Before the Conference:

· Click out the Grantmaker websites listed on this website and determine which ones best fit your needs.

· Review their areas of interest to make sure they haven't changed since last time you checked their website. In the last year, some organizations have refocused on the basics, while others have had to cut back.

· Check the region that they serve. If it relates to a corporate presence and you don't have that corporation in nearby, they may still consider you as part of their region (or not).

· Look at what information they want from you. Does your organization track the kinds of information they are looking for; or should you.

· Do they allow a letter of interest (LOI) to determine whether or not they might be interested in funding your project? If so, that's a lot less effort to prepare, although you must have to have your project well thought through. Many websites have a list of questions they want answered. Be sure you can answer each one.

At the Conference:

Listen carefully to each grantmaker's discussion at the Conference; and, ask questions

Attend their small group sessions; bring your cards or brochure

Collect handouts

Take notes and be open to learning new things

Bring an exhibit about your organization or project(s)

Network and share your experience, and others will share with you

DO NOT:

Æ Bring a written proposal to the meeting to give to a grantmaker.

Æ Dominate the conversation and dazzle them with your expertise/experience.

More to come...

Understand the best strategies for maintaining and growing direct response fundraising programs

Find out what worked and what didn’t in 2008 and learn how to apply these results to 2009

Discover the best acquisition strategies and tactics for getting more and higher value donors

Gain an understanding about the best techniques for retaining donors in a harsh fundraising climate

Learn how to target your best donors – those who will strongly support their cause it’s needed most

Find out how to implement strategies to save on printing, mailing, and postage costs and improve deliverability

Learn how integrated fundraising appeals can boost response and net income

Understand the specific acquisition package and list strategies that make sense during an economic downturn

Discover a wealth of industry resources to stay informed about how the nonprofit sector as a whole and peer organizations are performing

Analyze the Current Economic Situation

Review of current economic conditions – Happenings since October 2008, new economic indicators based upon new government initiatives, etc.

Review of historical giving trends in previous economic downturns

Preliminary review of results from 2008 year-end giving season: Client results, industry indicators, etc.

Managing Your Board

Keep Senior Management and your Board informed during this protracted economic downturn

Defend and promote your direct marketing program – still the best source for future major donors

Keep on top of your program metrics – what you need to know at all times

Stay informed about how your peer organizations are performing and how the nonprofit sector is performing as a whole

Acquisition Strategies

How do you:

Improve acquisition list performance while reducing costs?

Optimize merge-purge tactics?

Reduce the cost of your control package and increase mail volume to maintain current new donor levels?

Smartly reduce list and creative testing to reduce program costs but maintain learning?

New Donor Conversion Strategies – A continued investment in acquisition!

Learn how to develop your own online marketing plan!

Finally, education designed for the way nonprofits drive results. The Nonprofit Online Marketing Academy's comprehensive training helps nonprofit professionals plan and create results-based Internet marketing initiatives. Ideal for decision makers and managers of online programs who are ready to push their organization to the next level, the Academy blends education, discussion, and activities in a fun and collaborative environment.

As an attendee of this power-packed session, you’ll:

Learn to build and execute an Internet plan that supports your organization’s needs with measurability and repeatability

Get knowledge you can really use through workbook sessions, peer panels and interactive Q&A discussions

Create your own Internet marketing plan to address your organization's top challenges. At the completion of the day's course, you'll head home equipped to deliver online marketing success

Who should attend:

Development Directors

Marketing Directors

Executive Directors of nonprofit organizations supported primarily by individual donations

Key Topics — This full day workshop will cover the following topics:

Value of Integrated Marketing and Fundraising

First we'll lay the groundwork for the session including the online marketing (eCRM) framework, related metrics, and setting actionable goals for your online marketing program as well as discuss internal challenges facing your organization.

Web Traffic

When used effectively, your Web site can convey the importance of your mission, enlarge your email file through registrations, and increase desirable responses from constituents such as donations. In this section, we'll explore tactics to grow Web site traffic including Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Networking.

Email File Building Tactics

The first step in any effective online marketing strategy is to build an email file. In this section, we will cover tactics for building your email file, viral, membership, appends, and partnerships.

Cultivation

Constituents are more receptive to supporting your organization if they are informed about the importance of your mission. In this section, we will discuss how to talk to constituents without asking for money, educational series, newsletters, stewardship, and community networks.

Conversion, Retention, and Fundraising

Converting prospects to donors and then retaining them is the cornerstone of fundraising. In this section, you will learn tactics, including micro-campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising, monthly giving, email campaigns, and time-based memberships.

Making it Work in Your Organization

Apply what you have learned in a real world example. In this interactive section, you will create a plan for your organization including who within your organization will execute the plan, the timeframe, costs, and how to measure success.

Prompt and thoughtful acknowledgements – how and when to execute (timing, letters vs. phone calls) and what to say

New Donor Welcome Kits

Early second gift appeals

Presenting donors with your strongest renewal appeals upfront

Plan for a First-Year Anniversary Package to get a second gift from those new donors who are close to lapsing

Special Treatments to Strengthen Relationships with Loyal Donors – Now more important than ever!

Special techniques to thank them promptly and sincerely

Segmentation strategies that redefine your “high level” donors – and boost revenue

Special cultivation techniques for major donors

How to use a multichannel campaign to lift response rates

Monthly giving conversion strategies – how to promote monthly giving during a tough economy

Messaging that tells donors why you need their support now

And much more!

Vinay founded Convio in April 1999 after volunteering at a public television pledge drive and seeing the opportunity to leverage Internet technology to drive better fundraising results. Today, as chief strategy officer, he oversees corporate strategy and is actively involved in research and client success strategies. In 2006, Vinay was named Fundraising Professional of the Year on the agency side by Fundraising Success Magazine. In 2004, Vinay received an honorable mention as one of the top 25 people worldwide who are changing the world of the Internet and Politics by Politics Online. Vinay serves on Advisory Council of the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation, where he chairs the Marketing Committee. Prior to Convio, Vinay was director of ecommerce at Austin-based Trilogy Software, working with Fortune 500 companies to develop their Internet strategies. Before joining Trilogy, he was a consultant at Bain & Company in London, Hong Kong and Kiev. Vinay holds degrees from Harvard Business School (MBA), Stanford University (MS) and Cambridge University (MA) in England.

Mark Rovner

Principal, Sea Change Strategies

Beth Wallace

Vice President of Digital Marketing, Conservation International

As vice president for digital marketing, Beth Wallace is responsible for Conservation International’s website and for online fundraising programs. Beth joined CI in November of 2007 after 20 years of leading direct marketing and online marketing businesses in the corporate world. Beth most recently served as vice president of online marketing at AOL, LLC responsible for member acquisition, upsells of premium products, and adoption of free products. Prior to AOL, she worked across all direct marketing channels as a magazine circulation director at Meredith Corporation. Beth holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BA from Emory University.