Prospective board members will learn:

• The basics about Strategic Plans and Development Plans
• How to understand financial statements
• Conflict of Interest laws
• How to ensure the organization’s financial sustainability
• Key fundraising roles for board members
• How to assess whether an organization is the best fit for you
• Tips for the most productive board meetings ever

Two workshops to choose from in June: 

Tuesday, June 18 from 4:30pm to 7:30pm

Wednesday, June 26 from 7:30am to 10:30am

Both workshops will be held at the American Cancer Society

2 Commerce Street, Suite 11, Bedford, NH 03110 

The cost of a three-hour Essentials for New Board Members workshop is $50 per person, which includes customized take-aways and a light meal. It is suggested that this fee be shared between the participant and his/her employer whose company will benefit by being able to offer well-trained board members to the community. 

This investment could make you the most sought-after board prospect in town! You will be able to present yourself with confidence to those nonprofit organizations seeking new board members through Leadership New Hampshire, Stay-Work-Play and the Council on Fundraising.

For more information and to register, contact CONFR Executive Director Pam McDonald at 603-724-6741 or pmcdonald@confr.org.

Conversations with CONFR

Lively Discussions with Colleagues on Provocative Topics That Matter 

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

5:00pm to 6:30pm

Branding and Fundraising:

Why branding your organization is critical, and why it often gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list

Presenter: Jamie Forbes, Partner at Opus Advisors, LLC in Portsmouth, NH 

5:00pm – Hosted Wine, Cheese, Networking

5:30pm – Posing the Topic

5:50pm – Q&A and Discussion

NH Audubon

3 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NH

Nonprofits often ignore the importance of marketing on their fund development efforts, or place resources for marketing at the bottom of the budget priority list.   But organizations with strong, visible brands clearly have an edge in fundraising. Jamie Forbes will help you think differently about branding and marketing and their relation to fundraising.

• How can we measure the need for branding and demonstrate success and productivity in our marketing efforts?
• How can we think of elevating our brands in the era of emerging media?

Join us for wine, cheese, and stimulating conversation on the evening of May 29^th, as Jamie Forbes talks about his work with a range of nonprofits and shares lessons from the private sector.  This conversation will outline the major tools for branding success, and invite discussion on how to determine which ones make sense for your organization, and how to develop a strategy and plan.

As a partner at Opus Advisors in Portsmouth, Jamie Forbes specializes in bringing marketing and communications practices to the fundraising process.

Join us for CONFR’s newest educational program –

Conversations with CONFR!

Network with friends and challenge your thinking about philanthropy!

Registration online at www.confr.org, or

mail a check to PO Box 3514, Concord, NH 03302

or call 603-724-6741.

CONFR Members: $15

Non-members: $25

CONFR TO GO!

Essentials in Fundraising for Executive Directors

Free Workshop on May 20, 2013 in Hanover!

As a partner with the board and staff, Executive Directors have a primary responsibility to be active in fund development efforts. For small shops, that might mean actually being the primary fundraiser. For larger organizations, it means actively supporting development staff and being available to call on major prospects and donors. For all Executive Directors, it means helping to create a Culture of Philanthropy throughout the organization, educating and empowering board members about all the ways they can partner with staff in fundraising, and to joyfully engage in relationship building and stewardship of ALL donors.

For many, these tasks can seem uncomfortable or overwhelming because few Executive Directors have had formal, comprehensive, academic training in fund development. This two-hour workshop will get you started on a positive pathway to successful fundraising with the tools to create a dynamic individual giving program!

Topics included are:

•   Overview of the national landscape of charitable giving
•   Why individual giving is the key to sustainability
•   Roles for staff and board
•   Creating a Culture of Philanthropy
•   Empowering board members to partner with staff in fundraising
•   How to attract donors and prospects
•   Understanding donor-centered philanthropy
•   The power of passion and storytelling
•   When it’s time, how to make the ask
•   Embracing stewardship

Put your organization on track for long-term financial sustainability!

Date: May 20, 2013

Check-in: 9:30am; Workshop: 9:45am to Noon

Location: Howe Library, Murray Room,13 South Street,Hanover,NH

Register Here!

This workshop is offered to you at no charge through the generosity of

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The Best of CONFR!

Six Great Workshops— All Available on One Day!

May 30, 2013

8:30am to 4:00pm

Southern New Hampshire University, Hospitality Center, Manchester, NH

8:30am – Check-in Opens     Coffee, Juice, Muffins and Networking 

9:00am to Noon – Morning Workshops     Choose ONE, three-hour workshop

A.  Development Plans and Case Statements: Creating a Mission-based Philanthropy Program 

     Presenters: Steve Smith, Executive Service Corps; Tricia Casey, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua; Ruth Zax, CFRE, Child and Family Services.

