Major Gift Solicitation Strategies

• New and experienced major gift officers
• CEOs and executive directors of nonprofit organizations
• Board members of nonprofit organizations
• Team members with development responsibilities at nonprofit organizations who want to learn more and/or become major gift officers
• Administrative professionals who support the major gift solicitation process

• A broad understanding of philanthropy today, specifically the state of major gift solicitation
• The opportunity to craft a personal and professional introduction for major gift solicitation visit
• New knowledge and deeper understanding of the keys to successful major gift solicitation
• A detailed overview of the major gift solicitation process from identification to cultivation to solicitation to stewardship and follow-up
• A detailed step-by-step guide to major gift solicitation visit "best practices"

Trends in major gift solicitation

• Review of the current climate in major gift solicitation
• Take a brief look at current data

Leadership story lab

• Fundamental story framework
• Essential story elements
• Crafting a brief, brilliant professional introduction
• Practicing and delivering stories with guided feedback

The essential elements of a successful major gift solicitation program

• Developing and presenting a clear case for support/investment
• Prospects
• Organizational and board leadership
• Creating a climate for giving and a culture of philanthropy

Understanding the major gift solicitation system

• Setting visits and meetings
• Visit benchmarks
• Before and after the visit
• Tracking commitment, pending decisions
• Acknowledgement and stewardship

The anatomy of a best practices major gift solicitation

• Strategy/preparation
• Breaking the ice
• Setting the agenda
• Presenting the case
• Asking questions
• Asking for the gift/investment and the art of "closing"
• Follow-up, next steps

Naini Serohi - Academic Director; Program Administrator Senior, Center for Nonprofit Management, Kellogg School of Management

Esther Choy - President & Chief Story Facilitator, Leadership Story Lab

Leo Latz - Principal, Latz & Wall

Liz Livingston Howard - Clinical Professor of Management; Director of Nonprofit Executive Education

Brian Murphy - Partner, Latz & Wall

Location & Accommodations:

This program is held on Northwestern University's Evanston campus, at the James L. Allen Center.

James L. Allen Center
2169 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL

Application Deadline

The deadline for registration is 10:00 am one business day prior to the program start date.

Up to 50% scholarships are available for all of our nonprofit executive education programs for those working in nonprofit organizations. All applications are initially submitted at the full list price. Each is reviewed by our registrar and any scholarships granted will be reflected in the amount applied to your invoice or charged to your credit card.

Accommodations

Participants are responsible for booking their hotel accommodations during their stay in Chicago.

Download Recommended Hotel List

Cancellation Policy:

Participants must notify the Program Manager five business days in advance of the program start date if they are unable to attend. Otherwise, participants will be charged 20% of the stated program fees.

When canceling a program registration, participants may choose to rollover their payment to a future program or receive a refund. Participants are allowed three rollovers, after the third rollover, participants forfeit the money paid to the Center for Nonprofit Management.

*Refund or rollover must be requested at the time of the program cancellation. Once a program payment has been rolled over, a monetary refund is no longer an option. The participant must continue with the rollover process.