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Fundraising Workshops

The Art and Science of Fundraising Appeals

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

You know you need to write great fundraising letters. But how, exactly, do you do that?

Fundraising is an art and a science, and your appeal letter needs to reflect both. You need to understand what motivates donors, how to get them to give – and get them to give more.

Inspired by some of the biggest names in the nonprofit sector (including Tom Ahern, Jeff Brooks, Penelope Burk, Roger Craver, Kay Sprinkel Grace, Simone Joyaux and Jerry Panas), this half-day program will help you understand what donors want – and why.

Participants will leave with conversation starters and actionable ideas to take back to other staff and board members.

TARGET AUDIENCE Nonprofit Staff and Board Members
EXPERIENCE LEVEL Any
FORMAT Workshop
DURATION Half Day

Participant Outcomes

You can expect to learn the following:

  • 20 things you thought you knew about fundraising (that are wrong)
  • A 4-part formula to make sure you're writing the right message for the right audience
  • 5 "right" ways to think about fundraising appeals
  • More than a dozen real-life (and really easy) ways to improve every fundraising letter you write
  • Easy and effective ways to increase your donors' gift amounts
  • The incredibly lucrative reason why you need to send one very special appeal each year (plus, who it needs to go to and what it needs to say)

To reinforce the lessons learned, participants will review "before" and "after" letters and appeal packages.


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 People Say About This Workshop

You helped me understand what we are doing wrong in a way that is not judgmental, but then also gave actionable suggestions that are doable.

The most useful thing was understanding that we need to be more donor-centric. I also appreciated the handouts. I thought everything was useful information.

I learned more in one day from Laura than at an entire CASE conference!

As an individual who is new to the development world, I have gone to a lot of trainings, listened to a million podcasts, and read a ton of articles, and I honestly think your workshops have been the best I have been to thus far. So keep up the good work!


Upcoming Dates for this Program

No events are currently scheduled. Contact Laura to schedule an event in your area.

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.

5 Little Things That Will Make a Big Difference in Your Next Fundraising Appeal
Here's a little fundraising inspiration from the football field. Bear Bryant, legendary coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, once said, "Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things." That's true for your fundraising appeal, too. Yes, there are best practices in letter writing - those are the big things. This post shares 5 simple "little things" you can do to make your next fundraising letter stand out. (read more)