In today’s environment of limited resources and time, the best safeguard toward ensuring a successful fundraising program is an up-to-date, thoughtful, inclusive, and clearly defined Development Plan that is strategic and reflected through the organization’s Case for Support.

Topics included are:

• The primary reasons an organization should have a Development Plan
• Assessment of current fundraising strategies and tactics, including social media
• Components of an effective Development Plan
• Approaches that build board engagement in sustaining mission
• Essential Elements that should be included in a Case for Support document
• Application of staging process in step-by-step revenue building

B.  Donor Research, Acquisition and Retention           

     Presenter: Bill Stockwell, Principal, William F Stockwell & Associates, LLC 

Identifying new prospects can be challenging, especially for small organizations without benefit of an alumni/constituent base or a well-connected board. This workshop will walk you through the process of prospect research, which not only identifies prospects but also helps a person identify and connect with your organization; methods to invite those prospects to make a first-time gift; and the tools to convert first-time donors to annual donors.

Topics included are:

• Prospect research with the resources you have
• Prospect research software for outside searches
• Cultivation techniques
• Choosing the right solicitation method
• Retention and relationship-building tools

C. How a Finance Plan Will Enhance Your Fundraising Efforts

     Presenter: Gregg Davis, Owner, Impact Consults

Nonprofit finance does not exist separate from an organization’s programs, development function and mission; rather, it is an important component for all of these.. Likewise, an organization’s finances are a key driver of many management activities. This workshop will discuss how to effectively integrate financial management practices into the following areas of organizational management: Governance; Fundraising; and Strategic planning.

Topics included are:

• how a stronger grasp of your true financial situation opens up new avenues to approach donors;
• how to solve important nonprofit growth dilemmas and enhance revenue generation
• how to stop lying to donors (we’ll explain what this means and how to break the habit together);
• how to set fundraising goals appropriate to your financial situation;
• how to develop a financial structure that will support your goals;
• how to keep your CEO, board, development office and accounting office in sync.

Noon to 12:50pm – Networking Lunch      Pre-order a lunch from us or bring one with you – But be sure to attend this networking opportunity!1:00pm to 4:00pm – Afternoon Workshops     Choose ONE, three-hour workshop

A.   Making Sense of Metrics: Measuring Programs and Fundraising Results

Presenter: Mike Davenport and Karen Davenport, Davenport & Barr, Inc., Partners in Philanthropy

“You manage what you measure,” the old saying goes, and today more than ever, there is significant interest regarding “metrics” in the fundraising world. Non-profit board members, administrators and fundraising professionals have a responsibility to ensure that their organization’s return on investment (ROI) in fundraising is reasonable through good internal management practices, and communicate to their donors and the general public that philanthropy is an investment in the organization’s mission and strategic objectives. But that is just the beginning . . . there are many other ways to measure performance that will be brought to light during this session.

Topics included are:

• The significance of high-quality data and donor fundraising software
• Best practices for database management and tracking
• How to value new donors, returning donors and lapsed donors
• Why donor retention is more important than cash totals
• The importance of the “donor pipeline”
• How to quantify strategies, tactics and individual efforts

B.   Passionate Stewardship for Major Donors

     Panel: Tim Allison, CFRE, Director of Development, UNH Foundation; Tricia Casey, Director of Advancement, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua; Hope Jordan, CFRE, Resource Development Director, Laconia Area Community Land Trust, Inc.

Moderator: Alexandra Urbanowski, VP for Development and Marketing, NH Public Radio.         

Moving your annual donors up the Giving Pyramid to become major donors is an intentional process, which requires intuition as much as measurements, and the interpersonal skills to form long-term, respectful relationships. This panel of major gift officers will share their experiences – good and bad – and how to keep major donors engaged and involved in your organization year after year.

Topics included are:

• How do you identify an Annual Donor as a Major Gift prospect?
• How can current Major Gift Donors help to acquire other Major Gift donors?
• What are some universal strategies that Development Directors from any size organization might use in the relationship-building and stewardship process?
• How do you match your programs with the interests of your Major Gift donors/prospects?
• How often do you make contact with and/or visit your prospects/donors and how do you get them to say “yes” when you ask to visit them?
• What does a typical visit look like?
• What are some of the most meaningful ways you thank your donors?
• Do many Major Gift donors become Planned Giving prospects and how do you introduce that idea to them? 

