Course curriculum

This course is designed for nonprofit leaders, development officers, and grant managers who seek to enhance their relationships with funders. Participants will learn the importance of building and maintaining strong, trust-based relationships with funders, going beyond mere transactions to create sustainable, impactful partnerships. Through practical examples, scenarios, and case studies, this course provides actionable strategies for effective communication and collaboration with funders.

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    1. Building Relationships with Funders

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About this course

  • $45.00
  • 6 lessons

Course Objectives

By completing this course, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to cultivate meaningful and effective relationships with funders, ultimately driving greater impact and success for their organizations.

  • Understand the Importance of Funder Relationships:

    Recognize the critical role that strong relationships with funders play in achieving long-term sustainability and success. Understand the benefits of building trust and alignment with funders beyond financial transactions.

  • Identify Key Elements of Funder Relationships:

    Define what a healthy relationship with a funder looks like, including open communication, mutual respect, alignment of goals, and trust. Illustrate these elements with relevant icons and images to reinforce understanding.

  • Appreciate the Benefits of Strong Funder Relationships:

    Understand how strong relationships with funders can lead to increased sustainability, flexibility, opportunities for collaboration, and enhanced impact. Visualize these benefits through meaningful representations, such as a tree for sustainability and shaking hands for collaboration.

  • Develop Effective Communication Strategies:

    Learn how to conduct a model phone call following up on a grant application, including dialogue examples and key takeaways. Understand the components of a well-structured email providing a progress update, with a sample format and highlighted key components. Craft a heartfelt letter expressing gratitude for funding, emphasizing the key elements of effective written communication.

  • Analyze Real-World Case Studies:

    Explore case studies of successful funder relationships, such as the XYZ Foundation and Community Bank. Examine the descriptions, outcomes, impacts, results, and benefits of these case studies. Use visuals to represent each case study, including logos of the organizations involved and images related to the projects.

  • Apply Learnings to Build Strong Funder Relationships:

    Implement strategies and best practices learned throughout the course to build and maintain strong relationships with current and potential funders. Foster an environment of trust and collaboration that enhances organizational impact and sustainability.

Instructor(s)

Marissa Wolfe

Grants Development Quality Assurance Specialist

With over 15 years of non-profit experience, Marissa Wolfe’s expertise extends into fund development, organizational leadership, program implementation, and marketing. Most recently, she served as the first Executive Director of Keep US Fed Montgomery County, a food rescue organization. Her previous professional roles included a diverse list of non-profits: Girl Scouts, United Way, parks and recreation, and disability advocacy. She thrives on connecting innovative program models with the strategies and funds to create community impact. Marissa resides in Cypress, Texas with her husband and three children.

Marissa Wolfe

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