(I'm having some fun with Kevin from the LA Poverty Dept. during a strategic planning retreat I facilitated with their leadership)

Since launching my own consulting practice in 2005, I have served 70 organizations. Through my work I interact with passionate leaders working on a variety of issues throughout Southern California. Here's a list of all of the great organizations I have worked with (and here's a link to another blog post I wrote mapping my clients in Southern California). Click the "Read more" link below to see Ron's list of clients.

I have raised over $3.5 million working for numerous organizations through major donor visits, grant writing, appeal letters, events and contracts.  As a consultant, I provide the following services related to fundraising:

• Assessment: Analyze client’s fundraising strengths and areas of possible improvement
• Research: Develop a list of appropriate funders for a client to solicit
• Fund Development Plan: Work with client’s leadership to develop a strategy to raise funds
• Coaching:  Build the fundraising capacity of the client’s leadership
• Board Engagement: Enhance the board’s engagement with fundraising
• Training: Lead a customized fundraising training tailored to the client’s needs
• Grant Writing: Review and/or develop new grant proposals

I recently presented a three-hour “Fundraising Fundamentals” and a 1 1/2 Board Development training at the new Flintridge Center location in Pasadena. The training took place inside of their main library which includes numerous books on building stronger nonprofit organizations and computer terminals to access several funder databases.

During the training, I pointed out the section in the library that pertained to fundraising and participants checked it out during one of the breaks. One book in particular that I noticed and liked was called “Friendraising” by Hildy Gottlieb, which contains very practical strategies for Board members to share their passion for their organizations with people.  For any board member wanting to learn more about fundraising, I recommend they read this book. It book lists a variety of practical and easy ways to make friends for your organization, ranging from having a meal with a friend to hosting a house-party to simple networking at events.  I like the premise of the book that that more friends an organization can have, the better.  Ideally, friends become donors to your organization but even if they stay as non-donors, they are still of value to your organization. The more people that know and appreciate your organization’s work, the better. This book helps reframe “fundraising” to “friendraising”.  So often board members avoid “fundraising” because they equate it to the potentially uncomfortable task of asking for money.  “Friendraising” is more about sharing your passion for your organization, and being thoughtful about how you do it.  When a board member finds out how easy and fun it is to engage “friendraising”, I’m guessing they won’t want to stop.

I also asked Victor from the Library to summarize the various databases they have on their computer terminals, which included the FC search (that contains info on foundations) to Wealth Engine, which gives more info on individual donors. After the training, two participants wound up spending at least a half-hour going through these resources. 

This is all to say that presenting in a library setting enhanced the learning experience.  I look forward to leading two more trainings at Flintridge later this Year (Fundraising Fundamentals 9/14, Board Fundraising 10/13).

This year, I'm pleased to serve as the lead trainer and coach for the Liberty Hill Foundation's Wally Marks Leadership Institute Board Development Track. From March 24th to 26th, I led a three day Board Development training focusing on how to engage a Board of Directors in the fundraising process. 

Staff and Board from four organizations attended this training, along with three other coaches in addition to me. We covered six important steps to move a board towards fundraising and also reviewed five fundraising policies in detail. What made the training truly engaging besides the multiple exercises and role-playing I led, was the amount of time each group spent with their coaches to take the best practices they learned and apply them to their own organization.

Through this process, each organization developed three to five specific goals they want to work on that will lead to processes that ultimately strengthen their Boards and organization. Each coach will meet regularly over the next six months to support these organizations as they move forward. 

One reason why I loved leading this training so much is because it combined the three things I love doing for nonprofits into one event: training, facilitation and coaching.  As a trainer, I presented on best practices.  As a facilitator, I led several different discussions where mutual learning took place. As a coach, I listened closely to the leadership of one of the organizations and supported them as they developed a strategy for moving forward.

I’m most impressed with Liberty Hill’s Commitment to its grantees through this comprehensive leadership development program and encourage any social-change oriented organization in Los Angeles to check them out. 

More and more, I’m leading customized trainings for the leadership of nonprofit organizations. Recently, I led an interactive training for an innovative transnational human rights organization – Centro Derechos de los Migrante as part of a board retreat they hosted in Los Angeles.

Having quickly grown from an idea with seed funding from the Echoing Green Foundation into a thriving organization with offices both in the United States and Mexico, they’re dedicated to improving the working conditions of migrant workers in the United States. 

Yet given the scope of the issues they work on, this organization could quadruple in size and still have plenty of work to do which is why they brought me in to lead this three hour training designed to help them and their board develop the skills and tools needed to ensure organizational sustainability.

As always, my trainings give participants the opportunity to practice and then space to reflect together as a group (pictured above). Board members and staff had the opportunity put theory into action, then learn from each other and learn some best practices. This group had one of the key ingredients for leadership – passion for their organization and its mission. By sharing their passion, they will continue to build a base of supporters – an essential ingredient for continued growth. 

I’m leading another Fundraising Fundamentals workshop this Friday, March 17^th at the Flintridge Center in Pasadena (236 W. Mountain Street Suite 118) and invite you to attend. From 9am to noon, this fast-paced, interactive and fun workshop is best for folks new to the world of fundraising for nonprofit organizations. 

