Community-Centric Fundraising

Led by Nia Wassink, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Rocky Mountain Equality

Key Takeaways/Highlights 

• Everyone is philanthropic 
• Think about who you are silencing/not empowering in your communications 
• Consider how AI might be discriminatory when using for diverse content/photo generation
• Lead from where you are by assessing your own sphere of influence and how you can implement changes 
• Ways to host community-based/inclusive events: (1) Drop mandatory giving levels and/or use open invitations (2) Offer ability to donate or release seats (3) Switch to smaller event formats (but how do we engage corporate partners in these?)
• CCF principles can be implemented gradually. How can you create more inclusive end-of-year appeals? 

Data and Program Evaluations for Nonprofit Fundraisers
Led by Paul Collier, Director, Corona Insights 

This session is new to the ILD schedule in its second year. We were pleased to offer it in the fall to help inform participant's Capstone project research plans. The cohort's familiarity with data and program evaluation varied from basic to more advanced with a few folks having a pretty deep background from work in marketing. Many have other staff in their organizations who focus on data and evaluation. 

Highlights 

• Ethics and data collection: historically, data collection has focused on the interests and questions of more powerful groups. Data has the power to advance good or perpetuate harm. It is rarely neutral. 
• A simple process for designing your data collection process: 1. Begin intentionally 2. Draft questions 3. Order questions 4. Test 5. Provide context 
• When crafting questions, avoid Yes/No answers. Ask for specific stories and examples. Please the most critical questions to the beginning or middle.
• Visualizing your Data: There are many ways to do this but keep in mind that it doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes a simple text table is very effective. 
• Book recommendations: The Functional Art, by Alberto Cairo; Storytelling with Data, by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic; Envisioning Information, by Edward Tufte.

November Course Highlights

Managing Up and Soft Power Skills

Led By:

Hillary Harding, ILD’19 Vice President of Development and Communications, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance

Discovery Visits
Led By:

Shawna English (ILD '21),  Philanthropy Director, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, & Lauren Wise (ILD ' 20), Managing Director of Development, CU Anschutz

Faculty focused on tactics for effectively getting the first visit with the donor and how to prepare to meet with a donor prospect for the first time. Then, details on what to do and say when you get a visit scheduled. Proper discovery and qualification work can save time and accelerate our best donor relationships.

Highlights:

• Improve your ability to evaluate and strengthen your donor portfolio from the starting line
• Acquire techniques for effectively setting and preparing for discovery visits
• Gain insights on what to look and listen for during discovery visits
• Hear outcomes of real-life discovery visits
• Key phrases and qualifying questions for discovery visits
• A five-step process to qualify/disqualify prospects
• Learn when to disqualify using the disqualification checklist