Round 7 Breakouts // 2 - 3 p.m.
A Culture of Imagination: Stories & Design
Now is the time to get clear and focused on your organization’s most powerful path forward. We’re headed into a collective rebuilding and recovery era—the task will be to create a new vision for the future. The story you tell right now will pave the way for what comes next. In this session, we’ll highlight two critical communication mindsets to keep centered as we all move forward during and post COVID-19. 1) The importance of imagination in painting a narrative vision. Our audiences will want to know how we imagine building a better future—let’s bring them along to see what’s possible. 2) Relevant, real, and honest language will be deeply needed now and going forward. There’s no time for bull#%@&, sector jargon, or vague impact statements. We’ll show examples of nonprofits and businesses using these strategies effectively and we’ll share ideas on how you can craft these strong narratives yourself.
Mónica Nadal, art + talent director and Jerome Rankine, editorial director, Pollen Midwest
Become More Effective Reaching Your Donors Using Personas
Your donors of money, goods, and time are all unique individuals. However, your donor base probably can be described by the 80/20 rule – 20% of them provide 80% of your donations. In this session, you will learn how to categorize and personalize your most impactful donors into three to five personas. A persona is a fictional summarization of your active donors, described by demographics, lifestyles, and values. This will allow you to better target your communication to current active donors, and also to reach out to similar people who are not currently donors
Lisa Lindgren, principal, LML Marketing LLC and Funwi Tita, donor & community relations, Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity
Fundraising First: Aligning Plans for Growth
For many organizations, growth is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, expanding means your programs are a success, and impacting more members of your community. On the other hand, expanding means increasing expenses, bigger budgets, and higher overhead, which all too often means scrambling to find additional donors. And now, during COVID-19, for many organizations growth is either crisis-driven or an impossible-seeming dream. This session will talk about how to approach growth from a fundraising first, strategic perspective, beginning with how the same elements that support healthy growth can help support sustainability and crisis response. In this session you will hear real life examples from ANEW BAM, a Twin Cities nonprofit dedicated to the academic success of youth and families that has successfully doubled its impact and its budget in less than five years by proactively fundraising for growth. In addition, we will discuss specific strategies for creating a growth-oriented fundraising plan through thoughtful donor cultivation, community engagement, and a focus on capacity building and general operating support.
Ellen Davis, founder, Future Funding; Kevin Robinson, executive director, ANEW BAM; and Christine Schwitzer, grant manager, The Works Museum and founder, Holistic Grant Services
Hosting a Virtual Fundraising Gala
As difficult as it may be, in-person fundraising galas are going to be hard, if not impossible, for the foreseeable future. However, online galas and fundraising events can be amazing opportunities to re-imagine without the traditional barriers of cost and access that live events hold. Join this panel of nonprofit representatives who have hosted virtual galas to re-vision the standard elements of fundraising events for virtual success.
Terri Allred, Greater Minnesota and Southeast regional coordinator, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Michelle Basham, executive director and Kari Clark, development director, YWCA Minneapolis; Wesley Mouri, development director, Theater Mu; Amanda Nigon-Crowley, development coordinator and Dee Sabol, executive director, Diversity Council