Here’s the course description: Need to raise funds for your non-profit organization? Where do you begin? This workshop will explore the key concepts that underlie the fundraising process, including developing your case, prospecting, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. You'll have the opportunity to apply what you learn through interactive exercises, such as practicing the art of asking for a major gift.

I recently led a customized training for the Board of Directors of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation California Chapter. I covered issues related to fundraising along with general Board member responsibilities. 

After the training, I received the following feedback from one of the participants in the meeting:

“We just wanted to again thank you for such a wonderful, informative and inspiring presentation last night.  You did such an amazing job and reached all of our expectations.”

I really enjoy presenting trainings like this directly for Board of Directors. If your Board needs a training, check out the list of trainings I provide and please contact me if I can be of service to you. 

I’m pleased to share some of the positive feedback I received from the evaluations of 60 participants that attended my Engaging Boards in Fundraising Training I led at the Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership.

Here’s how folks ranked me as a trainer (on a scale of one to five with five meaning “most successful”).

Knowledgeable about the topic: 4.94
Effective presentation style: 4.89
Encouraged me to participate: 4.77
Responsive to questions: 4.87
Provided clear direction: 4.85

Here’s some of the comments participants included in their evaluations:

“I love Ron's casual, warm style of presenting.  He balanced the presenting with interactions and exercises - Ample time for networking, very relevant to my work.  Will help me be a better leader-so glad my board president was here today!  Thank you”

“The presenter was fantastic and really moved us well through the material in such a clear and engaging way.  The exercises were terrific and concise and the instructions were clear.”

“The interactive components and role playing was really effective.”

“Thanks for this most informative and useful workshop.”

“Having us interact with each other is one of the best learning tools.”

“Fantastic-loved process and opportunity to connect and loved role play.”

“Excellent, short, good training!”

“The presenter was excellent- very clear and focused.  The topic was much needed and I found the information to be extremely helpful.”

“Facilitator was excellent!!

“I appreciate that the presenter was energetic and kept it moving at a brisk pace.  I especially valued the ideas for cultivating donors and really enjoyed the skits.   There were many good ideas that were shared that we will take back and hopefully implement.”

“Well Organized.  Varied groupings for brainstorming and sharing out.  Ron was a good listener.”

“This workshop was exactly what I needed.  It inspired me and gave me concrete information I can use to activate my board.”

“I really liked the pace of the session.”

“This was wonderful, thank you.”

(Photo Yvonne Bambrick snapped of me leading a fundraising training at the Alliance for Biking and Walking retreat)

Does your organization's staff and/or board need to enhance its capacity to run more effective meetings and/or successfully raise needed funding? There are numerous nonprofit management centers here in Southern California that offer a variety of courses on a regular basis. I have led trainings at many of these, including the Center for Nonprofit Management, Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership, the Flintridge Foundation and L.A. Eco-Village.  I have also led trainings for the Liberty Hill Foundation, Alliance for Biking and Walking, Enterprise Community Partners and directly for numerous nonprofit organizations. My workshops are fun, fast-paced and very interactive. They usually range in length from one to four hours. Below is a list of 10 courses I provide (which I would be happy to customize for your organization). Please contact me if you would like to discuss further. 

FACILITATION 

Board members play a critical role in fundraising for the nonprofit organizations they govern.  Yet, more often than not, nonprofits struggle to meaningfully and effectively engage Board of Directors in the fundraising process.

On January 26^th I led a 3 ½ hour training focusing on Building Fundraising Boards.  Hosted by the Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership for staff and board members of organizations supported by the John Gogian Foundation, this highly interactive workshop gave participants the opportunity to discuss, role play, observe and reflect on issues surrounding Board fundraising. 

We covered topics such as inspiring a Board member’s passion, reframing what fundraising means, what tools and skills are needed, ways in which to engage members and the leadership/support needed to ensure long term success.  We also talked about steps to enlist new board members over time. For more tips, check out an old blog post of mine that shares 10 quick tips for engaging your Board in fundraising. 

After the training, I received very positive feedback from a number of attendees who both enjoyed the  and learned a lot.  One asked if I lead customized trainings directly for Board of Directors.  I have led customized trainings for Boards and/or staff members of organizations.  Here’s a link to the trainings I provide, which I’m happy to customize for any organization.  Please contact me if you would like to discuss further.

In 2010, I celebrated my fifth year of consulting and kept very busy throughout the year. I’m pleased to report I consulted for 20 organizations, facilitated 35 meetings and led 26 trainings attended by 400 people. My role as a consultant helped strengthen the following organizations, which in turn all played a key role towards transforming Los Angeles into a sustainable city (links to these organizations can be found on my facilitation and fundraising pages):

FACILITATION
Alliance for Biking and Walking:  Facilitated a group dialog with over 100 participants at the Alliance’s retreat for this national alliance of bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations.

Alta Planning and Design:  Facilitated six focus groups related to bicycling for the City of Long Beach, one public meeting for the Culver City Bicycle Master Plan and another meeting for the Park to Playa Trail Feasibility Study in Baldwin Hills (if you're interested in connecting the trails within Baldwin Hills, click here to fill out a short survey).

