Fundraising Workshops
Fundraising Workshops
Workshop One: Proposal Writing and Budget Building
Lead by Sarah Kelley (Island Foundation) and Megan Shore (Sewall Foundation)
Workshop description:
How do grants fit in to your organization's fundraising strategy? Grants are often seen as a "magic bullet" for organizations seeking to fund and expand their work or staff, but they are just one of many fundraising strategies. This workshop will help participants think through their grant-seeking strategy. We'll look under the hood of the foundation world and offer tips on developing successful grant proposals - spanning the process from initial research to what to do following award decisions. There will be a specific focus on developing the budget as a way to clarify your project. The workshop will include plenty of time for participation and discussion to help you explore specific project ideas and questions. You'll leave with a better understanding of the role grants can play in your fundraising, an understanding of foundation processes, and concrete ideas for how to use budgets and proposals effectively to tell your organization's story.
Speaker Bios:
Sarah Kelley is Senior Program Officer at the Island Foundation, a private foundation based in Marion, MA that funds primarily in Southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. She manages the Foundation’s Environment program area, which includes grantmaking in the areas of sustainable agriculture and food systems; climate change and alternative energy; land and water conservation; and marine mammal conservation. Before coming to the Foundation in 2009, she served for 5 years as Executive Director of Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and expanding sustainable farming and access to local food. She holds an M.S. in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a B.A. in History from Yale University, and she currently serves as a Board member of New England Grassroots Environment Fund. Sarah lives in Providence, RI with her family.
Megan D. Shore grew up in the fishing community of Gloucester, MA where she developed a deep love for the ocean, commitment to community, and respect for the role that natural resources play in the overall well-being of people. Megan has worked in the nonprofit field for over 20 years, primarily focusing on fisheries, land conservation, and organizational capacity building. Megan joined the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation in 2010 where she currently serves as the Senior Program Officer. Working at the Foundation brings together her diverse interests, skills, and commitment to contributing to the well-being of people, environment, and animals. In addition to her work at the Sewall Foundation, Megan serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Grassroots Environment Fund and the Maine Philanthropy Center. Hiking, paddling, gardening, attempting to play fiddle and messing about with two kids and two dogs tends to keep Megan busy when she’s not in the office. After intermittent attempts over the past thirty years, Megan now enjoys going for regular runs (or, more accurately, enjoys the feeling after the fact).
Lead by Sarah Kelley (Island Foundation) and Megan Shore (Sewall Foundation)
Workshop description:
How do grants fit in to your organization's fundraising strategy? Grants are often seen as a "magic bullet" for organizations seeking to fund and expand their work or staff, but they are just one of many fundraising strategies. This workshop will help participants think through their grant-seeking strategy. We'll look under the hood of the foundation world and offer tips on developing successful grant proposals - spanning the process from initial research to what to do following award decisions. There will be a specific focus on developing the budget as a way to clarify your project. The workshop will include plenty of time for participation and discussion to help you explore specific project ideas and questions. You'll leave with a better understanding of the role grants can play in your fundraising, an understanding of foundation processes, and concrete ideas for how to use budgets and proposals effectively to tell your organization's story.
Speaker Bios:
Sarah Kelley is Senior Program Officer at the Island Foundation, a private foundation based in Marion, MA that funds primarily in Southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. She manages the Foundation’s Environment program area, which includes grantmaking in the areas of sustainable agriculture and food systems; climate change and alternative energy; land and water conservation; and marine mammal conservation. Before coming to the Foundation in 2009, she served for 5 years as Executive Director of Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and expanding sustainable farming and access to local food. She holds an M.S. in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a B.A. in History from Yale University, and she currently serves as a Board member of New England Grassroots Environment Fund. Sarah lives in Providence, RI with her family.
