Creating Culture of Development
Session Descriptions
Session One: Needs and Opportunities
Product: Development and Stewardship Inventory
March 24, 2009 (evening)
March 25, 2009 (full day)
Research shows that it costs four to five times as much money and staff time to acquire a new donor as it does to keep a current one. In this unit, you will assess how effective you are in your current fundraising program. The emphasis is on stewardship—how you communicate, establish accountability, and manage relationships with donors. The product of session one is a Development and Stewardship Inventory that will serve as a roadmap toward an effective program of donor and leadership cultivation.
Session Two: The Case
Product: Case Statement
May 5, 2009 (evening)
May 6, 2009 (full day)
In this unit, you will learn how to make the case for support that answers donors’ key questions. The first question every prospective donor asks is, “Why should I give?” or “Why should I give Jewishly?” The other is never asked but is often on the donor’s mind: “What is in it for me?” The product of session two is a Case Statement that explains the agency’s mission, its challenges, and the solutions to these challenges. Done well, your case statement shows potential donors their role in realizing the organization’s vision and inspires them to action.
Session Three: The Plan
Product: Annual Development Plan
June 23, 2009 (evening)
June 24, 2009 (full day)
With the Inventory and Case Statement in hand, you will next create an annual development plan and learn how to market it to all of your stakeholders, both inside and outside the organization. The product of session three is a strategic vision for development and tactical plans (including budget and staffing) for implementation in the following areas:
- Marketing, public relations, and collateral materials
- Prospect research and data management
- Major gifts
- Special events
- Grants
- Stewardship
Session Four: Human Resources
“May my portion be with those who collect tzedakah and not with those who but distribute it.”
—Rabbi Yossi, Shabbat 118b
Product: Leadership Development Plan
September 15, 2009 (evening)
September 16, 2009 (full day)
Implementing the development plan requires lay and professional leaders who are prepared for the fundraising task. Your case carries the most weight when it is delivered by people who are passionate about the organization and its mission. Indeed, donors are significantly more likely to give when they believe in and are inspired by an institution’s leadership. In this session you will learn how best to identify, recruit, educate, and motivate leadership for fund development. The product of session four is a Leadership Development Plan that will be your blueprint for aligning the human resources of your organization with its fundraising goals.
Session Five: Donors and Funders
“A person should earn money till the age of forty, enjoy it till fifty, and then give it away.”
—Guides to Personal Growth
November 17, 2009 (evening)
November 18, 2009 (full day)
The critical step in the fundraising process is “the ask.” If you do not ask—and ask in the right way—you will not get. This session will prepare you for the ask. You will learn about American Jews today and what motivates them to give. You will practice various approaches for turning prospects into givers and givers into lifelong donors.