Fundraising Fundamentals Course

This introductory Fundraising Fundamentals course is designed for journalists or media professionals who are new to fundraising. Philanthropy is becoming an increasingly important part of news organizations’ revenue mix — no matter if they are for-profit or non-profit — and the course will provide participants with key skills and infrastructure best practices to begin to build their own fundraising programs. 

Anna Barber, President and Principal Consultant of Barber & Associates, will lead the course, drawing on her years of experience as a fundraising consultant, and frontline fundraiser at the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and college athletics. Over the four-session course, Anna will introduce participants to the core principles of fundraising including: 

  • Goal Setting
  • Budgets & Campaign Selection
  • Stewardship Structures
  • Identification of Prospects 
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Pitch

The course will meet every other week for one or two hour sessions beginning January 13, 2022. Full details about each course session are below. In the weeks between classes, we will hold informal Study Hours, where participants can come together to share notes and reflect on their work. 

The deadline to apply for the course is Monday December 6, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EST. In order to facilitate an interactive learning environment, we’re only accepting up to 30 participants. We’ll share resources with everyone who applies. Applicants will be notified about their participation in the course by Friday December 17, 2021.

You can apply here or in the embedded form. Full course details are below the application.

Session 1: Goal Setting — Thurs. Jan. 13, 2022 2pm-4pm EST

This session will educate participants on the goal setting process by which an organization determines its short and long-term goals and the institutional needs that will require philanthropic support.

  • Identify and codify fundraising goals and objectives

Session 2: Budgets, Case Statement & Campaign Selection — Thurs. Jan.  27, 2022, 2pm-3pm EST

This session will educate participants on how to set a clear and comprehensive budget and what to include in your organizational case statement. Participants will also learn how to select the appropriate campaign for fundraising purposes.

  • Building a budget to achieve goals
  • Selecting the appropriate fundraising structure(s)
  • Individual and institutional giving plans
  • Building a gift pyramid

Session 3: Stewardship, Identifying Prospects, and Policies and Procedures — Thurs. Feb. 10, 2022, 2pm-3pm EST

This session will educate participants on the process of stewardship (acknowledging, thanking, and keeping a donor engaged), learning the process for identifying prospects, and reviewing fundamental development policies and procedures.

  • Donor recognition and benefits stewardship structures
  • Strategies for identifying prospects
  • Populating a gift pyramid
  • Policies and procedures overview

Session 4: Pitch Training: — Thurs. Feb. 24, 2022, 2pm-4pm EST

This session will test organization’s ability to verbally articulate their case for support and provide feedback on improvement opportunities.