2010 Capacity Building Programs

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Fundraising in the New Economy: The Investment-Driven Model™ and Strategic Funding Advantages for the New Normal

Facilitating Organization and Name of Facilitator: Capital Strategists Group, Tom Ralser, President

Location: Embassy Suites, Rogers AR, on-site at individual organizations

Day of Week, Date, and Time: One-day workshop March 18
Conference calls with each organization in April
On-site meeting with organizations the week of May 10

Targeted Audience:
Two individuals from nonprofit organizations with the following characteristics:

• Annual budgets under $10 million
• Less than 50% of annual funding from federal sources

                               
Nonprofits who find their organizations are facing the following:

• Less funding from traditional sources
• An uncertain financial future
• Less than anticipated grant funding
• Less than stellar fundraising campaigns
• More competition for existing funding sources

Program Description: Demonstrating value can be the most powerful, yet often misunderstood, tool in your funding toolbox

Today’s nonprofit needs to use every tool available to ensure funding in a tight-money environment.  Tom Ralser, author of ROI for Nonprofits and founder of Capital Strategists Group, explores why a slow economy need not be threatening, and how a strategy that incorporates ROI can not only strengthen your funding portfolio, but the nonprofit organization itself.  This program is based on the successful Investment-Driven Model™ Boot Camp, a one-day program normally presented to individual organizations.

Topics:

• Why the Investment-Driven Model™ is more likely to provide sustainable funding in a tight money economy 
• Why people and organizations invest in nonprofits
• True understanding of the phrase “Delivering outcomes that investors value”
• Developing investable outcomes: translating specific outcomes into specific benefits for different stakeholder and investor groups
• Misconceptions about ROI and its application
• Appropriate ways to use ROI
• Using the Investment-Driven Model™ to diversify your funding portfolio
• Treating funders as investors

Program Goals/Objectives/Outcomes:
This workshop will present the basics of the Investment-Driven Model™ and provide an interactive, hands-on experience of a proven alternative to classical, emotionally-based fundraising.  These techniques have been shown to be highly effective in today’s fundraising environment. 

The objectives below will be interactively addressed during the workshop, and participants will leave with a basic funding framework for their organization that day.  Conference calls and site-visits to each organization will further refine and apply the concepts presented.

Presentation and discussion of these topical areas:

Introduction to the Investment-Driven Model™

• Not Just a Theory
• Examples of success
• Applications across the range of nonprofit types and sizes

Investment-Driven Model™ Basics

• Moving beyond logic models
• Outputs to outcomes to values
• Calculating ROI vs. delivering ROI
• Developing investable outcomes
• Misconceptions about nonprofit ROI
• Common obstacles
• How much is enough?
• Your value framework

Incorporating Funder Input

• Moving from an internal focus to an investor focus
• The Investment-Driven Model’s5 most important questions
• Relating your outcomes to your funders

Implementing IDM Concepts

• Investor relations program
• What being an investor really means
• Investor expectations
• Diversifying your funding portfolio

Program Value:  This is an introductory program normally priced at $1,200 per organization.

Program Fee:  $150 per organization (two individuals per organization); includes lunch and refreshments

Maximum number of participants:  12 organizations (two individuals from each organization)

Deadline to express interest:  February 15, 2010

Program interest may be expressed by contacting:
Marie Carlson at mariec@capitalstrategists.com  or (407)729-8464

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