Bikeable Communities:  Facilitated six planning meetings to launch a new sustainable city initiative in Long Beach.

City of Seal Beach:  Facilitated eight, three-hour long community meetings to resolve the issue of a polluting gas station.

Echo Park Time Bank:  Facilitated a one-day board retreat to develop annual goals for this local organization promoting an alternative economy.

LA Poverty Department (LAPD):  Began facilitating a strategic planning process for this 25-year old arts organization working to build community in Skid Row.

Liberty Hill Foundation:  Provided coaching on board development to six social change organizations supported by Liberty Hill and also facilitated a meeting with all of the coaches (organizations included:  CLUE LA, LA Voice, Black Women for Wellness, CHIRLA, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice and the Jordan/Rustin Coalition)

Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing Developers (SCANPH):  Facilitated a board meeting and process to enhance fundraising for this association of affordable housing developers in LA.

Southern California Leadership Network:  Planned and facilitated three one-day seminars for a leadership development program I would highly recommend.

TEDxSoCal:  Facilitated five planning meetings to host a local TED conference in Long Beach.

FUNDRAISING
Housing LA:  I reviewed past grant proposals for this coalition advocating for progressive housing policies in LA.

John Burton Foundation:  I served as a reviewer for a round of grants they funded.

LA Voice:  I worked with their staff and board to create and implement a fund development plan for this congregation-based social change organization.

SOAR Charter School:  I worked to implement the fund development plan I wrote with them and successfully secured two state grants for over $450,000.

THAIS, INC:  I reviewed past grant proposals and worked with staff to develop new proposals for this organization providing needed health services to the Thai community in LA.

TRAININGS
Led trainings on facilitation, fundraising and/or board development for the Alliance for Biking and Walking (4 trainings), Flintridge Center (3), LA Eco-Village (4), Center for Nonprofit Management (8), Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership (2).  Also led trainings/discussions at the LA Streets Summit, Rail LA Pecha Kucha, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, THAIS., Inc and for the Venice Community Housing Corporation.

TRAVEL
For either work or play (I often get the two mixed up), I had the opportunity to travel to the following places in 2010:  Mexico City, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tijuana, Catalina, Denver/Rockies, Burlington, VT, New York City, Columbus, OH, Asheville, NC, Big Sur, Ojai, San Francisco, Chattanooga, TN, the following UC Natural Reserve Sites: Kenneth Norris UNRS in Cambria, CA, Dawson north of San Diego and Oil Point north of Santa Barbara

HAPPY HOURS
Six times over the course of the year I hosted happy hours that brought together a fantastic group of people.  Expect more in 2011!

GROWING MY PRACTICE
Early in 2010, I brought on Bob McKechnie on as an intern.  He quickly proved himself capable of assisting me with fundraising and I promoted him to my Associate.  I continue to value his work.

GIVING BACK
I gave over $1,000 to various organizations and also provided pro-bono support to three organizations.  I also continued my service with the LA Urban Rangers.

For all of the incredible leaders I got to work with this year, I want to thank you for all of your hard work to transform Los Angeles into a sustainable city. I look forward to growing my consulting practice in 2011 and serving even more organizations. If you would like to discuss how I might be of service to your organization, whether it be as a facilitator, coach or trainer, please give me a call at (323) 793-0591 or email me.

With Thanksgiving coming up, this is a time of year to reflect on what we have to be thankful for.  When it comes to nonprofit fundraising, it’s important to thank your donors more than once a year.  In fact, saying “thank you” just might be the two most important words you can say in fundraising.  Here’s 10 quick ways to add some variety to the way you thank your donors.

1. Write a personalized thank you note after each gift.

2. When a positive story comes out in the media, forward it to you top donors and include a personalized thank you note saying they helped make it possible.

3. Schedule a face-to-face meeting with your top donors at least once a year and be sure to thank them at some point during the conversation.

4. Set up an automatic thank you message after anyone donates online.

5. Acknowledge your donors in your annual appeal (and when you mail it to your supporters, personalize that donor thank you page with a personal note).

6. Say thank you in person whenever you come across one of your donors in person.

7. Listen to your donors and find out what they are interested in.  Thank them for sharing with you.

8. Thank a donor in front of other folks if that donor hosts a house-party or some other fundraising event.

9. Mail the donor a holiday card and/or a birthday card.

10. Ask the donor how they would like to publicly be acknowledged for their gift and do what they say.

I welcome any other suggestions you have. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

It’s that time of year again where nonprofits send out fundraising appeal letters.  Consider these quick tips to make your letter stand out.

1. Personalize with a handwritten note: If a staff person, board member or volunteer can personalize the letter with a handwritten note, especially with someone they know, that increases the likelihood someone will give.

2. Personalize the salutation: Instead of “Dear Member” or “Friend”, personalize it with the name of the person you are sending it to.

3. Tailor the letter to your audience:  Is it a new donor, lapsed donor or existing donor?

4. Focus on the first paragraph and p.s.: These are the sections that most people read so make sure they are compelling.

5. Keep it positive:  Folks want to give to organizations that do good work.  Share your successes and what you plan next.

