BETHEL — The Bethel Area Nonprofit Collaborative will present a workshop series on multiple aspects of development and fundraising.

“These interactive trainings will cover skills, techniques, trends and innovations in the field,” presenter Jeff Candura of Candura Consulting said. “And we promise to keep it fun and highly practical.”

Candura will lead one workshop per month from October through January 2019 at The Gem Theater in Bethel. The fee for each workshop is $23.

Oct. 25, 9 to 11 a.m. — Development 101: This session will focus on demystifying development and fundraising. It will go through basics, including how to make an effective request and how to steward donors. The session will also provide some clear strategies to bring back to organizations. The goal is for attendees to leave more confident and knowledgeable about development than when they walked in.

Nov. 9, 9 to 11 a.m. — Major Gift Fundraising: How to turn that $500 gift into a $5,000 or $50,000 gift? What does it mean to qualify or cultivate a donor? What do major donors want? This session will focus on how to develop major donors, will talk about the role of research and preparation, and dive deep into how to make an effective ask. 

Dec.12, 12:45 to 2:45 p.m. — Development 201: What is the role of the board in fundraising? How to build an annual giving program? What does segmentation mean? What are planned gifts and how can organizations get some? What is a Giving Circle? This session is for those who are already confident in their ability to raise funds but want to learn how their organization can take the next step. It will go beyond the basics and provide some concrete ideas on how to improve the development operations in organizations.

Jan. 17, 2019, 9 to 11 a.m. — What can nonprofits learn from for-profits?: This session will explore how best practices at leading businesses can translate into nonprofit organizations. What can the user interface on Amazon or Wayfair teach about attitudes toward online giving? How can nonprofits use Facebook as effectively as a business? What can hotel or airline loyalty clubs teach about donor engagement and cultivation? What can be learned about nonprofit culture from companies such as Netflix or Hubspot? Attendees will leave looking at each business they work with as a treasure of ideas of what to do and what not to do in their organizations.

BANC’s mission is to build vibrant communities by supporting and connecting nonprofit organizations, facilitating collaboration, fostering networks, and convening conversations.

Candura was most recently the director of advancement at Gould Academy in Bethel. Past experience includes being an associate director of development at Tufts University, and at United Way of Larimer County in Colorado. Candura offers these workshops free of charge. The workshop registration fee covers food and materials and helps to support the Bethel collaborative programs in the community.

For more information and to register, visit the registration page at banc-developmentworkshop1.eventbrite.com. Contact Amy Scott: 207-357-3189, [email protected], or visit BANC’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/bethelmainenonprofits/.