FUNDRAISING WITH FOUNDATIONS 1.0

Develop expertise in fundraising with foundations by learning the tacit rules of philanthropic giving, and what needs to be done and how in all stages of the fundraising cycle.

LEVEL

This training is suitable for people with no or limited experience in fundraising with philanthropy. Our workshops are always tailored as much as possible to the needs of our participants.

BACKGROUND

Many non-profit organisations hope to expand their fundraising efforts to foundations but they are not sure how to navigate the private non-institutional philanthropic world and what its intrinsic rules are.

 

Often, they focus on writing grant applications, having little understanding of the full fundraising cycle, where the moment of soliciting financial support is only a small part.

 

Other times, they are not sure which philanthropic organisations to approach and how to do so. Many feel overwhelmed by philanthropic websites and are not confident about how to get a foot in the door or how to expand.

 

Fundraising with foundations is markedly different from seeking grants from public authorities and the experience with one only moderately transfers to the other. Sometimes a lot of time and energy can be wasted within a non-profit organisation because using the same approaches and methods that have worked for obtaining public grants turn out to be ineffective in fundraising with foundations.

 

Similarly, retaining funding partners requires more than just fulfilling the administrative reporting requirements, which often is the case with public grants.

 

Yet, finding a foundation to support your activities, can benefit your non-profit organisation in multiple ways: not only because it can become an important source of revenue, but also because it can mean forging a partnership that supports the development of your organisation, its mission and work long-term.

 

Thus, understanding the specificities of philanthropic giving and the key steps and approaches in the preparation of, during and after seeking and finding a funding partner, is an important skill set for developing your NGO.

BENEFITS

The participants of this fundraising training will develop and deepen their understanding of how to fundraise with foundations.

 

This workshop covers all stages of fundraising, from preparation, through soliciting to follow-up and lays out step-by-step what it takes to be successful when approaching philanthropic organisations for financial support and to renew funding.

 

The workshop unwraps how fundraising with foundations differs from raising funds from other sources, especially from accessing public grants. This helps non-profits to save time by understanding which strategies are most successful in the context of private giving.

 

The exercises will encourage and support participants to present the work of their non-profit in ways that will resonate with representatives of philanthropic organisations. These activities will directly enrich their future in-person and written communications for fundraising.

 

The opportunity to ask questions throughout the workshop helps deepen insights and consider how to apply the new skills to the context in which each non-profit operates.

 

Upon completion, the participants will be well-equipped to approach and convince philanthropic organisations to support their work and forge fruitful long-term partnerships.

  • APPLICATIONS

    • › Staff training
    • › Volunteer training
    • › Non-profit capacity building
    • › Non-profit development

  •      Useful for:

    • Raising funds in the philanthropic sector
    • Developing fundraising strategy
    • Diversifying funding sources
    • Improving the financial situation of an organisation
    • › Strengthening all aspects of an organisation
    • › Forging valuable partnerships
    • › Improving capacity to deliver the non-profit’s mission

CONTENT

The workshop begins by laying out the types of philanthropic organisations and discussing how, in general, philanthropic giving differs from receiving funds from public grant-makers.

 

Then the workshop structure follows the fundraising cycle. Participants are first introduced to this concept and then each of the steps in the cycle is discussed in detail, through a dialogue between the trainer and facilitator.

 

The formal presentation is interspersed with three practical exercises and includes signposted moments for questions and discussion.

 

Key elements:

 

  1. Capacity-building presentation
  2. Practical exercises:
  • understanding donor psychology / making the ask
  • creating an elevator pitch story of your non-profit
  •      KEY INFORMATION

    • Duration: 3h*
    • Modes of facilitation: on-site or online
    • Number of participants: unlimited
    • Organisational suitability: non-profit organisations, non-profit start-ups, activist groups
    • Inquiries: contact@activismincubator.eu

* online workshops are usually divided into two sessions 

Options

 

The content of the training is adapted depending on whether the participants already have some degree of experience in raising funds from philanthropy or are newcomers to the game.

Pathways

 

This training can be followed up by further workshops or advisory sessions linked to the organisation’s needs and experiences. This includes:

  • a workshop on sharpening organisational strategy to better serve fundraising efforts,
  • a workshop on preparing key written communications necessary for successful fundraising,
  • a workshop on how to organise fundraising internally within an organisation to maximise the chances of success.
Next training

Occasionally we run workshops that are open to individual participation, in an online version. Register your interest here:

Category

Capacity-building, Fundraising

Tags
communication, financing