Books will be available for purchase and signing!

About the Topic: 

In a rapidly evolving world, fundraising cannot shield itself from change. But making the right choices when resources are limited and competition is fierce is the challenge that every Development Office faces. Luckily, today's donors are much more specific about what it will take to win their support and inspire them to give more generously. The job of Development Professionals, then, is to recognize which things are worth investing in and what skills and resources are needed to increase fundraising profit.

Join author, speaker and fundraising futurist, Penelope Burk, as she discusses the findings of her latest research conducted with thousands of American donors and relates those findings to her breakthrough fundraising philosophy -- Donor-Centered Fundraising. Penelope will talk about what donors want from their philanthropic relationships today, what that means for your bottom line, and how to apply a Donor-Centered Fundraising approach in an ever-evolving environment.

Agenda Highlights:

Being Donor-Centered in Changing Times is designed for Development Directors and other NFP staff responsible for leading change and adjusting fundraising to suit donors’ evolving needs. Backed by evidence from the annual Burk Donor Survey, this session showcases donors’ views on such topics as…

Donor Communication: how fundraisers can differentiate key messages to capture the imagination and giving spirit of young, middle-age and older donors;

Donor Acquisition: where the real potential lies in attracting new donors to your cause and where fundraisers shouldn't waste their precious resources;

Not-for-Profit Websites: why the most independent donors give the most generously and how not-for-profit websites can become better at capturing their attention;

Monthly Giving: how fundraisers can inspire more monthly donors up into major and planned gifts;

Fundraising Events: the surprising philanthropic potential of donors who sponsor friends and family members in "thons" and other events

Direct Mail: how fundraisers can turn a mainstay fundraising program into an even bigger communications asset

Alumni Giving: what differentiates alumni who give to their alma mater from those who don’t, and the strategies that could transform more non-giving alumni into active donors

Giving and Volunteering: what makes volunteer opportunities compelling and how to attract the best people to serve on your board, committee or other volunteer group

Young Donors: what is holding their philanthropy back and what fundraisers can

expect from young donors in the next decade as they climb the corporate ladder

Loyalty: what distinguishes not-for-profits that inspire loyalty among their donors from those whose donors come and go more rapidly

Social Media: the top 12 rules for shaping a social media program that is a boon to fundraising

Acknowledgement: what donors are saying today about thank you calls and how those simple yet powerful gestures retain more donors

Donor Recognition Events: how fundraisers can use these powerful forums to inspire renewed support and more generous giving to apply a Donor-Centered Fundraising approach in an ever-evolving environment.

About the Speaker:

Penelope Burk understands donors and what they want more deeply than just about anyone in the business. In the last fifteen years, she and her innovative firm, Cygnus Applied Research, Inc., have conducted surveys and research studies with more than a quarter million American donors. She has reached back into their lives to find out about the first time they gave, what motivates their philanthropy now, what their greatest and most frustrating experiences in giving are, and what their dreams are for their philanthropic future.

Penelope is the author of the fundraising classic, Donor-Centered Fundraising and she has just published a completely updated and substantially expanded second edition containing all-new research with donors. She has also written two other books as well as more than fifty seminars and dramatic plays.

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