This training is designed for anyone who communicates directly with donors and alumni. We particularly encourage teams of donor relations and communications professionals, frontline fundraisers, alumni relations, and annual giving staff to participate together so that you can help to ensure consistency in communications across your shop.

Thursday, November 30, 2023
11:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. ET
Welcome & Introductions 
11:00 – 11:15 a.m. ET

Advancement Communication: Why and What We Communicate
11:15 – 11:45 a.m. ET
In this foundational session, we will share an overview of why and what we communicate in fundraising. We will define the variety of communications we create and what their goals are.

Clarifying Your Message
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
Your message needs to hook the recipient, be creative, and communicate what you mean. This session will highlight ways to make your messages more likely to be read and to be more donor centered. It will also include tips on how to overcome writer’s block.

Break 
12:30 – 12:45 p.m. ET

Streamlining Your Message
12:45 – 1:30 p.m. ET
The best writing is concise, with clear thought, meaningful language, and no unnecessary words: say what you mean, and mean what you say. Learn how to clarify your communications by getting rid of extraneous words and making your point quickly and effectively.

Long Break  
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. ET

Communication Theory in Practice
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET
In this interactive session, we will showcase effective messaging best practices as we workshop samples of advancement writing. Our expert faculty will review samples from you and offer feedback to help transform your shop’s communications. You will learn how to follow the strengths of each piece in your own work, as well as how to recognize common errors.

Break  
3:00 – 3:15 p.m. ET

The Medium for Communications
3:15 – 4:00 p.m. ET
Where and how you communicate are essential points of consideration. It is important to use a medium that complements your message and resonates with donors and alumni. Here, we will explore when a specific medium might be best and discuss chat(bot) approaches for reaching out to express thanks or recognition.

Life Stages and Asset-Based Messaging
4:00 – 4:45 p.m. ET
Our communications with donors and alumni must speak to them and acknowledge who they are—where they are in their life, their diversity, and more. We will here discuss ways to think about and reach out to our audiences in ways that are relevant.

Q&A and Closing
4:45 – 5:00 p.m. ET
We will conclude our time together with the opportunity for you to ask questions of our expert faculty.