Fundraising & Sustainability Project

Sixteen Charles County Nonprofit organizations won scholarships to participate in the Fundraising & Sustainability Project. The goal of the Project is to assist nonprofits in the development of individualized annual fundraising plans that integrate fundraising, marketing, and communications to increase overall financial support and assure sustainability. In partnership with Charles County Public Library and Maryland Nonprofits seminars, workshops and coaching sessions was held from March through June 2019 with the cohort of 24 individuals participating in the project. The Project was designed to meet the pressing need for nonprofits to diversify their funding base. In the 2017 Nonprofit Economic & Social Impact Study that was conducted in partnership with Maryland Nonprofits, 75% of nonprofit survey respondents indicated that their top challenge was diversifying their funding base.

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS:
Bay Community Support Services, Inc 
Center For Children 
Charles County Fair, Inc. 
Community Support Systems, Inc. 
Forever Free Books 
Health Partners Inc. 
Humane Society of Charles County (The)
Life Journeys Writers Guild, Inc. 
New Horizons Supported Services, Inc. 
Our Place Waldorf, Inc 
Promise Resource Center (The)
Pure Play Every Day, Inc. 
Rebuilding Together Charles County 
Sagepoint Senior Services Foundation 
Seeds of Courage Inc 
Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living (SMCIL)was

Eligibility:

To be eligible nonprofit organizations must have IRS recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and operate in Charles County for the benefit of Charles County residents.

Important Dates:

Application Deadline: February 8, 2019
Notification of Status of Scholarship Application: February 18, 2019

Registration Cost:

While scholarships will be provided to cover the cost of instructors and coaches, each organization must pay a nominal registration fee to cover the cost of refreshments and meals.
Up to two individuals from each organization may participate in the Project with the following registration costs:

$50

First Participant

$25

Second Participant

Dates of Sessions:

In partnership with Charles County Public Library and Maryland Nonprofits, the sessions will be held at Waldorf West Library during the months of March, April, May and June 2019. They will consist of three days of seminars, an additional day of workshops on grant prospecting and grant writing, along with coaching in between sessions.  Up to 18 nonprofit organizations will be selected to participate among those who send in an application. Participants who receive scholarships must attend each of the sessions and participate fully in the Project.

Session Dates/Times:

Fundraising & Sustainability #1: March 14, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Fundraising & Sustainability #2: April 23, 2019,, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Fundraising & Sustainability #3: May 23, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Grant Prospecting & Grant Writing: June 20, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Program Elements:

  • Three (3) three-hour in-person seminars, one seminar per month focused on developing a fundraising plan for your organization conducted by Maryland Nonprofits
  • A workshop on grant prospecting and using the Foundation Center’s database, conducted by Waldorf Library West
  • A workshop on grantwriting conducted by Maryland Nonprofits
  • Three (3) post-seminar conference calls/webinars with the instructor. There will be three (3) for newer and three (3) for more experienced organizations.
  • Monthly outside assignments to develop greater understanding of how fundraising strategies impact your organizations and assure clarity in developing annual fundraising plans
  • Closed online community of learning for all participants to ask questions, get support, and interact as a cohort between seminars, workshops and calls. Instructors will monitor and engage with participants daily.

Overall Outcomes

At the end of this project, individuals will have gained:

  • A well-rounded understanding of the components of an effective fundraising program and use of that understanding to evaluate their organizations’ current fundraising efforts
  • A command of best practices in fundraising, marketing, and stewardship of gifts and ways to apply these practices
  • Preparation of a written annual fundraising plan integrating best practices and identifying specific goals, objectives and strategies
  • Preparation of grant proposals and the skills and resources to conduct targeted grant prospects research.

Questions? Contact Susan Petroff at spetroff@charlesnonprofits.org