6. Thank them for their support: Somewhere in the letter express your appreciation for their past support.

7. Use words like “you” and “your”:  These words help personalize your letter and establish a connection between you and your reader.

8. Make sure to ask for money:  Even better, ask the reader to give a specific amount based on what you think would be a good amount for them.  The last paragraph is a good place to do this.

9. Proofread: Have someone proofread your letters before you send them out.

10. Immediately thank every gift that comes in:  If you can do this with a handwritten note, even better!

Bonus tip from @robynmcintyre - “Don't forget to tell a story!”

These are just 10 quick ideas – there are many more and I welcome your feedback.   I wish you the best as you move forward. 

I'm leading a Fund Development Planning Seminar at the Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership this Thursday and I invite you to attend!

This Thursday, I'm leading another one of my Fundraising 101 Seminars at the Center for Nonprofit Management.  Here's the info: 

 
Here's a link to my past email newsletters that I sent out: September + August.  If you would like for me to add you to my mailing list, please contact me.  

Fundraising Events play a key role in developing a nonprofit organization's relationship with its donors and the broader community.  Over the years, I have attended some really inspirational events and real disasters.  If your organization is planning an event, I encourage you to follow my Top 10 Tips for Fundraising Events.  Good luck with your event!

(Planting a the "Susie Forest" at the Alliance Retreat)

I recently spent four days in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking Leadership Retreat, attended by over 100 leaders from state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. 

Having attended this retreat annually from 1998 to 2003 as Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, I really enjoyed reconnecting with some old friends and meeting a whole new generation of dynamic leaders from both the United States and Canada. 

During the retreat, I led an Advanced Fundraising session, facilitated a 1 ½ hour conversation with the entire group discussing engaging communities of color and provided one-on-one coaching to 15 leaders to discuss issues within their organizations in more detail.

I’m so impressed with how the bicycle and pedestrian movement continues to expand and am thrilled I could contribute to this through my work as a consultant. 

To close the retreat, we planted a tree in honor of Susie Stephens.  Susie helped launch the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking as its first Director.  She also played an enormous role in my life as a mentor and friend during my time at the LACBC. I still think of Susie all the time and this tree planting memorial meant a great deal to me.  I’m happy her spirit lives on!

 
Every month I email out a newsletter with tips, updates, lessons and upcoming trainings.  Here's a link to the full newsletter.  If you would like for me to email future newsletters to you, please contact me.  Thanks and enjoy!

(photo of a brainstorm listing some possible fundraising strategies)

Earlier in the year, I worked with the leadership at LA Voice and SOAR Charter School to create fund development plans for their organizations.  If you’re organization is about to engage in this very important process, I suggest the following 10 tips:

1. Engage your Board:  Creation of a fund development plan is a great way to get your Board involved with fundraising.  If they help create the fundraising plan, they are more likely to implement it.

2. Decide how much you need to raise:  It’s easier to get folks involved to raise funds to meet a specific goal, rather than just having some vague sense for how much you need to raise.

3. Diversify your funding sources:  Discuss different sources of funding and choose to pursue at least three sources (individuals, foundations, government, corporations, earned-income, etc).

4. Prioritize:  While there are lots of good ideas out there for fundraising, you can’t do them all.  Prioritize strategies your organization has the capacity to do that yield the strongest results.

5. Create a Workplan:  Fill out a workplan that contains the following details:  What action you will take, when will that action occur by (month/year) and who will be responsible for carrying out that action. 

6. Give yourself time:  Putting together a fund development plan can take anywhere from one to three months, depending on how frequently you meet with other folks creating it.

7. Evaluate your past fundraising:  Just because you’ve “always” done some fundraising strategy doesn’t mean you need to keep doing it.  Evaluate past strategies and decide if the benefits outweigh the costs.

8. Learn from this Process:  A fund development planning process gives everyone involved the opportunity to build their capacity as fundraisers (something even veteran fundraisers can use).

9: Don’t forget about your Plan!:  Refer to your fund development plan on at least a monthly basis and make sure the workplan you created from it is integrated into your workplan.

10. Follow-up:  Make sure your Executive Director and at least one board member commit to engaging everyone else in the organization to implement the plan.

If your organization can use the services of an experienced consultant to create your own fund development plan, please contact me. 

Here's a link to another two-page flyer I recently created that describes the fundraising services I provide along with 10 tips for nonprofit fundraising.  Enjoy!

Tomorrow (Thursday, June 24th), I lead another training at the Center for Nonprofit Management and I invite you to attend: 

Photo of checklist from a Board meeting where members
committed to different fundraising activities

This Thursday, June 17th, I'm leading a Building a Fundraising Board of Directors training at the Flintridge Center in Pasadena from 10am to 11:30pm. 

How engaged is your board with fundraising in your organization? This seminar provides an overview of the major elements involved in building and maintaining an effective board of directors. The focus is on maximizing the capabilities of the board and motivating them to take the lead in fundraising. Topics include developing board fundraising policies and structures to ensure active board participation.

Flintridge Retreat Center #117
236 West Mountain Street, 117 Pasadena, CA 91103

Sliding scale: $15-35

To RSVP, visit the Flintridge Center website. 

For more on Board fundraising, check out some of my past blogposts on the subject. 

