Progam Materials
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Fundraiser Education
Development at the Core
The Model
Development at the Core is based on three premises:
- Annual fundraising is the platform for all development endeavors in successful nonprofit organizations.
- Fundraising is the job of the whole organization and not just the development professional.
- Fundraising in the Jewish realm requires a vision for the Jewish people and an appreciation for the Jewish meaning of giving and soliciting funds.
At its best, annual fundraising takes place within a culture of development supported by the entire organization. As a participant in this program, you will work through key issues in donor relations and strategic planning and acquire skills for creating the structures and climate conducive to successful fundraising. Over the nine months of the program, you will create a development plan for your organization, and you will prepare the organization for its implementation.
At the same time, you will study classical Jewish texts and learn about the most recent research in Jewish studies. Guided by Brandeis University faculty, you will deepen your knowledge and understanding of Jewish values and the sociology of American Jewry as they relate to fundraising and philanthropy.
The Program
Development at the Core is a five-session, nine-month program that will equip you to create a culture of development in your organization by:
- facilitating strategic thinking
- teaching about the American Jewish context
- delving into the Jewish sources of this work
The five sessions of the program take participants through a sequence of steps that result in an annual development plan for their organization. Each unit builds systematically on the previous one and provides the starting point for the next. Between sessions, participants work with others in their organization to complete assignments. During this time, they may consult with faculty and peers in the program. Assignments are “workshopped” at the beginning of the next session in order to maximize learning and improve products.
Session Descriptions
Beyond the Program
The Fisher-Bernstein Institute is breaking new ground in bringing the best of fundraising practices into the Jewish sector. In order to facilitate ongoing learning, we offer an online community of inquiry for alumni of Development at the Core. The main focus is supporting and learning from the implementation of participants’ fundraising plans.
Faculty
The founding faculty are scholars and teachers in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Brandeis University. They are also doers who have helped organizations develop their fundraising capacities and their leadership potential.
Amy L. Sales, director of the Fisher-Bernstein Institute for Jewish Philanthropy and Leadership; associate professor in Hornstein: The Jewish Professional Leadership Program
David A. Mersky, founder and managing director of Mersky, Jaffe & Associates, Inc.; lecturer in Jewish philanthropy and fundraising in Hornstein: The Jewish Professional Leadership Program
Reuven R. Kimelman, professor of classical rabbinic literature in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
In addition, practitioners able to meet the specific needs of the 2009 class will lead sessions in the areas of their expertise.
Fees and Registration
Development at the Core is intended to build the capacity of the Jewish organization to raise funds. It therefore requires the participation of the chief executive, development director, and/or another professional with development responsibilities. Assignments between sessions and evening “workshop” sessions may also involve the organization’s lay leaders.
Held on the Brandeis University campus in Waltham, Massachusetts, the 2009 program is limited to thirteen organizations.
Registration fee: $100 (nonrefundable; due by February 15, 2009)
Program fee: $1,895 per agency professional. Fee includes registration, fifty hours of seminar time, consultations with faculty between sessions, all materials, and meals. It also covers the participation of agency lay leaders as appropriate. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and lodging (if required). Financial assistance is available on the basis of need.
Contact
If you are interested in Development at the Core for your agency or organization, we would like to speak with you directly. Please email us with your contact information and good times to reach you: fisherbernstein@brandeis.edu.
Fisher-Bernstein Institute for Jewish Philanthropy and Leadership
Telephone: 781-736-2282
Fax: 781-736-3929
E-mail: fisherbernstein@brandeis.edu
Registration Form