This four-part webinar series is designed to equip land trust board members and staff with the tools and strategies needed to build a strong and sustainable fundraising program.

From understanding donor behavior and building a reliable donor base, to identifying prospects through research and cultivating major gifts, each session offers practical insights to strengthen development efforts. The series culminates with a deep dive into capital campaigns as a long-term strategy to fund land acquisition and reduce reliance on last-minute appeals.

Whether you’re new to fundraising or looking to refine your skills, this series provides a comprehensive roadmap for growing your land trust’s financial resilience and impact

Series Schedule

Fundraising 101 Revisited:  Acquiring and Keeping your Donors

June 10, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Presenter: Sharon Danosky

Effective fundraising is predicated on two factors:  1) understanding human behavior and how this behavior motivates giving; and 2) analysis of the data you have on your donors, collectively and individually so as to craft a meaningful approach that will appeal to them.  In this workshop we will explore these fundamentals and help both beginner and advanced fundraisers hone their skills to build a stronger development plan. To build a sustainable development program, there must be a steady pipeline of donors coming through the doors and then staying with you as their charity of choice.  We will look at different ways you can acquire new donors and the strategies necessary to keep them and encourage them to continue giving and give more.

Watch a recording of Fundraising 101.

What a Search Engine Can Do:  Identifying, Researching and Qualifying Your Donors

June 17, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Presenter: Paul A. Dunne

Donor acquisition continues challenging nonprofits, so a robust prospecting strategy — which helps you find likely prospects for your organization — is paramount to success. Prospect research uncovers current and prospective donor backgrounds, philanthropic histories, wealth markers, and charitable motivations. We will show you how research will help generate new prospects, assess fundraising opportunities, refine major gift outreach and identify planned or legacy gift prospects.  And, at the end of the day – it will allow you to delve into and even clean up your database.

Major Gifts Part 1 – Don’t Take the Yes Out of the Donor’s Mouth

July 8, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Presenters: Sharon Danosky & Paul A. Dunne

Nearly 80-90% of contributed revenue comes from a relatively small percentage of donors (10-20%).  How to maximize and grow that revenue is the magic sauce that makes a development program strong.  The ingredients include donor qualification; donor cultivation and donor stewardship.  The first step of major gift fundraising is determining the “yes” you’re looking for! If done correctly, major donors will be asking YOU, rather than you asking them. This presentation is packed with information you need to know about preparing for your meetings, honoring donors’ interests, and how to get one yes to lead to more!  And we will talk about how this can approach can help land trusts build reserves for land acquisition.

The Capital Campaign – The Long-term Alternative to “Panic” Fundraising

July 15, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Presenters: Sharon Danosky & Paul A. Dunne

Donations of outright land by individual donors are becoming fewer and fewer.  That has really made land acquisition much more difficult. When land opportunities come up – it’s a mad dash to donors to find people who will help purchase and conserve a valuable piece of property before it is developed.  Often this means going “back to the well” over and over again.  We believe there is a better way.  In this workshop we will explore how to adapt the traditional “capital campaign” approach into a viable alternative for land trusts.  Beginning with how to develop a Case for Support, we will walk through the steps of how to prepare for a campaign, including donor prospecting, conducting the feasibility study, building a campaign infrastructure  and finally to launching the Quiet Phase of a campaign – where you will raise 80% of your funds or more.   

 

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