Five years ago this month, I launched my own consulting practice.   Since then, I’m pleased to report I have consulted for over 40 nonprofit organizations primarily in the areas of facilitation and fundraising. 

I love my work.  I get to work with dynamic leaders working on a variety of issues throughout Southern California.   With each project, I learn about my client’s work to create parks and open space, develop affordable housing, transform streets into bicycle-friendly places, create sustainable communities and so much more.  I also learn more about how to make meetings even more effective and how to engage staff and board members around successful fundraising strategies. 

To celebrate, I plan to hold another happy hour on Tuesday, June 22nd, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at Silverlake Wine.  As always, my happy hours are places where I invite all of my clients and friends to share a drink and discuss the issues of the day.   I invite you to join us.

We’ll see what the next five years bring.  I hope to serve even more organizations that are working to transform Southern California into a sustainable region.  Thanks for all of your interest and support.

As a consultant, I specialize in providing facilitation and fundraising services.  I recently made some changes to my one page flyers for both of these subjects and would like to share them with you for your review.  Please feel free to forward them on to anyone who you think might be interested in my services, or give me a call if you would like to discuss further. 
Thanks, 
Ron

Here's a link to the facilitation flyer.

Here's a link to the fundraising flyer.

I'm excited to attend a fundraiser for the Liberty Hill Foundation, and invite you to join me.  Below is more information about their signature fundraising event.  I'm pleased to continue serving the Liberty Hill Foundation as a Consultant.  Having led many fundraising trainings for their grantees over the last few years, I'm currently serving as a coach for four of their grantees to build their capacity around board development issues.  Both Liberty Hill and their grantees they fund continue to inspire me with their work for social change in Los Angeles. 

Last night, I attended a high-energy fundraiser for Senator Barbara Boxer that President Obama spoke at.  A diverse crowd packed to hear the President, including my own elected representatives - Council President Eric Garcetti and County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas. 

I attended to not only support the cause,  but to also experience a major political fundraiser. 

As a Consultant, I’m always curious to learn from events I attend.  Here’s five elements from last night’s event that you may want to replicate if you are planning your own fundraising event: 

1. Feature a keynote speaker that many will fork out the extra bucks to see.

2. Stick to a relatively short program – they kept it to India Arie (who sang some inspirational songs), the chair of the DNC, Senator Boxer and then the President.

3. Their speeches celebrated progress they made while asking people for their ongoing support.

4. They personalized some of the invitations – the invite I received for this event came from my Council Member.

5.  They effectively dealt with challenges as they came up (including some hecklers in the audience that the President very effectively responded to by saying he heard their concerns, was working on it and then went back to his speech - to the applause of his supporters).

And at the end of the day, they raised an estimated $3.5 million dollars!  Even though my contribution was relatively small to the overall amount they raised, it was a gift I needed to give some thought to, and one that I’m glad I made.  

For more tips on planning an effective fundraiser, check out my recent blog post on the topic.

I do the majority of my consulting in Southern California but occasionally work for clients in other places.  Over the last several months, I have worked closely with the leadership of SOAR Charter school in Denver to help launch a new school. 

Before Gianna Cassetta started work to create SOAR Charter School, I worked closely with her and her husband Marc Waxman in Harlem, New York, at Future Leaders Institute Charter School. 

When Gianna called me to ask if I could help them with their new school, I joined the team immediately.  Gianna is an exceptional leader who has recruited a strong Board of Directors to launch a rigorous, progressive school in one of Denver’s lower-income communities.  It’s a model that I would love see replicated in Los Angeles.

Working closely with Gianna and her board, I created a fund development plan which I am now working to implement.  I wrote one grant that’s secured the school $375,000 in support and am also working to help build a base of individual donors to the school.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out the school’s first enewsletter sent out today. 

I’m pleased to serve on the host committee for an upcoming fundraiser for LA StreetsBlog on April 9^th from 6pm to 9pm, and invite you to attend.  Streetsblog is the go to blog in LA to get the latest and greatest on work being done to  transform transportation and the streets in Los Angeles into a more livable/sustainable system.  

I recently led a workshop on planning successful fundraising events at the Center for Nonprofit Management and shared some of the best practices I've learned over the years as a Consultant.  

I'd like to share my top 10 tips with you:

1. Decide your audience: Figure out who you want to attend your event

2. Decide what kind of event to do:  What would your audience be most interested in attending? Make sure your organization has the capacity to do it

3. Give yourself six months to plan the event:  Working backwards from the event date, put all of these things on a calendar

4. Involve your board, staff and volunteers:  Figure all of the various ways you can involve and engage staff, board and volunteers both in the event planning and the event itself.

5. Pick the right location:  Pick a location that is easy for your audience to get to.  Also, pick a venue that’s going to be right for the event your doing. 

6. Aim to raise at least as much as you spend:  While fundraising events accomplish other important things like raising your organization’s profile, you want to earn making at least twice of what you spend

7. Keep the program short: Make sure you have a tight agenda and that you’ve let everyone know how long they have to speak. 45 minutes or less

8. Figure out the pitch beforehand: Figure out who will do this and when they will do it during the event. Practice beforehand.

