Finding Individual Funders: the art of successful research | Boston, MA

Finding Individual Funders: the art of successful research

Are you looking to establish a major gifts component to your capital, annual, or planned giving campaign but wondering where to begin? Prospect research is an integral part of any well-rounded fund development plan and can make all the difference in boosting your average gift size, but it can be a daunting task for the uninitiated. Too often, there’s a lack of direction and more importantly, a lack of information. Learning how to describe your ideal donor, developing data mining skills, and devising a plan to cultivate donor relationships is the key to getting to “Yes.”

In this session, learn the basic prospect research building blocks:

- Project planning: what are you trying to find funding for?
- Profile your funders: what (and who) is a prospect?
- Prospect research tools: using web-based tools to identify eligible funders
- Building a pool of potential prospects
- Prospect tracking: planning and recording significant interactions with potential funders

Attendees will leave this session convinced of the importance of prospect research and equipped with the fundamental tools needed to develop a successful plan for getting started.

Speakers for this session:

Marlisa Simonson

Director of Development Research

Wesleyan University

Marlisa has been involved in development for three years. In her current position, she is responsible for working with a team of four researchers to provide individual and event research support on financial and volunteer prospects to major gift, annual fund, planned giving, foundation/corporation, and alumni relations officers. Previously, as Associate Director for Employer Relations at Wesleyan University, Marlisa was responsible for managing Wesleyan’s employer relations and recruiting program designed to connect students with employers in a wide variety of industries and geographic locations, for both full-time and internship positions. Marlisa currently serves as Board Member for the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA) and the Green Street Arts Center. She earned an MA in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix-Online and a BA in English from Middlebury College. She is a member of CASE and AFP.

2010 Boston Fundraising Summit

A relationship approach to fundraising
WHY ATTEND THE FUNDRAISING SUMMIT?
Fundraising is primarily a relationship business, and with increasing pressures facing all nonprofit professionals to build key relationships, it is becoming more important, though much more difficult to meet people face-to-face. Our innovative Summit format provides the most efficient and cost effective use of time away from the office by enabling attendees to interact with experts in the field, as well as other nonprofit leaders.

CAN ONE ATTEND SPECIFIC SESSIONS ONLY?
We understand the demands that are placed on you and on your time. That’s why you can attend only the seminars that are of interest to you. Come for the day or stop by for a couple of hours. You pay for only the seminars you wish to attend and only for the information relevant to you. It’s a novel approach to learning that allows you to get exactly what you’re looking for in a short amount of time. In 2010, we are also offering a two-day pass so that attendees can attend all sessions at a reduced price.

WHAT IS THE FORMAT OF THE SEMINARS?
Each seminar features a panel of 3-4 experts who will break down the fundraising process into a series of phases with measurable outcomes and action steps for each phase. During the seminar, panelists will engage with the audience in an interactive manner to ensure that the sessions are educational and also fun to attend.

ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING SESSIONS
In 2010, we have added an exciting new component to our Summits: one on mentoring sessions. In these 30 minute sessions, you can sit down with an experienced nonprofit fundraiser to discuss specific questions not addressed by the seminars. Mentoring sessions will cover the same topics as the seminar topics.

HOW IS THE SUMMIT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS?
The Summit offers a unique format to help you accomplish the following:

Build relationships: to ensure maximum exposure to the experts and other nonprofit leaders, each seminar offers structured networking before the session starts
Hear different perspectives: the experts are drawn from different sectors of the nonprofit community to ensure cross-pollination of ideas and practices
Provide a global view: speakers give an overview of key issues so that you can eliminate any gaps in your understanding of the subject
Drill down to the specifics: speakers will also focus on providing specific answers to real-world questions that are common to most attendees
Obtain information you can use: the emphasis in all sessions is on avoiding theoretical discussions in favor of practical tools and techniques that nonprofit leaders can actually use

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUMMIT?
The Summit is organized by the Center for Nonprofit Success, a nonprofit organization that specializes in bringing highly relevant information that nonprofit leaders need to run their organizations successfully. We developed the Fundraising Summit series as a follow-on to the Nonprofit Success Forum, a highly successful educational series on grantmaking that has been taking place around the country for the past two years. The Fundraising Summit drills down into specific areas of fundraising to give nonproft leaders cutting edge tools and techniques.

