Spark Studio Presents: Fundraising Basics for Nonprofits

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Fundraising doesn’t have to be a scary word! This workshop is geared toward people who have passion for their mission but aren’t sure how to raise money. We will provide a basic overview of fundraising--it will be fast paced. You’ll leave the training well on your way to becoming a lean, mean, money raising machine.

Come learn about:

• Infusing a Culture Of Philanthropy into your organization

• An overview of fundraising and philanthropy in the USA

• Best practices for individual giving--from figuring out who to ask for money to thanking donors for their gifts

• Creating a development plan that you actually use!

Engage Your Community: How to Adapt to a Community Engagement Environment

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Presented by: Tidewater Community College Center for Workforce Solutions

Instructor: Sarah Milston

This session will highlight key aspects of a robust community engagement program beyond focus groups. We will review the community engagement spectrum and discuss best practices for co-leadership with community transformations. 

Presented at Downtown Intersections

Instructor: Sarah Milston

Join Sarah for a lively discussion around assessing your own capacity in the major areas of concern for nonprofits. Walk out with a plan of action!

Presented at Downtown Intersections

Instructor: Sarah Milston

Join Sarah in Harrisonburg for a session to learn about online fundraising, giving and marketing in the 21st century, and how to tell your story!  

Register Here

Virginia Volunteerism and Service Annual Conference - Presenter: Chris Bennett

Your organization has all the assets it needs to make the change you want to see in the world.  But are your staff, your finances and your time aligned to produce that change? This workshop will explore organizational assets and how they are aligned (or not) towards the mission and vision of your organization. Participants will walk away with an asset and alignment map, and some next steps to achieve organizational alignment.

Register Here

Virginia Volunteerism and Service Annual Conference - Presenter: Sarah Milston

This session will highlight key aspects of a robust community engagement program beyond focus groups. We will review the community engagement spectrum and discuss best practices for co-leadership with community transformations. 

Register Here

Virginia Volunteerism and Service Annual Conference - Presenter: Chris Bennett

Albert Einstein is quoted to have said "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” So how can we think differently about the challenges facing our organizations? Utilizing “design thinking” is one effective way to change our perspectives. Design thinking is about identifying and working within given constraints to arrive at innovative and generative solutions. In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore design thinking through a fun-filled gamified experience to address complex problems and social ills.  Participants will walk away with practical and actionable design tools that can be applied with teams to solve problems in their context.

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Virginia Volunteerism and Service Annual Conference - Presenter: Sarah Milston

Boards can be useful, harmful, or dead weight. Learn some tips to manage the board for the best impact for your organization.

Instructor: Sarah Milston 

Advanced Social Media Tactics is designed for professionals who know how to use the most popular tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and are looking to increase engagement and develop a deeper understanding of social media.  The class will focus on areas including emerging trends and tools, strategic use of social media, and more!

Presented at Burn Both Ends

Presenter: Sarah Milston

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Probono requests are inevitable for businesses. So why not create a thoughtful program that works for both you and the nonprofit. Learn pitfalls and mistakes as we talk through the highs and lows of our own program.

Mariah Williams will be presenting the talk, "A City for Her: Exploring How Women and Girls Shape the Urban Environment" as part of the Women's Empowerment Summit hosted by the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.  

The conference is taking place from 12-9pm tomorrow.  A few of the other presentations include: Powerful Women in Business, Being Gray in a Black and White World, What Does Respect for Women Mean in Pakistan?, and Practical Advice for Thriving in Careers Underrepresented by Women.

Empathy for Those in Poverty

PRIVATE CLASS

Sarah Milston will present as part of a 10 session series focusing on basic concepts of health equity, diversity, inclusion, and socioeconomic determinants of health and how they may impact healthcare delivery, access, and utilization.

This is a private class designed for pre-professional graduate students in healthcare including Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Allied Health and Dentistry. 

Course presented by the Academy of Nonprofit Excellence, Norfolk, VA

Come learn about the role strategic planning plays in a nonprofit organization and why it is essential to your future. Review some best practices about the role of board, staff, and your stakeholders and how best to engage them. Participants will review the trifecta of strategic planning magic - the gathering of data, group processing and dreaming and landing a plan with solid implementation tools. 

Crash Course in Nonprofit Strategic Planning. Come learn about:

1) The role strategic planning plays in a nonprofit organization and why it is important.
2) The how to's - who leads and manages the process, who should be involved and how to engage them.
3) Tips on implementation of the strategic plan.

Please join Linden Legal Strategies for our first Lunch & Learn of 2018 as we welcome Sarah Milston of the Spark Mill, a Richmond based consultancy that helps businesses make change happen. Sarah will be leading a discussion on strategic planning, offering insight and guidance for businesses of all sizes.

Register here

Presented by: Academy of Nonprofit Excellence

Two online classes presented; 9:30-12 and 1:00-3:30

Instructor: Sarah Milston

Creating marketing materials is part of an organization’s effective giving day strategy. Participants will review brand strategy, audience definition, and cover the basics of marketing – including email and direct mail. Participants will leave the session with an idea of their intended audience and the basics to start a marketing plan. They will learn tips, tools, and tricks to edit their own images and videos, along with the basics of social media. Match fundraising will also be discussed as a marketing tool.

Presented by NetworkPeninsula in partnership with the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation

Instructor: Sarah Milston

Does your organization do a good job of telling the story of your work?  Stories people will remember? Stories that drive people to action? Sarah will explain why telling good stories is vital, identify what makes a story "good," and how all of it relates to relationship building with clients, partners, and donors. You will also learn some tips and tools for crafting your own stories.

