Earning Criteria

• Module 1 - Program Evaluation - There are multiple ways to evaluate the health of your fundraising program beyond your total dollars raised. Often times, organizations focus solely on achieving a dollar goal that they are not paying close enough attention to other important metrics within their program. Participants review the top ten indicators every organization should know, discuss strategies to have a positive impact on these metrics, and integrate metrics in staff evaluation.
• Module 2 - Planned Giving - Participants review simple will bequest language and effective marketing strategies, discuss creation of a Planned Giving Advisors committee and a Gift Acceptance Policy, and discuss donor advised funds and additional complex planned giving vehicles.
• Module 3 - Board Involvement - An effective board of directors for any non-profit organization must be willing to share their time, talent and treasure. Boards of Directors have a fiduciary responsibility to the organization and play a critical role in advancing the mission of the organization. Participants review strategies for board member recruitment and retention and how to handle departures, review and discuss common expectations for board members, and discuss effective board governance.
• Module 4 - Prospect Research - As organizations become more sophisticated, it is important to work as effectively as possible with donors and prospects. Prospect research is an important tool that empowers staff to learn more about their current donors and communicate with them more effectively. Participants discover cost-effective tools for prospect research, develop individual donor profiles for prospects, and develop individual donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans.
• Module 5 - Capital\Major Gift Campaigns - Participants discover basic components of a campaign effort, including feasibility studies, discuss important fundamental steps to take leading up to campaign efforts, and discuss hiring outside counsel, attracting and retaining staff and board member involvement.
• Module 6 - Grant Writing - Grant writing is both an art and a science and requires planning, data collection, and data based projected outcomes. Grants are also important opportunities to support current programs within your organization. During this module, participants learn how to research grant opportunities, discuss data gathering and project evaluation techniques, and access on-line products to assess grant award probability.