You will also learn about the evolving world of online fundraising, including crowdfunding, social media, and virtual events. You will receive a 90-minute interactive webinar and a resource manual containing checklists, templates, and step-by-step guides.

Session 6: Putting It All Together

This week shifts the focus from fundraising techniques to the essentials of fundraising planning. You will learn how to identify the unique fundraising needs of your organization. You will learn how to combine fundraising techniques into effective fundraising programs that grow revenue, awareness, and participation. You will learn how to craft fundraising plans that your board will approve and support. Finally, you will learn how to measure and report fundraising results. Participants will receive a 90-minute interactive webinar and a resource manual containing checklists, templates, and step-by-step guides.

‍

‍Our Presenter:

Having worked in the arts, health, social service, and education sectors, Mikhael Bornstein has more than twenty years of experience as a professional fundraiser.

Mikhael is an AFP Master Trainer and a frequent speaker at conferences across North America. He previously been faculty with the Canadian Association of Gift Planners and has taught fundraising at both George Brown College and Toronto Metropolitan University.

Mikhael has a Master in Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University.

‍

‍

How to choose your stream:

‍ENGO representatives may self-select from the three workshop tracks based on their previous learning experiences with decolonization content.‍

‍Introduction to Decolonization in the ENGO Sector is designed for first-time learners and those with limited comfort exploring the Session topics. Sessions will be lecture-style making limited space for group discussion. Breakout rooms will be used intermittently to encourage first-time learners to practice discussing topics and gain confident understanding of materials.

‍‍Advanced Decolonial Theory and Application is designed for ENGO representatives who have experience with session topics and are ready to take chances by participating in potentially uncomfortable conversations to expose the root issues at play. These spaces are designed with safety of participants in mind with the goal of exposing the potential reproduction of colonial thinking/doing within the ENGO sector. Sessions will be conversational while making use of lecture-style teaching.

‍For Indigenous Ears Only - A Space for Reflection and Action is designed for Indigenous people who work within the ENGO sector and seek to connect with others to discuss experiences and vision decolonial pathways forward. These session agendas will be co-developed with participants.

Introduction to Decolonization in the ENGO Sector

Fridays, March 14, 21, 28 and April 4 (1-4:00 pm ET)

Session 1: Settler Colonialism 101

Introduce ENGO representatives to the fact that colonization is a structure and not an event. Identifies key ways that colonialism moves through individuals and organizations.

Session 2: Positionality

ENGO representatives learn how to articulate their social location within a settler colonial state, and in relation to potential Indigenous partners.

Session 3: Inherent Indigenous Governance 101

Introduce the fact that Indigenous nations have their own sources of political authority that they can (and do) draw on when addressing environmental issues. Examples provided.

Session 4: Building Better Relations

ENGO representatives will road test ways they can implement previous workshop key points to re-imagine partnerships with Indigenous nations.

Cost: $100 (or register 4 staff from the same organization for one stream and get the 5th registration free)

All registrants will be provided with a link to access the recordings and presentation slides for 60 days following each session.

Instructor:

Dr. Les Sabiston (Red River Métis) is from Aswahonanihk (Selkirk), Manitoba. Working at the intersections of political, legal, and medical anthropologies, as well as Indigenous Studies, Les’ work brings together critical social theories of colonialism, race, class, gender and sexuality with the political commitments of decolonization and aspirations of realizing alternative worlds informed by Indigenous futures. A guiding principle to his work has been to develop a more robust understanding of the ongoing process of encounter with Indigenous peoples in Canada, that is, how the state and its people interact with and understand themselves in relation to the original peoples of this land.

This is some text inside of a div block.

Advanced Decolonial Theory and Application

Wednesdays, March 26, April 2, 9 and 16 (1-4:00 pm ET)

Session 1: Diagnosing Settler Colonialism in the Enviro Sector

Participants will be asked to share ways in which they have diagnosed and traced power in social justice movements and/or in the ENGO sector. This workshop will make space for discomfort as part of promoting decolonization.

Session 2: Inherent Indigenous Governance

A mix of advanced and introductory theory, this workshop delves into legal and political pluralism, naming the fact that Indigenous nations have their own sources of political authority that they can (and do) draw on when addressing environmental issues.

Session 3: The Nonprofit Industrial Complex

ENGO participants are introduced to theories and examples describing the Nonprofit Industrial Complex and the “Shadow State.” Purpose is to show how settler colonialism structures civil society.

Session 4: Decolonizing ENGO-First Nation Partnerships

This workshop delves deep into how ENGOs can partner with Indigenous nations beyond the Nonprofit Industrial Complex while promoting deference to inherent Indigenous political leaders.

Cost: $100 (or register 4 staff from the same organization for one stream and get the 5th registration free)

All registrants will be provided with a link to access the recordings and presentation slides for 60 days following each session.

Instructor:

Dr. Damien Lee is a member of Fort William First Nation and holds a PhD in Indigenous Studies from the University of Manitoba, and a Master of Arts in Indigenous Governance from the University of Victoria. Dr. Lee has extensive experience facilitating/teaching adult-focused education at the post-secondary level and co-leads Gimiwan Research and Consulting. Gimiwan serves mainly Indigenous communities and Indigenous-led organizations by providing research and workshop services based in decolonial ethics and Indigenous worldviews.

This is some text inside of a div block.

For Indigenous Ears Only - A Space for Reflection and Action

Tuesdays, April 1, 8, 15 and 22 (1-4 pm ET)

The Indigenous only space will be collaborative in nature but critical in approach. This track is a space for Indigenous folks within the ENGO sector to come together to discuss their experiences and work, with an eye to taking a position on what the sector might need to do in order to promote decolonization. Participants will use the first session to define our goals for the remaining three meetings. Therefore, session topics named here are proposals only.

‍

Session 1: Naming the Cannibal: Settler Colonialism in the ENGO Sector

Session 2: Proposed topic: Reflections on working in the ENGO Sector

Session 3: Proposed topic: Centering Indigenous Thought in the ENGO Sector

Session 4: Proposed topic: Visioning a Decolonial Environmental Sector

‍

Cost: Free

No items found.