9. Thank your attendees: Thank them for coming when they arrive, when they leave and afterwards with a letter if you can.Be sure to evaluate afterwards:  Taking time to evaluate will help you with future events 

10. Be sure to evaluate afterwards:  Taking time to evaluate will help you with future events

 Here's a link to my March Newsletter with tips + updates

Over the years, I’ve written several million dollars worth of successful grant proposals as a Consultant, Executive Director and Board Member.  Based on my experience, here are 10 tips for crafting strong grant proposals. 

Before you write any grant proposal, answer the following five questions:

1) What’s the problem? What’s the need in the community you are addressing?

2) What’s your goal? Make sure your goals are concrete and measurable. 

3) What methods will you use to accomplish your goal? What actions will you take? Who will be responsible? When will they happen?

4) How will you know you are successful? What benchmarks and indicators will you use to track your work?

5) What’s it going to cost? You need to develop a basic budget with projected income and expenses.  Be realistic.

In addition, here are some other tips:

6) Read up on your foundation before you apply. Make sure your proposal is a good fit for the funder you approach before you apply.

7) Pitch your idea before you apply. After you’ve researched the funder, call them and ask to take five minutes to run your proposal by them (unless they say don’t call). 

8) Have someone proofread your proposal who isn’t familiar with your work. Having an extra set of eyes can not only correct typos, but it can also let you know if you are clear in what you are proposing.

9) Give yourself time. Don’t wait until the last minute to finish up the proposal because there will likely be mistakes if you rush.

10) Make grant writing one part of a larger fundraising strategy. It’s a super competitive environment right now for raising funds from foundations. Consider also developing a major donor program.

For anyone interested, I’m leading an “Advanced Grantwriting” Workshop at the Center for Nonprofit Mangement on May 27^th from 9:30am to 12:30pm.   Good luck with your fundraising efforts!

I’m excited to attend tonight’s Green LA Fundraiser and encourage you to attend if you support building a strong environmental movement to win campaigns that transform Los Angeles into a sustainable City.

This movement is made up of a lot of smart, talented and committed people – many of whom I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with as a Consultant.   Over the last six months, I have worked extensively with the leadership of the Green LA Coalition and can tell you they have what it takes to affect positive change in Los Angeles.

Here’s more information about the event:

I hope to see you there. 

I'm excited to report one of my past clients, the Bike Kitchen, just launched a fundraising campaign. I'm really impressed with all of their work and just mailed in a check for $100 to help them reach their fundraising goal.  If you ride your bike in Los Angeles, I encourage you to also donate to their campaign so they can continue providing valuable services to the community. For more info and to donate, check out their blog at: http://bicicocina.blogspot.com/. 

Speaking of donations, I'm leading two fundraising workshops later this week.  One on hosting fundraising events this Thursday and another on researching and cultivating a donor base on friday. For more info, check out my calendar. 

Thanks Bike Kitchen!

Here's a link to my February newsletter - enjoy!

I’m excited to be working with the leadership at LA Voice to create a fund development plan.  LA Voice is an interfaith organization engaging congregation members on a number of social change related issues in Los Angeles, including affordable housing, homelessness and health care.  For an inspiring video about the organization’s work, click here.

Over the years, I’ve worked with many organizations to create a fund development plan, including having recently developed a plan for SOAR Charter School.  A fund development plan helps chart a future fundraising course for a nonprofit organization and contains the following: 

• An assessment of the organization’s current fundraising generated from a fundraising audit and leadership survey
• A review of the organizations fundraising materials, including past grant proposals, cover letters and appeal letters
• Development of an overall goal targeting specific strategies to achieve that goal
• A timeline/workplan to implement plan
• A list of possible funding sources
• A staffing plan
• An appendix with additional resources. 

If you or your organization would like more information about how I may be able to assist you with the creation of a fund development plan, please contact me.

I’m very pleased to be working with the leadership at the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH).   SCANPH creates affordable housing opportunities for low-income people by expanding the knowledge, capacity and influence of the nonprofit development sector.  Over the years, SCANPH has championed affordable housing in Southern California and helped build a strong network of local affordable housing developers that have generated housing that’s affordable.   SCANPH also has some excited plans to green development in the future, which I’m especially excited to see happen. 

I’m working with the organization’s leadership to build their fundraising capacity so that they’re able to bring in the needed resources to do their good work.  I’m excited to attend their upcoming Board meeting in March to work with the entire Board of Directors on engaging in the fundraising process.  For some tips on how to build a fundraising Board of Directors, check out my recent blog post.

Many years ago, I benefitted from the work from an intern while directing the LA County Bicycle Coalition (my intern, Andrew, currently teaches in Mexico City and will someday be the Mayor of Detroit).  I later worked closely with an intern while working for Enterprise Community Partners in New York City (that intern, Matt, is currently in Law School and will someday be the Governor of Florida).   As Principal of my own consulting firm with a lot of work on my plate, I'm once again looking to bring on an intern to help me with my work.  In turn, I look forward to working with whoever I bring on to build their capacity as a leader in the nonprofit sector.  Here's the job description.  Please forward to anyone who you think might be interested:

Intern Job Description

 
Ron Milam Consulting is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Intern.  Ron Milam has 12 years of successful experience in the non-profit sector and has consulted for 40 nonprofit organizations since 2005.  His mission is to provide capacity building support for leaders working to transform Los Angeles into a sustainable region.  Ron specializes in the areas of fundraising, strategic planning and leadership development.  He’s a skilled facilitator, presenter, coach and project manager.   For more info, check out www.ronmilam.com.

