Nonprofit Fundraising Masters Conference Series

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Last year, we were a Publication Partner of Darian Rodriguez Heyman‘s Nonprofit Fundraising 101. This year we’re happy to promote Darian’s Nonprofit Fundraising Masters Conference Series in Silicon Valley on Wednesday, July 27, and San Francisco on Wednesday, October 19. Tickets are just $95 – $175 depending on your budget, and registration includes access to the full-day program, breakfast, lunch, all-day coffee and tea, a cocktail reception following the program, and a copy of the new best seller, Nonprofit Fundraising 101. And you can even save $20 when you use the “NEO” promo code. Sign up now at http://fundraisingmasters.org/ and hope to see you there!

You can find information for the Silicon Valley conference here. I’d love to meet any readers of our blog at the conference – please say “hi” if you spot me.

Among the distinguished group of interviewees:

  • Beth Kanter, author of The Networked Nonprofit and social media guru
  • Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money
  • Kay Sprinkel Grace, major gifts consultant Beyond Fundraising author
  • Story of Stuff developer and Greenpeace US E.D. Annie Leonard
  • Sierra Club E.D. Mike Brune
  • Planned & legacy giving guru Greg Lassonde

Fundraisers are understandably most focused on relationships and mission. But they also have to be aware of the laws and risks to manage when building and implementing great fundraising programs.

Fundraising Legal Issues – 10 Resources

Top 5 Fundraising Legal Tips

6 More Fundraising Legal Tips

Fundraising (National Council of Nonprofits)

Giving Tuesday: 10 Legal Tips for Nonprofits

Major Gifts – Part II: Considerations for Legal Compliance and Avoiding Lawsuits

Understanding Crowdfunding after a Tragedy (Nonprofit Quarterly)

Fundraising Issues for Nonprofit Organizations (Public Counsel)

Legal Implications of Fundraising via Social Media (Columbia Law School)

Legal Issues Involved in Charitable Fundraising (Adler & Colvin)

Developing Fundraising Policies and Procedures (Association of Fundraising Professionals)

Darian’s Request for Interview Questions

You can literally ask them anything… so what would you ask? Your goal is to unearth their secrets to success, most valuable tips and tools, and sources of inspiration.

 

I’m hoping to develop a set framework that I can use with all interviewees at both these events and others coming up around the country, sharing the insights generated with both a live audience and book readers down the road. I’d love your help balancing the need for inspiring stories with concrete, useful tactics and tools.

So far, here are a few questions I’ve been toying with:

 

  • If there is one thing that you believe most enabled you to succeed in fundraising where others have not, what would it be?
  • Can you share one specific document, template, or practice that’s facilitated your work engaging donors and supporters?
  • Tell us a story of a prospect who initially declined to contribute, but who ultimately decided to provide support.
  • Please share the story of the single largest gift you ever raised.
  • In today’s attention economy, how do you ensure that your cause is able to cut through the clutter and appeal to donors?
  • What keeps you inspired when things get stressful and hard?
  • How did you first come to realize that you were a fundraiser?

Hopefully that’s enough to get your creative juices flowing, or at least give you an idea of what we’re thinking. So let me know what you think: which of these questions would you be most excited to hear experts answer; which aren’t that compelling; and which killer questions am I missing? Bear in mind each interview is only 45 minutes, so we won’t have all day, but we hope to cover a lot of ground in these dynamic fireside chats.

 

Thanks and can’t wait to hear your ideas!