Nonprofit Fundraising: Workshops and Trainings
Stephanie Schwartz is a nationally-recognized thought leader who speaks and writes about nonprofit fundraising and philanthropy.
She has been featured in
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy
- Washington Business Journal
- Advancing Philanthropy
She is a regular contributor to the Forbes Business Council.
In addition to her consulting work on comprehensive fundraising strategies, she regularly trains and coaches organizational leaders and nonprofit board members on how to enhance their knowledge of and comfort with fundraising. Stephanie serves on several nonprofit fundraising committees and boards and leverages her board service to enhance her work.
To learn more about any of the nonprofit fundraising workshops, please email Stephanie at stephanie@littlebeangroup.
All LBG workshops include:
- A preparatory session with organizational staff to customize the workshop
- Follow up workshop notes, content, and resources
- 1 hour of dedicated, one-on-one consultative time to be used by staff or board members
Engaging Boards in Fundraising
Audience: Board members and organizational staff
Format: Virtual or in-person
Time: 75 minutes
The #1 question from nonprofit leaders is: how do I engage my board in fundraising? When board members are pressured to solicit their peers for support, it leads to board member anxiety, disengagement, and dissatisfaction. Turns out, we’ve been thinking about how to partner with our boards in all the wrong ways.
This workshop provides a nonprofit fundraising overview for board members and highlights specific ways board members can contribute meaningfully to an organization’s fundraising efforts.
In this workshop we will:
- Review data and learn how board engagement with fundraising is vital to an organization’s success.
- Learn to engage board members in all aspects of development, not just asking.
- Dispel myths and focus on leveraging board members’ strengths.
- Bolster engagement and partnership between staff and board members to better engage in fundraising efforts.
Leading Donor Conversations with Confidence
Audience: Organizational staff who engage with external constituents, board members
Format: Virtual or in-person
Time: 75 minutes
We know our job is to build relationships with those who care about the same issues we do. But how do we actually do that? How do we engage in genuine conversation and build a rapport when we know at some point we’ll need to ask for support?
In this workshop we’ll explore tangible ways to start conversations and maintain relationships, including:
- Changing our mindset and approach to boost confidence
- Effective meeting strategy and planning
- Leading the conversation to achieve your desired outcomes
- Follow-up methods that work
We will discuss real-life examples of genuine relationships and how to overcome the awkwardness and obstacles we can sometimes feel around nonprofit fundraising. Participants will leave the workshop feeling more confident to engage with key constitutions and build genuine relationships.
While this workshop will feature ample discussion about making an ask for support, it is not a traditional solicitation training workshop.
Nonprofit Fundraising Overview for Board Members
Audience: This workshop is designed for anyone interested in or currently serving on a nonprofit board, or anyone interested to learn more about nonprofit fundraising.
Format: Virtual or in-person
Time: 60 minutes
Fundraising is a critical piece of nonprofit board service. Yet, board members rarely receive meaningful guidance on how fundraising works for nonprofits and what board members can do to help move the needle.
This workshop offers a detailed overview of nonprofit fundraising and prepares current and prospective board members to take on meaningful leadership roles in their community. Participants can expect to learn the nuts and bolts of nonprofit fundraising and walk away feeling more informed and confident.
Leveraging Nonprofit Board Service for Personal & Professional Growth
Audience: Professionals who are interested in building their profile through joining a nonprofit board and bolstering their civic engagement.
Format: Virtual or in-person
Time: 75 minutes
Serving on a nonprofit is one of the rare opportunities that allows us to be in service to ourselves and others. Nonprofit board service connects our values to our actions and allows us to make a meaningful difference in our community or on an issue we care about.
Serving on a nonprofit board opens up new pathways for connection and amplifies our work and our profile in our community and beyond. Yet, leaders rarely receive meaningful guidance on how to position themselves for nonprofit board service and what to expect, especially with regards to what is expected in fundraising.
This workshop offers a
- framework to align professional skills with nonprofit board service
- provides strategies to determine what type of nonprofit board would be a good match
- gives an overview of nonprofit fundraising
- prepares current and prospective nonprofit board members to take on meaningful leadership roles in their community