Do you love your work? Are you great at being a fundraiser? But do you have a sense that you could be a little bit more content with how it all fits together? In Japanese culture, there is a concept called ikigai, loosely translated to "your life's purpose." While there are a lot of discussions about finding your why and your passion, in reality, it's not just about that. Whether you'd like to work on your own sense of personal leadership, or help coach someone else, this session will provide insight on the elements of ikigai, the ways to evaluate where you stand on each of the spheres of life, and tools to improve how your passion, vocation, and mission intersect.

Let's face it, no one has enough time to manage their major gifts program by the book. Regardless of whether your major donor portfolio is 5 people, or 500, you need a practical way to qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward the people investing in your cause. Stealing from the tech field, this session discusses using Scrum, a project management model, to better track and implement the activities of your major gifts program. Using real world examples for a currently running campaign, you'll learn about the different types of process management, what Scrum is, and how to put this model to work.

In the philanthropic community now, we have the greatest span of generations in recent memory—as donors, volunteers and professional practitioners. As we develop our fundraising programs, we must consider that each generation has different motivations for philanthropy, different modes of communication, and different ways that they will take action. So how do we engage Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and the activist Gen Z in our causes? In this session, Alice Ferris will talk about characteristics of the generations, communication methods, and do's and don't's in intergenerational development.

It's inevitable - at some point in your nonprofit career, you will need to ask for money. Whether it is a fundraising letter, a grant proposal, or a major gift ask, they have this in common: tell them a compelling story that meets their needs. To do that, we'll walk through how to figure out what you're asking for and how to best communicate it; how to research a funder; how to communicate with a potential donor; how to put together the proposal; and donor pet peeves.

With all the day to day demands of a development program, particularly at small to mid-size shops, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to think about cultivating major donors. Growing a major gifts program takes time, right? Yes, but any organization and any size staff can find a way to add philanthropic thinking to their all their fundraising strategies, which can lead to major gifts without a lot of additional effort. This session will share practical strategies on how to make big gifts happen regardless of your resources.

Can you use social media for relationship building with your donors? Yes, but you need to have limits!

In challenging times, people make tough decisions about where they spend their dollars. Some decide to give less to each organization they support. Others may choose to stop giving to certain organizations. How do they make these decisions? How do economic realities and personal perceptions affect your organization? In this interactive session, we'll address realities for charities nationwide and locally, strategies to minimize or avoid these pressures, what to do (and please DON'T do) when a donor says, "I can't contribute now," and practical strategies for successful fundraising regardless of conditions.

In today's 24/7 culture, you have unprecedented access to leaders through social media, text and in person interactions. This also means that you are being highly scrutinized on a regular basis. Now, more than ever, each one of us has a personal brand, online and offline, and how we use the tools available can shape how we're perceived. In this talk, we'll explore the elements of your personal brand, how social media, traditional channels and personal presence all impact your brand, and the power of being fiercely authentic.

In fundraising, there are many emergencies that seem to arise every day – a donor needs immediate attention, a proposal is due today, or a mailing needs to be approved right now. Unfortunately, this can lead to a high level of stress and lack of health for the development program and you, the practitioner! How can we change the paradigm and create a healthy, sustainable fundraising program that leads to a less stressed out fundraiser? In this workshop, we’ll work on a comprehensive development plan that includes sustainable strategies and a realistic, workable plan for your fundraising efforts.

Fundraising efforts are constant, so it's often hard to pause and evaluate your program. But how do you know where you're going if you don't know where you're coming from? In this hands on, practical workshop, we'll identify the elements of a development audit, discuss quantitative and qualitative indicators of a healthy fundraising program, and walk through strategies to analyze your own program while still managing your day to day.

Remember when websites were the magic bullet? Or social media was going to solve all our marketing problems for free? Then why do we still have traditional media? A well designed multimedia campaign can reap benefits exponentially beyond a digital campaign by itself. In this session, we'll focus on how digital media and traditional media work together to create successful campaigns. How can you identify the characteristics of your ideal audience? How can you use a mix of online and offline channels? And what are the right tools and messages to reach your audience where they are?

It's often very easy to recognize when an organization needs to change, but it's a lot harder to make it happen! Legacy staff and volunteers, “we've always done it this way” perspectives, and plain old inertia can put many frustrating road blocks in your way. There are ways, however, for the persistent and patient to guide the change process and help an organization evolve. Using real world examples, we'll discuss the stages of organizational growth, personality archetypes you may encounter, and strategies to build momentum toward change.

Everyone likes a good party, but what do you do when you know in your heart that a fundraising event has reached the end of its effective life? Rather than let the party go on, conduct an objective event audit and let the facts help you decide what do to next. In this practical session, we'll discuss the signs of a failing event, the tools to analyze the event's effective return, ways to soften the blow to volunteers of ending a losing program, and strategies to evaluate new events before they even happen.

Thoughts on nonprofit partnership and how to really make them useful, and not just something to check off.

There are many “givens” in fundraising that are based on “best practice.” Best practices are called that for a reason, right? In your day-to-day life, however, it often depends. Why do we do what we do? By examining the fundamental goals of what have been best practice, you can choose what to do, what not to do, and what to make better for your specific fundraising goals.

There are many “givens” in fundraising that are based on “best practice.” Best practices are called that for a reason, right? In your day-to-day life, however, it often depends. Why do we do what we do? By examining the fundamental goals of what have been best practice, you can choose what to do, what not to do, and what to make better for your specific fundraising goals.

Fast and furious review of our favorite cheap, fast AND good marketing tools

When you are in a small or medium sized organization with limited staff, it can sometimes feel like you’re on a never ceasing hamster wheel—you are constantly dealing with the day to day demands and seemingly making little progress. But any organization and any size staff can find ways to make the fundraising program more effective, helping to build resources and the case to grow. Using real-world examples, this session addresses the challenges of a small shop, provides practical tips on doing more with less, and shares thoughts on how to affect the culture of your organization to prioritize an investment in your philanthropic program.

Strategies for small charitable organizations to succeed in fundraising

So what are you doing for year end giving? If you're in a panic because you neglected to plan for the next 31 days, it's not too late! Here are key things to maximize your fundraising that you can still do now.

Planned giving for charities sounds scary, but it doesn't need to be! The basics of helping a donor make a planned gift.

A short primer on the fundraising process

You can manage your social media without it taking over your life!

Trying to connect to diverse communities in fundraising? Listen first, then maybe ask. Here are some reflections on making those connections.

Trying to connect to diverse communities in fundraising? Listen first, then maybe ask. Here are some reflections on making those connections.

Trying to connect to diverse communities in fundraising? Listen first, then maybe ask. Here are some reflections on making those connections.

As we begin the Chinese new year, here are some of Chinese traditions that can be productive to apply to your nonprofit life

A litmus test for your organizational culture: what happens when you have an office potluck?

A short checklist for fundraising leaders and staff for January

Lessons learned from GoalBusters Consulting's 100 Days of Gratitude.