Create a donor communications plan

Between never-ending ‘to-do’ lists, lots of options for raising money, and new communications channels popping up every day, it can be hard to pause and look at the bigger picture. Before you slip into “business as usual” for 2018, join Big Duck’s Vice President, Farra Trompeter, for a full-day workshop that will help you identify and stay focused on the best ways to connect with individual donors and prospects.

We’ll help you get to know your donors, decide what strategies might guide your efforts, generate ideas for specific communications activities, learn how to measure your progress, and develop a sample work plan to help you make it all happen. Through a series of hands-on exercises, you’ll leave this workshop with a rough draft of your 2018 donor communications plan and clear next steps to put it into action. We’ll even give you a template you can use to get feedback and buy-in from your colleagues!

Who should attend?

Nonprofit professionals who are looking to develop a donor communications plan and strategy for their organization, particularly those responsible for prospect/donor communications. If you sign up for Sarah Durham’s Content Planning and Management Workshop you’ll receive $100 off your ticket purchase.

You will learn how to:

• Structure a donor communications strategy and plan
• Set priorities for audiences and shift how you approach them
• What you should be communicating with donors (including suggested frequency for email, web updates, specific social media channels) and how often.

What past workshop participants had to say:

• “This workshop was a turning point for our donor communications. It’s been two years since I participated, and I am still using the tools and resources I learned about to improve our donor communication strategy year after year. If there’s one thing you do in January (besides taking a vacation), take this workshop. It will set you up to execute a meaningful donor communications plan, measure your success, and accomplish your goals.” — Jazmyn Henry, Associate Director, Donor Communications & Audience Engagement, International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region
• “I didn’t just learn about communications strategy and planning, I was given space to work through ideas and issues in a constructive and supportive environment. I bring my experience and learnings from the workshop to every strategy meeting and have been able to successfully create campaigns and schedules that move my organization’s brand and messaging forward.” — Jillian Farrell, Development Communications Coordinator, PJ Library/Harold Grinspoon Foundation

Why do this?

• “I’m not sure who I should be trying to reach. My current donors will soon age out and younger prospects don’t seem to get what we do.”
• “We do a great job of getting people to make that first gift, but are having a hard time with retention.”
• “I know what I should do for a great year-end campaign, but I’m not sure what I should do the rest of the year.”

When?

Friday, January 12th from 9:30am – 4:30pm at the Foundation Center of New York.

How much is it?

Early bird-rate is $480 until December 22, Regular ticket rate is $515. Space is limited.

You can receive a $100 discount on the fees for this workshop if you also sign up for our session on creating a content management plan on December 6.

Before the workshop…

We’ll give you a list of materials to gather so that you can get the most out of this workshop and hit the ground running afterward.

After the workshop…

You will have a template you can use to complete your donor communications plan and share it with your colleagues.