• All nonprofit leaders, board members and nonprofit managers
• Development directors and marketing directors
• Team members with development responsibilities at nonprofit organizations

• Key takeaway 1: Learn best practices for your organization's fundraising processes
• Key takeaway 2: Identify and enhance your organization's donor portfolio, gather important insights about your stakeholders and manage current and potential donors
• Key takeaway 3: Enrich your donor experience at each stage of their philanthropic journey
• Key takeaway 4: Learn techniques to build authentic and lasting partnerships with donors

Planning for the Future: Donor Engagement Across Generations

• Understand the current philanthropic landscape to inform your long-term development strategy
• Identify what motivates donors from different generations and tailor your messaging, channels, and experiences to meet their evolving expectations
• Leverage both digital and in-person fundraising strategies to build inclusive, multi-generational engagement plans that build trust and long-term loyalty

Maximizing Your Development Efforts

• Gain a clear, strategic understanding of your organization's current fundraising landscape
• Engage donors more effectively through careful segmentation
• Apply moves management techniques to cultivate deep donor relationships
• Design and manage high-performing portfolios that align with your mission and capacity

Stakeholder Journey Mapping

• Uncover the marketing barriers that impact fundraising success, with a focus on how donor decision-making and engagement are shaped by choice, relevance, and trust.
• Discover the power of journey mapping—a proven tool for visualizing and understanding the stages of donor engagement, from initial awareness to long-term stewardship
• Explore the essential questions every fundraising leader must ask: Which outreach channels are most effective? What messages truly resonate with donors? When is the right moment to engage for maximum impact?
• Apply journey mapping to real-world fundraising efforts, designing targeted communications and engagement strategies that generate sustainable donor commitment

AI Leveraged Fundraising Pitches

• Understand how AI can be used to help develop and strengthen your pitch to prospective donors
• Implement AI-driven automation into your preparation for fundraising engagements

Engaging Your Board in Fundraising

• Inspire board members to become confident and authentic ambassadors for your mission
• Establish clear, actionable expectations for how board members contribute to fundraising success
• Provide the tools, training, and motivation board members need to engage donors effectively and meaningfully
• Drive a cultural shift in your board member’s mindset around fundraising

How to be a Magnetic, Trusted Partner to Your Donors

• Create a fantastic first impression that turns in a wonderful lasting impression
• Learn how to build trust & rapport with your donors
• Build and deliver your origin story to demonstrate humility, passion and credibility
• Lead reconnaissance conversations with donors to learn what each stakeholder is really looking for from a partnership with you and your organization

Michael Rice - Academic Director; Associate Director, Nonprofit Executive Programs

Matthew Groh - Donald P. Jacobs Scholar & Assistant Professor of Management & Operations

Allison Henry - Clinical Assistant Professor in Kellogg’s Social Impact Program, Director of the Golub Capital Board Fellows Program

Laura Kaufman - President, Partners in Effective Philanthropy

Lindsay Marciniak - Managing Director, CCS Fundraising, Chicago

Kevin McTigue - Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing

Andrew W. Sykes - Adjunct Lecturer of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Location

Nonprofit Management Programs are held at Northwestern University's Chicago Campus.

Wieboldt Hall
340 East Superior Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Directions

Chicago Campus Parking Map - Please Note: the Huron Superior Parking A lot and the Erie Ontario Parking C & D lots are available to the public and should be used when attending programs at Wieboldt Hall.

Application Deadline

The deadline for registration is 10:00 am one business day prior to the program start date.

Scholarship Assistance

Up to 50% scholarships are available for all of our nonprofit executive education programs for those working in nonprofit organizations. All scholarship requests are reviewed by our Registrar and any scholarships granted will be reflected in the amount charged to your credit card.

Payment Deadline

• If you request a scholarship, your credit card is submitted upon registration and will be charged once your request is approved (allow 1-2 business days for review).
• If you do not request a scholarship, your credit card will be charged upon application submission.

Hospitality during the Program

We strive to provide healthy meal choices for our participants for breakfast, lunch and breaks. We typically provide a range of choices, including some vegetarian-friendly and gluten-avoidant selections. We cannot meet all dietary preferences, but we will do our best to accommodate health restrictions, religious restrictions and food allergies.

Accommodations

Participants are responsible for booking their hotel accommodations during their stay in Chicago.

Download Nearby Hotels List

Cancellation Policy:

Participants must notify the Program Manager five business days in advance of the program start date if they are unable to attend. Otherwise, participants will be charged 20% of the stated program fees.

When canceling a program registration, participants may choose to rollover their payment to a future program or receive a refund. Participants are allowed two rollovers, after the second rollover, participants forfeit the money paid to the Center for Nonprofit Management.

*Refund or rollover must be requested at the time of the program cancellation. Once a program payment has been rolled over, a monetary refund is no longer an option. The participant must continue with the rollover process.

Northwestern University reserves the right to cancel a program at any time for any reason. In the unlikely event of a course cancellation, paid program fees will be refunded, but the university is not responsible for any travel or other related expenses accrued by the program registrant.