C.   How to Prepare for a Capital Campaign

     Presenter: Rick Blain, CFRE, Richard R. Blain & Associates

Recent reports demonstrate that capital campaigns can be successful even in the middle of a recession. So, if the economy is not the primary indicator of whether a capital campaign will reach goal, then what is? This workshop will help those searching for capital dollars understand ALL the pieces you need to have in place before embarking on a major campaign for your organization and help you plan the best approach. It will focus on strengthening your fundraising skills and effectiveness with helpful techniques based on real-life fundraising challenges and success stories.

Topics included are:

• When and why should you have a campaign?
• Do you need to hire a consultant? When and why?
• Phases of a Campaign – The plan is key
• Critical Components
• Crafting a Compelling Case statement
• Campaign Leadership – Roles of staff, board and volunteers
• Solicitation – Who does what?
• Donor recognition and Stewardship
• Obstacles to a successful campaign 

Registration: Register online or download a form and mail with a check; or call 603-724-6741. 

Bring your staff colleagues and board fundraisers to attend ALL these great workshops!

CONFR Members: $59 Half-Day (one workshop); $109 Full-Day (two workshops)

Non-Members: $89 Half-Day (one workshop); $139 Full-Day (two workshops)

Lunch: $15.00 (You may order ours or bring yours, but be sure to attend this networking opportunity!)

The Best of CONFR is generously sponsored by the School of Business at

School of Business

AND

 Optimizes non-profit operations with agile project management

This is an intensive day-long course that is offered by PGGNE inBoston. While it provides a soup-to-nuts review of Planned Giving, it is specifically designed for those who are from small shops (as mine was when I worked atVermontAcademy). It has been proven to be effective for major gift officers as well, who now, more than ever before, need a basic understanding of planned giving in their conversations with donors. We have tried to keep this as affordable as possible at $195 including lunch, snacks and reference book!

May 1, 2013: PGGNE All Day Conference

This conference offers multiple tracks on a variety of topics taught by seasoned veterans from the planned giving trenches. It is also a wonderful opportunity to network with other fund raising professionals. Please visit our web site to see the breadth and variety of all of our offerings.

Details and registration information about these programs can be found on the PGGNE web site at www.pggne.org.

Please note that the Fundamentals registration is capped at 75, and we have 58 registered so far. Last year we had a waiting list of 25 folks who waited too long.

Also note that there is a special discount for non PGGNE members who sign up for both days.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Bob Barr

President of PGGNE

603-229-4875

bbarr@sps.edu

Creating Sustainable Funding For Your Nonprofit

In this session, Benevon Founder & CEO, Terry Axelrod will give you an overview of the Benevon Model — a systematic process for engaging and developing relationships with mission-focused individual donors. You will learn how to make your organization more visible in your community and how to identify and cultivate individual donors who are passionate about your mission.

• Tuesday, April 9, 2013
• 2:00 p.m. –3:30 p.m.
• New Hampshire Distributors, 65 Regional Drive, Concord, NH 03301
• Free to attend
• Who Should Attend: Please bring at least two key leaders, including Board Members, CEO, and Development Director.
• RSVP: http://www.benevon.com/intros/register-concord  
• Questions: Contact Loren Alexanian at 206-428-2150 or loren@benevon.com.

Benevon trains and coaches nonprofit organizations to implement a mission-based system for raising sustainable funding from individual donors. This system ends the suffering about fundraising and builds passionate and committed lifelong donors. The Benevon Model was developed by founder Terry Axelrod, author of the Raising More Money series, The Joy of Fundraising, Beyond the Ask Event, and Missionizing Your Special Events. For more information, please visit www.benevon.com.

Prospective board members will learn:

• The basics about Strategic Plans and Development Plans
• How to understand financial statements
• The importance of by-laws
• Conflict of Interest laws
• How to ensure the organization’s financial sustainability
• How to meet the organization’s development goals

Thursday, April 18 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm

This workshop will be held at the American Cancer Society

2 Commerce Street, Suite 11,Bedford,NH03110

The cost of a three-hour CONFR to Go! – Essentials for New Board Members – workshop is $50 per person, which includes customized take-aways and a light meal. It is suggested that this fee be shared between the participant and his/her employer whose company will benefit by being able to offer well-trained board members to the community.  Here is the information for your employer.

This investment could make you the most sought-after board prospect in town! You will be able to present yourself with confidence to those nonprofit organizations seeking new board members through Leadership New Hampshire, Stay-Work-Play and the Council on Fundraising.

For more information and to register, contact CONFR Executive Director Pam McDonald at 603-724-6741 or pmcdonald@confr.org.

