Third Sector Consulting

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Online Training (Live)

20 Fundraising Truths You Should Know (and Probably Don't)

»»» We are currently not providing any training or workshops (December 2024).

No child grows up saying, "One day, I want to be a fundraiser!"

And very few adults have been trained in best practices in the field of fundraising.

There are a lot of misunderstandings, especially about donor communications - and they could be holding you and your fundraising back.

This short session will test your knowledge and debunk common myths. You'll learn where to focus your effort and energy so you can raise more money from individual donors.

Based on the teachings of Tom Ahern and other notable names in the nonprofit sector, like Jeff Brooks, Penelope Burk, Roger Craver, and Simone Joyaux.

TARGET AUDIENCE Nonprofit Staff and Board Members
EXPERIENCE LEVEL Any
FORMAT Online, Live
DURATION 2 Hours

Participant Outcomes

In the first hour, you can expect to learn things like:

  • How old is a typical donor? What does that mean, and why does it matter?
  • How many times can you ask a donor for money in one year? (The answer will shock you!)
  • What works better in fundraising appeals? Sad pictures or happy ones? Why?
  • Should we be sharing statistics, or stories, or both? Which? When? And why?

In the second hour, you'll learn techniques for raising money from individual donors. You'll get specific ideas for how to make your fundraising letters stand out in a crowded mailbox.

Participants will leave with conversation starters and actionable ideas to take back to your organization.

Participants will also receive a list of 20 simple questions (and their surprising answers) to share with other staff and board members.


About the Instructor

Laura Rhodes is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and fundraising trainer who has 20+ years of experience working with - and for - nonprofits. As a former program officer with an international corporate foundation, Laura brings a unique perspective to the fundraising process. She knows what works, what doesn't, and why.

Contact Laura to schedule this training!


What Nonprofits Say About This Training

Our approach to fundraising communications will definitely change after taking this course! I like the quiz we took at the beginning to see how much we really did not know about successful fundraising campaigns. This challenged us to think differently.

We are working on a plan for attracting donors, and we will certainly frame our asks strategically based on what I learned in this session. This conference session was the most beneficial one I attended. There were so many takeaways.

I loved this workshop! You have a great way of engaging your audience and are so knowledgeable! I am new to fundraising and I already brought back your ideas and presented some of them at this morning's staff meeting.

Your presentation was an eye-opener, especially for someone new to this field like myself. Excited to dig deeper! I will definitely be using what I learned!

Featured Blog Post

"Let's Talk Nonprofit" is a blog by Third Sector Consulting that addresses common questions that nonprofits have. Ready? Great! Let's Talk Nonprofit.

Is Your Writing Too Long, Too Short, or Just Right
Twitter recently increased the number of characters per tweet from 140 to 280. Just because you can say more, should you? The same question holds true for grants. If you're writing an online application and the response allows 300 words, do you need to use all 300 words? If it's a paper application, and you're allowed 5 pages, do you need to fill every page? And what about your donor appeals? What's the right length of the fundraising materials you write for your nonprofit? (read more)