Your Nonprofit Communications Calendar | The Basics & More!

You’ve created your fundraising plan for 2014, but do you have a plan for communicating with your supporters? 

How will you go beyond two appeals and a newsletter this year, to actually producing the content you need to ensure that you’re keeping your supporters front and center? 

When you’re working with a tight budget and limited staffing, how do you communicate regularly across all channels?

Communicate more and you’ll raise more money.  It’s as simple as that.  Or is it? 

Here’s the rub:  when it comes to donor communications, you need to communicate both frequently and well.  Communicating well involves switching from corporate speak to donor speak.  And communicating often involves scheduling, making a plan, and implementing.

Haphazard communications simply don’t work.  You need a system to ensure that you’re ‘touching’ your supporters a minimum of 12 times a year.  Easier said than done, especially when your days are consumed with putting out fires.

I had great success with the last course I took with you. My first EOY appeal campaign (sent mid December, a 4 page letter and lots of “yous”:) came in 38% higher than the previous year so far! And envelopes are still coming in. Very exciting.
Margo Reveil
Cook Inletkeeper

How do you create a plan to communicate consistently and well with your donors and supporters throughout the year…and follow through and actually do it? 

Your Nonprofit Communications Calendar | The Basics & More is a four-week eCourse designed to leave you with a strategic plan for communicating better and more frequently with the donors whose support makes your work possible.

“Breaking down the process into segments takes away the ‘overwhelm factor’ of a workshop or a webinar and guides you incrementally into achieving what you thought was impossible! You provided valuable insight into all angles of how to write a meaningful piece to insight reaction from donors. Great work!”

Class Participant, Direct Mail Fundraising | The Basics & More!

The Class Modules: Your Nonprofit Communications Calendar | The Basics & More!

Here are the weekly course modules you’ll be receiving:

Week One (Tuesday, February 4):            Guide:  The Who is More Important Than the What

Your audience is not “everyone.”  Module One will give you a plan for:

• knowing which donors are ready for upgrades,
• reactivating lapsed donors
• welcoming new donors
• converting event attendees into donors
• bringing in new donors

Week Two (Tuesday, February 11):            Guide:  But Direct Mail  is Dead, Isn’t It?

Direct mail remains one of the most cost-effective communication channels you can master.  In Week Two, you’ll learn:

• the difference between reporting…and engaging your donors through the use of effective storytelling.
• how to develop a realistic donor newsletter schedule
• staggering asks throughout the year
• the importance of engaging your board, staff, donors and volunteers in storytelling

Week Three (Tuesday, February 18):              Guide:  Email & Social Media:  Show Me the Story!

• Photography for social media
• Creating your email welcome series
• Email asks and email communications

Week Four (Tuesday, February 25):            Guide:  Creating a Calendar and Executing!

Execution is the hard part, isn’t it?  In Week Three, you’ll learn how to integrate all of your donor communications into one easily manageable calendar and simple methods of keeping you on track throughout the year.

“I loved being able to control my time better, so that I could keep up with the materials as they came.”

What is an eCourse?

The Basics & More eCourses are affordable fundraising trainings delivered over the course of three to six weeks. Rather than being overwhelmed with too much material delivered in a conference setting, workshop or webinar, the Basics & More courses have been created to guide you, step-by-step toward achieving your goals, while working at your own pace. These are multi-media work-at-your-own-pace trainings, delivered via email and often including recorded webinars from the top trainers in the business, as well as podcasts, worksheets, guides, a discussion group and bonuses. In instances where it makes a difference, you’re encouraged to enroll your entire team — volunteers, staff, board — to maximize your results.

We have really loved being a part of your program and learned a ton!! Please know you are a big part of our development team here at the Intervale Center, and we not just achieved but exceeded our community fundraising goals by $24,000 in 2013 thanks for great advice and support from Simple Development Systems!!

Mandy Fischer, Development Manager, Intervale Center

Your Trainers

Your Nonprofit Communications Calendar | The Basics & More is being presented by Pamela Grow and Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE.

Pamela is the founder of Simple Development Systems |, and has spent the past 15 years helping nonprofit organizations create donor-centered development departments.  She is the author of Five Days to Foundation Grants, and Simple Development Systems: Successful Fundraising for the One-Person Shop.

Linda Lysakowski is one of fewer than 100 professionals worldwide to hold the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive designation. In her twenty years as a philanthropic consultant, Linda has managed capital campaigns, helped hundreds of nonprofit organizations achieve their development goals, and trained more than 25,000 development professionals in Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Bermuda, and most of  the 50 United States.

“I found the substance as well as the form of presentation very compelling.  I intend to recommend it to some of my clients who desperately need annual fund enhancement.  Also, I will use it with my graduate students at Brandeis University where I teach fundraising management—and have for the past 22 years.”

David A. Mersky, Mersky, Jaffe & Associates (Monthly Giving | The Basics & More!)

Have Your Whole Team Participate!

If you have a team of people working with your non-profit and you’d like them all to participate in this workshop, there is no extra charge for additional team members.  You can have your entire development team, board of directors, or staff have access to the materials, webinars and calls, all for one course registration fee.  After registering for Your Nonprofit Communications Calendar | The Basics & More, email my assistant with the First and Last name of each registrant, along with their email address.

Direct Access to the Trainers

During this four-week course, each participant will have direct access to both Pamela and Linda.   Send in your questions about what you are learning and how it applies to your own non-profit and we’ll respond with customized advice and counsel.

We just registered for the eCourse – Your Fundraising Plan & Case for Support. Thank you for sharing this amazing opportunity at so reasonable a cost for tiny nonprofits like ours.

Heidi Jones

Our Guarantee to You

If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with the content of this course, you can stop taking it at any time and receive a full, 100%, no questions asked refund.  That’s our guarantee to you.

Registration Closes on Friday, January 31st at midnight EST

I had great success with the last course I took with you. My first EOY appeal campaign (sent mid December, a 4 page letter and lots of “yous”:) came in 38% higher than the previous year so far! And envelopes are still coming in. Very exciting.

Margo Reveil, Cook Inletkeeper

Your Investment in Your Nonprofit Communications Calendar | The Basics & More

A full-day in-person seminar on non-profit prospecting can cost anywhere from $250-$500 (not including travel expenses), and yet not offer anywhere near the amount or quality of materials that are included with this course…

The total investment for this course, including the sample materials and templates, written guides, and podcast is just $67.