The Best of CONFR!

Six Great Workshops— All Available on One Day!

March 14, 2013

8:30am to 4:00pm

Southern New Hampshire University,HospitalityCenter,Manchester,NH

8:30am – Check-in Opens    Coffee, Juice, Muffins and Networking

9:00am to Noon – Morning Workshops    Choose ONE, three-hour workshop

A.  Marketing Strategies for Support of Your Planned Giving Program

     Presenter: Caleb Rick, JD, Founder, North Common Associates and Legacy Giving

Creating a Case for Legacy Giving and developing a unique Marketing Plan are two essential elements of a successful planned giving program. Learn how a long-term case for support differs from your short-term case for annual or campaign gifts and why it is a fundamental tool for engaging staff, board members, volunteers and donors in this important area of philanthropy. After drafting your own Case for Legacy Giving, learn tools and tips to create a roadmap for marketing your planned giving program.  Audience members also will view and discuss the merits of a wide variety of sample print ads.

Topics included are:

• Consider how your legacy case for support can be used
• Discuss and create your own draft template
• Strategies for engaging your audience
• Communication goals
• Key questions to consider
• Creating a communication inventory

B. The Art of Fearless Fundraising – Asking for Major Gifts with Confidence!         

Presenter: Porter D. “Pete” Caesar II, CFRE, Principal, Porter Caesar, LLC

Any size organization can develop a strong Major Gifts program with the commitment of the Executive Director, Development Director, Board Members, and Fund Development Committee to appropriate best practices. This highly interactive workshop will explore how major donors are identified, involved, cultivated, and finally asked for a gift. Pete will demystify the components of successful personal solicitations, focusing on the bedrock importance of becoming adept at “listening the gift.”

Topics included are:

• Roles for staff and board
• Why board members must be donors and fundraisers
• How to identify and attract donors and prospects
• Building Relationships
• Effective Case Statements
• Telling the story
• When the time is right, HOW to make “the ask”

C. Transforming Small Shops from Stressful to Successful

     Presenter:Lisa Merrill-Burzak, CFRE, Director of Development, NH Catholic Charities

Some of the best work in the Social Sector is done in “small shops,” those that have less than five administrative employees. The problem is that their executive directors and development officers are wearing so many hats that they get burned out and move on at record rates, making it difficult for the organization to maintain momentum and sustain programs and revenue. Bring your ENTIRE (small) staff AND board members to this highly interactive workshop that will explore all the pitfalls of a small shop and how you can turn them into opportunities by working together to focus on essentials while saying “no” to distractions – and how to tell the difference between the two.

Discussion will include:

• Why small shops are important and how to keep them viable
• What is the most difficult issue you have to deal with and how can we make it better
• How to tell the difference between essentials and distractions
• How to grow revenue by doing the same things in a different way
• How to engage volunteers in meaningful work while lightening your load

Noon to 12:50pm – Networking Lunch      Pre-order a lunch from us or bring one with you –

But be sure to attend this networking opportunity! 

1:00pm to 4:00pm – Afternoon Workshops     Choose ONE, three-hour workshop

A. Your NEW 21^st Century Development “Dream Team”

     Presenter: Gregg Davis, Owner, Impact Consults

In this workshop you will meet your new development team: CEO, Development Director and CFO, as well as your new leadership team: CEO, Development Director, and CFO. It is immaterial whether your organization actually has a CFO or not (most of us don’t). What matters is that the CEO and Development Director build a relationship with their “inner CFO,” which will help the entire team see fundraising in a new light. We will spend time considering these key relationships in the context of creating a revenue plan for your organization. You have goals, you have an existing capital structure and you want to bring in revenue to meet your goals.

We will examine:

• how a stronger grasp of your true financial situation opens up new avenues to approach donors;
• how to solve some fundamental nonprofit growth dilemmas;
• how to stop lying to donors (we’ll explain what this means and how to break the habit together);
• how to enhance revenue generation with a strong CEO, Development Director and (inner) CFO team.

B. Using Data to Change the World: New Insights to Social Media

     Presenter: Katie Delahaye Paine, Founder and President, KDPaine & Partners

Named as one of “25 Women that rock Social Media,” Katie Paine will provide the insight and knowledge you need to measure the effectiveness of your social media communications efforts, and to help you make better, more informed decisions for your organization. This workshop will show you how to establish measurable goals, define your metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), design your measurement dashboard, and implement your measurement system, using tools from her recent book co-authored with Beth Kanter – another Social Media Maven!