Megan D. Shore grew up in the fishing community of Gloucester, MA where she developed a deep love for the ocean, commitment to community, and respect for the role that natural resources play in the overall well-being of people. Megan has worked in the nonprofit field for over 20 years, primarily focusing on fisheries, land conservation, and organizational capacity building. Megan joined the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation in 2010 where she currently serves as the Senior Program Officer. Working at the Foundation brings together her diverse interests, skills, and commitment to contributing to the well-being of people, environment, and animals. In addition to her work at the Sewall Foundation, Megan serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Grassroots Environment Fund and the Maine Philanthropy Center. Hiking, paddling, gardening, attempting to play fiddle and messing about with two kids and two dogs tends to keep Megan busy when she’s not in the office. After intermittent attempts over the past thirty years, Megan now enjoys going for regular runs (or, more accurately, enjoys the feeling after the fact).
Workshop Two: Grassroots Funds
Lead by Nakia Navarro, New England Grassroots Environment Fund
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION COMING SOON
Lead by Nakia Navarro, New England Grassroots Environment Fund
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION COMING SOON
Workshop Three: Lending and Crowd Funded Loans
Lead by Kira Bennett Hamilton, The Carrot Project
Business loans are like first jobs: You can’t get one until you’ve already had one—right? Not quite. Kira Bennett Hamilton of The Carrot Project will discuss what lenders are looking for, approaches for accessing capital, and how to decide when a loan will be useful for you in the first place. For 10 years, The Carrot Project has worked with farm and food businesses in New England and the Hudson Valley, supporting their successes by helping them build the financial management skills to help their businesses thrive.
Lead by Kira Bennett Hamilton, The Carrot Project
Business loans are like first jobs: You can’t get one until you’ve already had one—right? Not quite. Kira Bennett Hamilton of The Carrot Project will discuss what lenders are looking for, approaches for accessing capital, and how to decide when a loan will be useful for you in the first place. For 10 years, The Carrot Project has worked with farm and food businesses in New England and the Hudson Valley, supporting their successes by helping them build the financial management skills to help their businesses thrive.
Workshop Four: Business Structure Matters: Cooperatives Root the New Economy in Democratic Values
Lead by Lynda Brushett, Ph. D, Cooperative Development Institute
What will you learn?
How cooperatively structured businesses and organizations provide needed products and services, pay their bills and live their principles and values to change the economy and build community
How to determine if a cooperative solution fits a need in your community
What it takes to organize a cooperative
The diversity of cooperative legal and organizational structures
Who can help with financing, business planning, organizational development
Workshop Description:
During this workshop, we will walk through the steps, stages and resources of cooperative development. Starting with input from participants about your cooperative questions and ideas, we'll talk about “Whys” of cooperatives—types, benefits, motivations—and the “Hows” of organizing cooperative solutions to community needs and opportunities.
Speaker Bio:
Lynda Brushett has been doing community organizing for almost 50 years! Along the way, she’s helped people establish cooperative housing, child care centers, food buying clubs, grocery stores, farm and fisheries marketing organizations and more. Recently she has been supporting the efforts of New Americans to organize cooperative farms and other businesses in New England.
Lead by Lynda Brushett, Ph. D, Cooperative Development Institute
What will you learn?
How cooperatively structured businesses and organizations provide needed products and services, pay their bills and live their principles and values to change the economy and build community
How to determine if a cooperative solution fits a need in your community
What it takes to organize a cooperative
The diversity of cooperative legal and organizational structures
Who can help with financing, business planning, organizational development
Workshop Description:
During this workshop, we will walk through the steps, stages and resources of cooperative development. Starting with input from participants about your cooperative questions and ideas, we'll talk about “Whys” of cooperatives—types, benefits, motivations—and the “Hows” of organizing cooperative solutions to community needs and opportunities.
Speaker Bio:
Lynda Brushett has been doing community organizing for almost 50 years! Along the way, she’s helped people establish cooperative housing, child care centers, food buying clubs, grocery stores, farm and fisheries marketing organizations and more. Recently she has been supporting the efforts of New Americans to organize cooperative farms and other businesses in New England.