Past Events

Spend time with Stefanie Ahrens, Director of Corporate Engagement at Children's Wisconsin and Ann Stadler, Chief Marketing Officer at the University Wisconsin -Whitewater, as they share the ins and outs of producing winning sponsorships for your next event or program.  With more than 45 years of experience in developing, securing and funding sponsorships, these two will share the dos and don'ts of successful sponsorship.

Many organizations have strong programs and initiatives. The challenge most organizations face is demonstrating the value to their programs as well as their impact. This session will walk every organization through the 4 key steps every organization should take to start capturing and sharing the impact of their organization.

Ready to kickstart your fundraising efforts and/or career in 2023? Join us for these roundtable table discussions led by industry professionals to help you move forward in the new year.

The Wisconsin Philanthropy Network (WPN) is a professional membership association for Grantmakers from across the state.  Wisconsin’s premier resource in philanthropy committed to promoting effective philanthropy by providing networking opportunities, professional development, and customized research opportunities. Serving over 650 philanthropic professions representing 120 organizations the WPN mission is to support and promote effective…

Wherever you’re at with your CFRE journey, join us to learn more about what the CFRE signifies, why it matters to your work, and what you can do to achieve this honor.

This presentation will explore ways for your nonprofit to document complex gifts through gift agreements. Topics to be discussed include the basic elements of any gift agreement, planned gift agreements, agreements concerning naming recognition, and gift agreements for the donation of real and tangible property.

Join us at this session to learn how to best plan for your year-end appeal. First, Jayne Pfeifer with Thysse will give a ‘state of’ direct mail including considerations such as supply shortages and timelines, suggestions to save costs due to price increases overall, and postal promos and changes. Then Taylor Schult, Managing Director of Annual Giving and Advancement Services at Marquette University, will give an overview of MU’s year-end…

 Join our local discussion on the data and trends from Giving USA 2021: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2021 which was released as a national webinar on June 21.  National Webinar Viewing not required for local session participation.

A monthly giving program can give your nonprofit a reliable income stream from dedicated donors. Do you want to start up a monthly giving program or have you already tried and it just hasn’t gone anywhere? Join us for a panel discussion where panelists share the details on their program – best practices, what does/doesn’t work, what resources they use, and how they ‘sell’ the program to their donors. There will be opportunities for questions, so…

Campbell & Company is hosting Giving USA 2022: A Virtual Forum on Philanthropy, an online conversation that focuses on the nonprofit sector's current environment.

Logic Models are tools to help you explain complex systems in simplified terms. They are visual representations of the relationships between resources, activities and outcomes. Sound interesting? Helpful? Fun? (Not that grant proposals need to be more fun...!)   

Development plans – ugh, am I right? The prospect is daunting and who has the time? Join us for Tamara Pacada’s “Demystifying the Development Plan” to discuss the value of having a plan to help you focus your work and increase gift revenue success. Besides, it could save your job as you complete the tasks that you and your superiors (staff, board) agreed to whether or not the hoped-for outcome was accomplished. Tamara will provide a roadmap of…

David Malone, President of McDonald Schaefer and Kim Koch, Sr. Consultant will present on the topic of capital campaigns. Their fast-paced and insightful presentation will provide a well rounded understanding of capital campaigns.

The last two years have been unusual to say the least and have created an uncertain philanthropic environment. While many donors have risen to the challenge, while we may think we know our donors, do we really? How are they feeling about their giving plan for 2022? Join us for a panel discussion with three expert advisors to learn how they are advising their clients and what their clients are thinking.

 As the COVID-19 crisis continues to affect the nonprofit world, it’s necessary to revisit principles and best practices. Please join us Dec. 9 for roundtable sessions covering a myriad of topics in light of our current fundraising environment.  You will be able to choose from three sessions.

Many small non-profit organizations are led by well-intended, dedicated and thoughtful Boards of Directors. Those generous volunteer leaders also often have little experience with or knowledge of the practical realities faced by professional executive staff. In this session, led by a small shop veteran, we will discuss how to successfully navigate and manage a Board of Directors, including understanding the different types of Boards of Directors…

Professional development doesn’t end with a training session. As you continue to pursue new ideas and invest in your mission, join your colleagues for some chatter and beverages. We will join together in-person to relax, recharge, and celebrate the steps forward we have taken. 

As fundraisers everywhere grapple with how to incorporate, challenge and move forward with IDEA principles, we invite you to hear from two women on the forefront of this work. Liz LeClair is the current Chair for AFP Women’s Initiative and uses her platform and voice to call to action. Birgit Burton will be the first African American woman to serve as AFP Global’s Board Chair and is the founder of the AADO (African American Development Officers…

How we diversify our fundraising to welcome donors from every background. As fundraisers we talk about our internal culture of philanthropy and then we often talk about the culture of philanthropy that is present in our community. Join this discussion to hear from panelists who have philanthropic experiences from different regions and cultures of the world. They will share the similarities and differences to their cultures and give fundraisers…

Diversifying fundraising strategies helps us meet goals despite the most unexpected conditions. Planned giving has the power to transform organizations and sustain their success for years to come. In this session, dive into the nitty gritty and learn practical steps you can take (even if you are a one-person shop!) to overcome common misconceptions and build a planned giving program that appeals to a variety of donors of all age groups.

Topics covered include why it is so important to do holiday campaigns, when to do them and how to effectively use the last six weeks of the year for your nonprofits success. We will also discuss and learn about effective direct mail, online solicitations, and end of year solicitations during the November/December period.

With her infectious energy and diverse leadership experience, Terri shares everyday strategies to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and/or non-profit board. Participants will leave with the skills needed to lead and inspire a team of people who want to ignite change in their organizations or communities.

Join our local discussion on the data and trends from Giving USA 2021: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2020 which will be released as a national webinar on June 15.  National Webinar Viewing not required for local session participation

Campbell & Company is hosting Giving USA 2021: A Virtual Forum on Philanthropy, an online conversation that focuses on the nonprofit sector's current environment.

There is a big misconception that soliciting for a legacy gift is the same as asking for a major gift. Nothing could be further from the truth. While there are some similarities, the approach and lead up is completely different. This webinar will present the similarities and differences between a legacy and a major gift ask, what research tells us how donors make decisions and how you can harness all this information to craft a deeply personal…