Topics included are:

• What’s your image in the media?
• What’s your relationship with the world and how does your PR affect it?
• Where should you put your resources?
• How can you demonstrate the great work you are doing?
• What do you need to know about your business relationships?
• What does measurement really mean for your situation?

C. Creating Sterling Special Events that Produce Long-Term Donors  

Presenter: Pam McDonald, Executive Director, Council on Fundraising

     In this “nuts and bolts” workshop, you’ll learn how to choose the right event, at the right time, for the right reason, to support the right cause – and how to put together all the pieces for dynamite outcomes. The true measure of Special Event success, however, is not in attendance numbers or ticket sales, but in how it supports your Development Plan and becomes an essential source of prospects for your Individual Giving Program. Create stellar events while setting the stage for long-term financial sustainability!

This session will discuss:

• The right – and wrong – reasons to hold a special event
• It’s ALL in the planning and knowing who should do what
• Enlisting, training and overseeing volunteers
• How to get corporate support
• How to put it all together
• Turning attendees into future donors

Register online or download a form and mail with a check or call 603-724-6741.

Bring your staff colleagues and board fundraisers to attend ALL these great workshops!

CONFR Members: $59 Half-Day (one workshop); $109 Full-Day (two workshops)

Non-Members: $89 Half-Day (one workshop); $139 Full-Day (two workshops)

Lunch: $15.00 (You may order ours or bring yours, but be sure to attend this networking opportunity!)

The Best of CONFR is generously sponsored by the School of Business at

Conversations with CONFR

Lively Discussions with Colleagues on Provocative Topics That Matter 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

5:00pm to 6:30pm

Collective Impact: Making the Case for Funding Overhead Costs

Presenter: Marty Jacobs, President, Systems in Sync

5:00pm – Hosted Wine, Cheese, Networking

5:30pm – Posing the Topic

5:50pm – Q&A and Discussion

Concord Community Music School

23 Wall St, Concord, NH

Community Room (enter from Fayette St through the parking lot)

Funding overhead is often considered the third rail of nonprofit funding – many funders won’t touch it. How then does a nonprofit build its own capacity let alone collaborate with others to make a difference? Moreover, with so little to invest in overhead, how does a nonprofit sustain an effort over the long run?

Join us for wine, cheese, and stimulating conversation on the evening of February 26^th, as Marty Jacobs, a Vermont-based consultant to nonprofits, education, and government explores the model of Collective Impact and how it may shape the world of nonprofit funding.

Marty Jacobs, president of Systems In Sync, has been teaching and consulting for twenty years. She has written articles for The Systems Thinker, Vermont Business Magazine, American School Board Journal, Leverage Points Blog, and Confident Voices for Nurses on topics related to organizational learning, systems thinking, workplace culture, board governance, and community engagement. She can be reached at www.systemsinsync.com or marty@systemsinsync.com.

Join us for CONFR’s newest educational program – 

Conversations with CONFR! 

Network with friends and challenge your thinking about philanthropy!

 Registration:

CONFR Members: $15

Non-members: $25

Mail a check to PO Box 3514, Concord, NH 03302

or call 603-724-6741.

Conversations with CONFR

Lively Discussions with Colleagues on Provocative Topics That Matter 

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

“Big Philanthropy, Small Nonprofits: Troubling Trends and Emerging Opportunities”

Presenter: Alan Cantor

5:00pm – Hosted Wine, Cheese, Networking

5:30pm – Posing the Topic

5:45pm – Q&A and Discussion

Concord Community Music School

23 Wall St, Concord, NH

Community Room (enter from Fayette St at the rear of the building) 

Is traditional philanthropy meeting today’s needs? What are the trends in corporate and individual giving – and how are these hurting small nonprofits? How can New Hampshire organizations change the conversation and make the case for high-impact, community-based philanthropy?

Join us for wine, cheese, and stimulating conversation on the evening of November 28^th, as Alan Cantor, a Concord-based national consultant to nonprofits and donors, shares his insights into major trends in the charitable world and what they mean to the nonprofit community here in New Hampshire.

A veteran of thirty years of nonprofit work in the state, Alan’s opinions and observations have been published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Stanford Social Innovations Review, as well as the Concord Monitor and his blog at www.alancantorconsulting.com.

Join us for the kick-off of CONFR’s newest educational program – 

Conversations with CONFR! 

Network with friends and challenge your thinking about philanthropy!

Registration online at www.confr.org or call 603-724-6741.

CONFR Members: $15

Non-members: $25

Generously Sponsored By

8 Spit Brook Road #3  Nashua, NH 03060