Fundraising fundamentals

Members – £295+VAT         Non-members – £495+VAT   (150 CPD points)

Do you have to undertake fundraising in your role? Are you likely to have to start fundraising for your work in the future? Do you want to be confident pitching and asking for money? Then this training is for you!

Our all-day training session takes you through the fundamentals of fundraising in a UK think tank from why and how donors like to fund and where to find them through to how to plan your approach and make the ask as well as how to maintain your donor relationship to ensure repeat funding.

The day will be a mixture of exercises, group activities and theory with a heavy focus on interactive learning. Attendees will leave the day with clear actions they can implement in their day-to-day job. All attendees will be asked to submit beforehand a project / event / report they either need to raise funding for or that they can use as an example to make the training as practical as possible. You will be working with your peers from other think tanks and attendees will be encouraged to share best practice, build networks and share their previous fundraising experiences.

Course outline

• The basics of fundraising

– Who funds think tanks?
– Why do they fund think tanks?
– What do donors fund?

• Finding donors

– Tactics for searching and finding new donors
– How to use your network

• Making an approach

– Preparing for a donor meeting
– Costing up your proposal
– Preparing the correct fundraising documents

• Making the ask

– The importance of storytelling and spontaneity
– Roleplaying making the ask
– Potential pitfalls and how to prepare for them

• Maintaining the relationship

– The road to repeat donations
– Donor communications
– Database management and other practicalities
– Embedding fundraising relationships into your think tank

Lunch will also be provided so attendees can continue the conversation throughout the day with peers across different think tanks.

SOLD OUT – register for waiting list*