Presented by The Community Foundation of the New River Valley

Instructor: Sarah Milston

This workshop will cover insights on improving your organization's storytelling, how to capitalize on social media and storytelling for effective marketing, and Give Day strategies.  Sarah will cover trends, tools, measurements, and strategy.   

 

Presented by the College Communicators Association

Presenter - Sarah Milston

As part of the biannual CCA conference, Sarah will discuss tools and tactics for using social media to fundraise and friendraise, particularly as they apply to higher education foundations.  Here's a tip: if you think the tools and tactics for fundraising and friendraising are the same, you should come to this class. 

Presented by The City of Staunton

Instructor: Sarah Milston

This class is designed to give participants a deeper understanding of social media and how to use popular tools, to understand how to apply social media to their work, understand return on investment and risks of social media tools.

It will also cover:

• Emerging Trends and Tools. This will cover what is on the horizon, the latest news and laws around social media, and the best new apps and tools.

• Strategy. Using research, we will focus on creating great content and timing it for the greatest impact.

Presented by The Community Foundation

Click here to register

Instructor: Sarah Milston

Everything you need to know you learned in kindergarten—except the ins and outs of running a nonprofit. We will cover the core aspects of nonprofit management, including board development, fundraising, vision and strategy, and marketing. This is designed as a pragmatic course with plenty of on-the-ground practical application.

• We will review how to work with a board, including management, meetings, expectations, and recruitment.

• We will learn the nuts and bolts of setting up a fundraising office and raising money.
• We will briefly cover strategic planning and its role in nonprofit organizations.
• Finally, we will learn the basics of marketing and its importance to an organization’s survival.

This course is designed for staff and board members who are new to nonprofits, founders who are launching their first nonprofit, career transitioners, and anyone else who wants to develop their foundation in nonprofit management principles to help their organization thrive.

Hosted and Presented by: Academy for Nonprofit Excellence

REGISTER HERE

Instructor: Sarah Milston

Social Media Strategies is designed for professionals who know how to use the most popular tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and are looking to increase their fan engagement. The class focuses on three major areas:

• Emerging Trends and Tools. This will cover what is on the horizon, the latest news and laws around social media, and the best new apps and tools.
• Strategy. Using research, we will focus on creating great content and timing it for the greatest impact.
• Measurement. Using information from Beth Kanter's book Measuring the Networked Nonprofit, we will dive into measurement techniques.

Presented by The Community Foundation 

Click here to register. 

Instructor: Sarah Milston

Social Media Strategies is designed for professionals who know how to use the most popular tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and are looking to increase their fan engagement. The class focuses on three major areas:

1. Emerging Trends and Tools. This will cover what is on the horizon, the latest news and laws around social media, and the best new apps and tools.

2. Strategy. Using research, we will focus on creating great content and timing it for the greatest impact.

3. Measurement. Using information from Beth Kanter's book Measuring the Networked Nonprofit, we will dive into measurement techniques.

In addition, throughout the one-day class we will take breaks to workshop problems submitted prior to the class.

PRIVATE CLASS

Instructor: Sarah Milston

Social Media Strategies is designed for professionals who know how to use the most popular tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and are looking to increase their fan engagement. The class focuses on three major areas:

• Emerging Trends and Tools. This will cover what is on the horizon, the latest news and laws around social media, and the best new apps and tools.
• Strategy. Using research, we will focus on creating great content and timing it for the greatest impact.
• Measurement. Using information from Beth Kanter's book Measuring the Networked Nonprofit, we will dive into measurement techniques.

Presented by: The Virginia Housing Alliance and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

Presenter: Lindsey O-Pries

The Virginia Housing Alliance and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services are pleased to present the 2017 Housing Virginia's Most Vulnerable Conference, which will be held on August 16-17 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Midlothian. Lindsey will be speaking on philanthropy and giving models. 

Click here to register.

Presented by The Community Foundation

Click here to register. 

Instructor: Sarah Milston

So you don't have money to hire a graphic designer and you don’t even know what a style sheet is or how to get started.  This course is designed for nonprofits who need to make the most out of donated services and with little to no budget for marketing.

• We will review brand strategy and audience definition and cover the basics of marketing.
• We will learn tips, tools, and tricks to edit our own images and videos.
• We will review the basics of social media as a marketing tool.
• Everyone will leave class with a clear idea of their intended audience and a marketing strategy and plan.

This class is designed for people who have marketing in their "other duties as assigned" job description, development professionals, and any other professional looking to beef up their skills.

Presented By Fredericksburg Area Fundraising Executives

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Presenter: Sarah Milston

How effective is your online presence and strategy? Come and learn as Sarah Milston, talks about the impact of online giving and generational giving patterns, and see case studies of successful online campaigns. 

Virginia Service: Virginia Volunteerism Conference

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Presenter: Chris Bennett

This workshop explores the concept that some organizational challenges are not problems to solve but tensions to manage. A combination of small-group work and interactive conversation will give participants tools to manage organizational challenges to find win-win solutions. (Polarity management)

Virginia Service: Virginia Volunteerism Conference

Register here. 

Presenter: Sarah Milston 

Come learn about the role strategic planning plays in a nonprofit organization and why it is essential to your future. Review some best practices about the role of board, staff, and your stakeholders and how best to engage them. Participants will review the trifecta of strategic planning magic - the gathering of data, group processing and dreaming and landing a plan with solid implementation tools. 

Virginia Service: Virginia Volunteerism Conference

Register here. 

Presenter: Sarah Milston 

Using Creative and Fun Facilitation tactics to engage your community through focus groups, charrettes, and listening sessions.