This position is ideal for someone wanting to gain real world experience as a consultant working for some of Los Angeles’ leading sustainability oriented nonprofit organizations.  It’s also a good place to build your skills as a leader in the nonprofit sector, particularly as a fundraiser and/or facilitator.  As part of the internship, Ron will identify areas in which the intern wants to build their capacity as a leader and discuss it weekly with the intern.   This part-time position is ideal for current graduate students wanting to gain some real-world experience and additional income on the side.  Specific responsibilities of the intern are as follows:

Fundraising

• Research potential donors for Ron’s clients
• Develop/write/review grant proposals
• Copy-edit proposals Ron develops
• Assist with logistical details of fundraising work Ron does for clients (fundraising assessments, leadership surveys, draft plans, etc.)

Facilitation

• Record notes for meetings Ron facilitates
• Facilitate portions of the agenda
• Assist with logistical details related to meetings Ron facilitates

 Marketing

• Help research and identify new consulting clients
• Assist with social media marketing
• Assist with the development of marketing and training materials
• Data-entry

There may be other projects that come up outside of the areas of facilitation, fundraising and marketing, depending on the needs of Ron Milam and his clients.

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Passion and energy for implementing urban sustainability in Los Angeles
• Experience and/or interest in the nonprofit sector
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Detail-oriented
• Strong leadership ability and an entrepreneurial spirit that thrives in a start-up environment

Compensation:

$15/hour.  Part-time.  Flexible hours.

Application Submission – Deadline February 26^th, 2008:

Please email your cover letter and résumé to rpm@ronmilam.com.

Today is the last day of KCRW’s winter pledge drive. It’s also the last day to listen and learn some really valuable fundraising practices.  As a fundraising consultant, I’ve been listening to their fund drive all week and want to share with you some of the things they do really well that would be valuable to any non-profit organization seeking to raise funds from individual donors through a major donor campaign:

1. They have an overall campaign goal for the amount of money they want to raise.  Not only that, they set goals for each hour and let listeners know the progress they are making towards reaching that goal.  They rally around these goals and folks who donate feel great for their contribution towards that specific goal.  
2. They have clear deadlines – both for the overall campaign and for each hour.  These deadlines give a sense of urgency and compel folks to give.
3. They ask for our support, repeatedly.  If they didn’t ask, most of us wouldn’t just randomly decide to give.
4. They say “thank you” all the time and regularly thank people who have given on air.  “Thank you” are the two most important words in fundraising.
5. They get everyone involved in the fundraising process.  All DJ’s, staff and a bunch of volunteers are involved.  Fundraising works best when all staff and board members are involved in the process.
6. They make a clear case for why their station is valuable, which resonates with its audience. 
7. They stress the individual benefits listeners receive and also throw in some nice give-aways (which were all likely donated from sponsors who wanted to support the fundraising drive and also reach out to a broader audience with their products).
8. They use challenge grants.  When I heard the David Bohnett Foundation would double any gift people made, it inspired me to make another donation.
9. They make giving really easy – it only takes a minute to pledge over the phone or online.
10. They have fun with it.

I encourage you not only to tune in today on their last day to learn some great fundraising practices, but also consider making a gift yourself.  I’m a big fan of “Morning Becomes Eclectic” and “Which Way LA”. 

I'm pleased to report that last week's Fundraising 101 Seminar I led at the Center for Nonprofit Management in Downtown Los Angeles went very well.  For those of you that missed this introductory course, I'm leading another one on  February 5th from 10am to 1pm at the Flintridge Foundation in Pasadena.  Below is the course description.

At today's seminar, we had a great session with lots of participation in the form of discussion, questions and role-playing.  Some memorable points made:

-be sure to thank your donors
-fundraising is an ongoing process
-think of fundraising as an opportunity for a donor to invest in your organization
-engage your Board of Directors in the fundraising process

Folks shared with me after the workshop they learned a great deal and incrased their confidence levels when it comes to fundraising.

Here's the course description:

Course Description
Need to raise funds for your non-profit organization? Where do you begin? What's the secret to success? This workshop will explore the key concepts that underlie the fundraising process, including the development of a case statement, prospecting, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. You'll have the opportunity to practice what you learn through interactive exercises, such as practicing the art of asking for a major gift. The workshop will also provide a forum for you to discuss any issues you have with fundraising and connect with leaders from other non-profit organizations.

For more info and to register for the next workshop, check out the Flintridge Foundation.

Both the Center for Nonprofit Management and Flintridge Foundation host a number of seminars on a wide-variety of subjects that relate to the nonprofit sector. I encourage you to check out the many resources each offers.

I'm leading another Fundraising 101 Seminar this Wednesday from 9:30am to 12:30am at the Center for Nonprofit Management in Downtown Los Angeles and welcome you to attend.  I'm also leading the same workshop on February 5th from 10am to 1pm at the Flintridge Foundation in Pasadena. 

