Fundraising in the one-person development shop: making the most of a shoestring budget | Washington, DC

Fundraising in the one-person development shop: making the most of a shoestring budget

At the best of times, fundraising can be challenging. However, fundraising in the one person development shop can be daunting, especially when one is working with a shoestring budget. The key in situations like these is to know what areas to prioritize, and how to get the biggest bang for your buck because you can't do it all. This seminar will focus on the issues unique to one person fundraising departments, and will drill down in the following areas:

Keeping your organization on track financially: create and maintain a year-round fundraising plan
Research: research your prospects on a shoestring budget
Direct mail: work with an established third party service provider to maximize your returns
Major gifts program: develop and maintain a manageable high dollar giving club
Planned giving: start simple with a wills and bequests program
Donor solicitation: make it easy for your donors to give and for you to receive donations
Special events: conduct a unique annual event that makes efficient use of volunteers
Leadership involvement: find creative ways to get your executive director and/or board involved in the fundraising process

Attendees will walk away with fresh ideas to take their one person development shop to the next level.

Speakers for this session:

Alexandra Garcia

President

Fabretto Children`s Foundation

Alexandra has been involved in fundraising for 14 years. As President of the Fabretto Children's Foundation, she is responsible for all operations and development activities of this $3 million organization. Under her guidance, Fabretto has expanded from a 2 employee home-based charity to a sustainable organization with a staff of eight and an office in Clarendon. Previously, as Treasurer and Event Coordinator for Fabretto, Alexandra was responsible for the foundation's finances as well as one of its important annual fundraisers. Before that, she served as CFO of ECOlogic, Inc. a software engineering firm. She helped take this company from inception to a revenue level of $2 million from government agencies and private sector clients. Alexandra currently serves as Board Member for the Latino Student Fund and the Arlington Career Center. She earned her B.A. in Finance from Georgetown. She is a member of the Inter American Dialogue and the ASHA Coalition. She has advised founders of other start up charities as they navigated through early and mid stage challenges and opportunities.

Rick LaRue

Development Director

Solar Electric Light Fund

Rick has been involved in small-shop development for 26 years. In his current position, he is responsible for crafting a development program for a nonprofit with 7 staff. He is creating individual, foundation, and corporate solicitation and stewardship strategies, and is building board engagement. Previously, as Deputy Director of the American Society of International Law, Rick raised more than $7 million in 10 years by managing a $2 million capital campaign, activating a major donor giving program, creating a planned giving program, launching an institutional sponsorship program, and securing foundation grants. Before that, he worked as Vice President at the Urban Land Institute Foundation where he raised more than $7 million in 7 years by creating a lasting philanthropic institution (vitalizing a major donor gift club, launching planned giving, and growing individual annual giving). Rick currently serves as a mentor for CFNPS. He earned an MBA from the University of Maryland and a BA in Political Science from George Washington University. He is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, past president of the Association Foundation Group, and is a past member of the American Society of Association Executives and the National Committee of Planned Giving.

Sarah Werner Swope

Director of Development

The Faison School for Autism

Sarah has been involved in fundraising for 5 years. Currently serving as the sole Development Officer for TFSA, she develops, conducts and manages the school's annual and special fund campaigns, special events, planned giving/bequest program and strategies for identifying, researching, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major donors. Previously, as High School Outreach Coordinator at Virginia Career Institute, Sarah was responsible for overseeing marketing, promotion and business development efforts. She presented educational programs to students throughout Virginia and developed collateral materials. Before that, she worked as Political Consultant & Fundraiser for Political Campaigns where she oversaw campaign budgets, major-gift solicitations, events and direct-mail appeals. Sarah currently serves as Co-Chairman Capital Region's Junior Miss Program, is a member of VCU's Young Alumni Council, Chesterfield County Disabilities Services Board, and Friends of ChildFund Board. She earned a BA in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a member of Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives and Leadership Metro Richmond's Leadership Quest Class of 2010.

2010 DC Fundraising Summit

A relationship approach to fundraising
Nonprofit fundraising has become highly specialized, and each segment of your donor market requires a different set of relationship management skills. Whether you are reaching out to private foundations, wealthy individuals or your own members, you need to understand who they give to, and why. The DC Summit focuses on the relationship aspects of fundraising, and offers you several ways to enhance your relationship management skills:

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 2009, we are also introducing 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 give a short overview of the key developments in that field. After that , we will move into a moderated discussion to explore what these developments mean for nonprofit organizations. During the seminar, panelists will engage with the audience in an interactive manner to ensure the real-world implications of these developments emerge, and the session will end with a summary of practical next steps.

ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING SESSIONS
In 2010, we are adding 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. However, each mentoring session that you sign up for will focus entirely on questions facing your organization.

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 be taking place at Catholic University which is 3 miles north of downtown DC, and close to all forms of public transportation. The full address is:
Catholic University of America (CUA)
Edward J. Pryzbyla Center
620 Michigan Ave NE
Washington, DC 20064

The Registration table will be in the Atrium.

Public Transportation
CUA is located on the Metro Red Line at the Brookland/CUA stop. Exit left out of the turnstile and the CUA campus is at the top of the Metro escalator. You will cross John McCormack Rd. Continue up the sidewalk between Gowan and Pangborn Halls. Turn south at the Crough Center. The Pryzbyla Center is directly behind the Crough Center.

Directions by car

From the West, I-66:
I-66 from Virginia empties onto Constitution Avenue. Continue east on Constitution Avenue and turn left on 6th Street, NW. Turn right on E Street, NW. Turn left on North Capitol Street. Drive approximately 2 miles and turn right on Michigan Avenue, NE. You will soon see the dome of the Shrine on your left marking a university entrance at 4th Street, NE.

From the South, I-95:
When I-95 intersects the Capital Beltway in Springfield, Virginia, follow I-395 North. After crossing the Potomac River, take the "Route 1 North" exit. The road becomes 14th Street, NW. Turn right on Constitution Avenue. Turn left on 6th Street, NW. Turn right on E Street, NW. Turn left on North Capitol Street. Drive approximately 2 miles and turn right on Michigan Avenue, NE. You will soon see the dome of the Shrine on your left marking a university entrance at 4th Street, NE.

From the East, Route 50:
Take Route 50 West (becomes New York Avenue) and exit on South Dakota Avenue. After approximately 1.3 miles, turn left onto Monroe Street. Follow Monroe Street until it merges with Michigan Avenue. You will see the dome of the Shrine on your right marking a university entrance at 4th Street, NE.

From the Northwest, I-70 to I-270:
From Frederick, Maryland, take Exit 53, I-270 South to Washington. I-270 divides. Take the 495 East, Silver Spring/College Park exit (two left lanes). You will eventually feed onto the beltway, I-495. Continue on I-495 and take Exit 22 B, the Baltimore/Washington Parkway. Continue traveling south on the Parkway and exit at Route 50 West. Take the South Dakota Avenue exit. After approximately 1.3 miles, turn left onto Monroe Street. At Michigan Avenue, Monroe Street ends. Bear left and you will see the dome of the Shrine on your right marking a university entrance at 4th Street, NE.

From the North, I-95 to I-495:
Follow I-95/I-495 South to Exit 22B, the Baltimore/Washington Parkway. Continue traveling south on the Parkway and exit at Route 50 West. Take the South Dakota Avenue exit. After approximately 1.3 miles, turn left onto Monroe Street. Monroe Street ends at Michigan Avenue, NE. Bear left and you will see the dome of the Shrine on your right marking a university entrance at 4th Street, NE.

Parking at Catholic University
Parking for the Pryzbyla Center is available in the nearby McMahon Parking lot. Parking permits for this parking lot can be purchased in the Pryzbyla Center at $7/day/vehicle. If you are attending both days you can purchase your permit for both days for $14. Once you enter the Pryzbyla Center, look to the left and go to the Information Desk to purchase the permits. The passes can be purchased starting at 7am. They take cash, check, credit card, or debit card.

Hotel Accommodations
Most hotels near the Summit venue are within the $140-$319 per night range. The following hotels are within a two-block radius of the venue:

1. Fairfield Inn By Marriott                         BOOK NOW                1.7 miles from venue
2. Holiday Inn Express Washington
    National Arboretum                               BOOK NOW                 1.7 miles from venue
3. Renaissance Washington DC               BOOK NOW                 2.6 miles from venue
4. Holiday Inn Washington-Central/
    White House                                         BOOK NOW                 2.6 miles from venue
5. Courtyard by Marriott Embassy Row    BOOK NOW                 2.8 miles from venue

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One-on-one mentoring

Click on any seminar title or the arrow on the right side to learn more about that seminar

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