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE SUMMIT?
Simply click on the seminars listed below to learn more about the topics that will be covered in each seminar. Then select only those seminars that you wish to attend.

Location/Directions

The Summit will take place at The John Hancock Hotel & Conference Center. Registration will be setup outside the Robert Peary Room. The John Hancock Hotel & Conference Center is located 7.5 miles/15 minutes from Logan International Airport and is easily accessible by public transportation. The full address is:

The John Hancock Hotel & Conference Center
40 Trinity Place
Boston, MA 02116

Public Transportation

By Subway/Commuter Rail

Back Bay Station

Orange Line or Commuter Rail. Turn right on Dartmouth Street. Make first right onto Stuart Street. Make first right onto Trinity Place. We are on the left.

Copley Station

Green Line. Walk diagonally across Copley Square towards Trinity Church. Walk between Copley Plaza Hotel and John Hancock Tower onto Trinity Place. We are one block down on left.

Directions by Car

From Logan Airport

Follow signs to Sumner Tunnel. After exiting the tunnel take second right onto Rt. 93 north. Exit at Cambridge/Storrow Drive. Follow Storrow Drive signs to Back Bay and exit at Copley Square (a left exit). Turn right at the lights onto Beacon Street. At the second set of lights, turn left onto Clarendon Street. Follow Clarendon St. through (7) sets of lights and look for the Garage @ 100 Clarendon on the right.

From the West

Follow the Mass Pike (Rt. 90) East towards Boston and take Exit 22 (Prudential Center/Copley Square). Bear right to Copley Square. This will bring you onto Stuart Street. At the second set of lights, take a right onto Clarendon Street and look for Garage @ 100 Clarendon on the right.

From North or South

Follow Route 93 towards Boston and take Exit 26 (Storrow Drive/Cambridge). Follow signs onto Storrow Drive/Back Bay. Follow Storrow Drive signs to Back Bay and exit at Copley Square (a left exit). Turn right at the lights onto Beacon Street. At the second set of lights, turn left onto Clarendon Street. Follow Clarendon St. through (7) sets of lights and look for the Garage @ 100 Clarendon on the right.

Parking at the John Hancock Hotel & Conference Center
The Garage @ 100 Clarendon is right next-door. Day parking validated at $27 per day for less than 10 hours

Garage @ 100 Clarendon
100 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02116
617-275-0151

Hours: Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
This is a public lot and is not dedicated to CFNPS attendees. They have 2000 spaces and the lot never fills up.

Parking Rates:

$ 7.00 - 1/2hr or less

$10.00 - 1/2hr up to 1hr

$14.00 - 1hr up to 1 1/2hrs

$17.00 - 1 1/2hrs up to 2hrs

$22.00 - 2hrs up to 2 1/2hrs

$27.00 - 2 1/2hrs up to 10hr

Note: Posted Daily Rates Start at 5:00 AM

Form of Payment Accepted: Cash, check and most major credit cards are accepted.

Self-Payment or Attendant: Self-Payment
A validation stamp is available to CFNPS guests who stay overnight in the John Hancock hotel if the vehicle stays in the garage for a 24 hour period. If not staying for a 24 hour period, you will be charged at an hourly rate as listed above.

Driving Directions to the lot: See above under Directions by Car.

Walking Directions from the lot to the registration table: Head north on Clarendon Street toward Stanhope Street. Turn left at Trinity Place. Enter the John Hancock Conference Center and take the elevator to the 3^rd floor. Exit the elevator and go to the left through the Foyer and head to the right into the Atrium. Our registration table will be located in the Atrium.
Walking time: 5 minutes

Hotel Accommodations
Most hotels near the Summit venue are within the $169 - $315+ per night range. The following hotels are within a half-mile radius of the hotel.

1. John Hancock Hotel BOOK NOW 0 miles from venue

2. Radisson Boston Hotel BOOK NOW .4 miles from venue

3. Hilton Boston Back Bay BOOK NOW .5 miles from venue

4. Sheraton Boston Hotel BOOK NOW .5 miles from venue

5. Courtyard by Marriott

Boston Tremont Hotel BOOK NOW .5 miles from venue

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One-on-one mentoring

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