About the Course
This class will explore key strategies, practical steps to take and tools used to build and maintain relationships with donors and funders. Donors, whether an individual or an institution are making an investment in the organization and what it is doing, but ultimately it is about relationships and trust between people. Maintaining and continually building the relationships is key to keeping long term donors, increasing funding over time and sustainability. The coursework will include specific techniques to address building trust, facing donors with authenticity while centered and committed to the vision and mission of the organization, the impact of early gifts and how to develop them over time, the importance of knowing your donors, how to research and build a dossier and use customer relationship management (CRM) software. It will present ideas for ongoing and appropriate communication with specific communication tools, techniques and the stories/narratives. This combination of soft and hard skills and approach will be presented through lectures, case stories, expert/experienced speakers and group learning with members of the class.
- Demonstrate understanding of the responsibilities connected to representing an organization to donors with building trust, authenticity, and commitment.
- Demonstrate knowledge regarding the importance of communication, appropriate use, progress reports vs. updates and how it fits into a long-term strategy.
- Demonstrate understanding of overall strategies and how to use the various types of communication and tools to create plan for engagement of donors.
- Demonstrate knowledge of tools available to manage and provide helpful information for donor relations including research methods, profiles, contact data and management, including available software.