Here's the course description:

Course Description
Need to raise funds for your non-profit organization? Where do you begin? What's the secret to success? This workshop will explore the key concepts that underlie the fundraising process, including the development of a case statement, prospecting, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. You'll have the opportunity to practice what you learn through interactive exercises, such as practicing the art of asking for a major gift. The workshop will also provide a forum for you to discuss any issues you have with fundraising and connect with leaders from other non-profit organizations.

For more info and to register, check out the Center for Nonprofit Management.

Here's a link to my most recent email newsletter I sent out.  Enjoy!

Here's a link to my December 2009 Newsletter.  Enjoy!
Happy Holidays,
Ron

I'm staring to plan what trainings I will lead in 2010 and would love to get your input.  Please take a few minutes to fill out my short survey on this.  I really value your input and will do my best to tailor my trainings to your needs. Thanks!

For a listing of the trainings I currently lead, check out my Workshops page.  For a listing of my upcoming tranings, checkout my Calendar page.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Last week, I led another fundraising workshop at the Center for Nonprofit Management focusing on creating a strong successful fund development plan.  We had a really good discussion as I went through the various elements necessary to develop a fundraising strategy that will yield the highest results.  I'm leading several upcoming trainings on fundraising and invite you to attend.

It turns out information regarding fundraising is what local nonprofits need most, according to a recent study by the Center for Nonprofit Management.  Their recent State of the Nonprofit Sector report provides a general overview of what current nonprofits are experiencing given the current economic downtown. 

Roughly half of the consulting work I do deals directly with building my clients capacity to raise money.  I've helped multiple nonprofits, including:

• assessing their fundraising capacity
• creating fund development plans
• researching potential funders
• engaging their boards in fundraising
• writing grant proposals
• coaching executive staff
• providing general and customized trainings

Last week, I led another “Choosing the Right Fundraising Event” seminar at the Center for Nonprofit Management .   As always, we had an engaging conversation about multiple aspects of putting on a successful fundraising event.  Here are 10 quick tips from the seminar:

1.  Give yourself six months to plan a major fundraising event
2.  Engage your board and volunteers early on in the process
3.  Tailor your event to your audience
4.  The space you choose sets the tone for your event
5.  Write a budget and stick to it
6.  Think outside of the box
7.  Have fun
8.  Keep the event program to 45 minutes or less
9.  Thank and follow up with donors that attend
10. Connect fundraising events to other parts of your organization’s fundraising strategy

During our workshop, I also gave participants the opportunity to practice asking for money, which is something you can also do at your event.  We generated a lot of good ideas and based on our discussion, participants had the opportunity to share their successes and challenges with the rest of the group.  They also walked away with a number of articles on the subject. 

I continue to provide a number of capacity building trainings that are open to the public and invite you to attend one of them.  To date, I have the following workshops scheduled and expect to lead several more throughout the year:

·         Hosting a Successful Fundraising Event (3/25)

·         Fundraising 101 (4/2)

·         Winning Campaigns (4/27/-4/29)

·         Introduction to Facilitation (4/28)

·         What’s your Message: Getting Media (5/7)

·         Essentials of Effective Meetings (Date TBD)

In addition to leading trainings that are open to the public, I now also lead customized trainings directly for clients (often for nonprofit staff and Boards of Directors).   Below is a list of trainings I’m able to lead.

 1. Fundraising 101

2. Developing a Strategic Plan

3. Developing a Fundraising Plan

4. Finding Funders: 

5. Tapping into the Wealth of Individuals

6. Crafting a Successful Annual Appeal Letter

7. Introduction to Grant Writing

8. Advanced Grant Writing

9. Hosting a Successful Fundraising Event

10. Building a Strong Board

11. The Art of Cultivation

12. Fundraising Infrastructure

13. Balancing Fundraising with your other Responsibilities

14.  What’s your Message? Getting Media

15. Campaign Planning 101

16. Finding, Engaging and Thanking Volunteers

17. Introduction to Facilitation

18.  Running Effective Meetings

Please contact me if you would like for me to create a customized training for your organization.   I hope to see you at a future training!

Greetings,
Welcome to my new website! In addition to describing the services I provide, background on my experience and my past clients, I’m excited to launch a blog where I will share with you valuable lessons I’ve learned about nonprofit management over the last 11 years.  Every week, my goal is to capture a bit of wisdom I’ve learned that will hopefully be a resource to you and your organization.  Over time, I hope to build an online library that you can access anytime, on a series of different topics.  If there are certain areas you would like for me to address, or questions you have, please email them to me.  If you would like to discuss any of these areas in greater detail, please contact me.  Thanks and keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Ron

The best fundraising advice I ever received was from a seasoned fundraising veteran name Susan.  Shortly after I launched my first nonprofit organization, she said “Your job is to ask.  The person you ask’s job is to decide.  If you don’t do your job and ask, the other person will never have the opportunity to decide.”  The key moment in the fundraising process is the ask.  Get comfortable with it.  Remember, it is your job.  And if you don’t do your job, the person you ask will never do their job – decide on whether or not to give your organization money.