New 2021 Certificate in Current Affairs Fundraising: Resilient Fundraising

Stay on the leading edge of fundraising during this challenging season! The Fund Raising School presents a new “Current Affairs in Fundraising” certificate series with topics addressing how to adapt your fundraising during the pandemic while strengthening your fundraising in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The series is offered in five, half-day, virtual courses focused on fundraising and current affairs on four different days each. The 2021 topics will revolve around resilient fundraising. Registration is $129 for each course or $499 for the five-course series, with a limit of 25 people per session to maximize participation. All virtual courses are held from 2pm-5pm Eastern time and hosted in Zoom. Course information and dates are listed below.

Register now

The dates for the 2021 series are listed below.  Each course is offered on four separate days. 

What Have We Learned, and Where are We Going?
Dates: January 11 or January 12 or January 13 or January 14

Dr. Bill Stanczykiewicz, director of The Fund Raising School, will be joined by Dr. Una Osili and Dr. Patrick Rooney of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. They will discuss what happened in fundraising during 2020 and what we might expect for fundraising in 2021, while providing you with an opportunity to share from your experience and get your questions answered.

Engaging, Soliciting, and Stewarding DAF Donors
Dates: January  25 or January 26 or January 27 or January 28

Charitable gifts from donor advised funds (DAFs) tend to increase during times of economic downturn. Dr. Dan Heist presents his nationally regarded research on DAF donors, how they tend to contribute during economic recessions, and what you need to know to fundraise effectively from DAFs.

Diversify Your Donor Database
Dates: February 8 or February 9 or February 10 or February 11

Surveys reveal that donors of color perceive that they are invited less often than their White neighbors to attend fundraising events, and that they are asked less often to donate to nonprofits. LaKoya Rochell, an accomplished fundraiser who directs programs for the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, will describe practical strategies on how you can diversify your donor database.

Nonprofit Collaboration to Increase Donor Support
Dates: February 22 or February 23 or February 24 or February 25

The pandemic has caused many nonprofits to consider collaboration, which research reveals is an effective strategy for increasing revenue during economic downturns. Delphia Ridley, J.D., who has significant fundraising experience with the Smithsonian Institution, Girl Scouts of the USA, and the United Way, will outline the steps you need to take to forge effective collaborations with other nonprofits.

Planning, Growing, and Stewarding in this New Environment
Dates: March 8 or March 9 or March 10 or March 11

Even when the pandemic finally ends, fundraising will have entered a “new normal.” Veteran fundraiser and national fundraising consultant Ann Fitzgerald will explain how best to identify, cultivate, and steward new and existing donors to grow your fundraising in this new environment.