Since 2002, The San Diego Foundation has supported development and fundraising training for local nonprofit leaders, most recently, in partnership with the Fundraising Academy at the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University.
In May, the first class of students graduated from the Academy. These students, with backgrounds spanning from staff and board members to volunteers, learned essential fundraising tools that will help improve the success of their respective nonprofit organizations.
The Fundraising Academy is a certificate program providing more than 80 hours of specialized training to students advancing their applied knowledge of nonprofit fundraising principles.
The program is designed to enhance fundraising skills for individuals, groups and organizations. Specifically, students increase their capacity to strategically identify opportunities for funding, execute cause-selling techniques, develop major gifts and organize planned giving.
The Fundraising Academy teaches how to:
The San Diego Foundation provides a grant to the Fundraising Academy that underwrites a substantial amount of the participation cost for San Diego nonprofit professionals and volunteers that have a current fundraising role.
The program, valued at several thousand dollars, costs only $650 per student.
Currently, The Foundation has committed support for two more years of underwriting, and we encourage staff and board members of nonprofit organizations to take advantage of the subsidized cost of the program.
With more than 10,000 nonprofits in San Diego County, it is critical to perfect your organization’s most powerful stories and diversify your giving opportunities to meet donor needs. The Fundraising Academy provides an excellent opportunity to think through key strategies and develop collaborative relationships with other nonprofit organizations.
If you could share one fundraising tip with other nonprofit professionals, what would it be? Let us know in the comments!
On August 9, 2022, we awarded $838,704 in Opening the Outdoors grants to 24 nonprofit organizations that offer equitable access to outdoor spaces in San Diego County.
“San Diego Foundation is proud to once again support its partners committed to increasing community-driven efforts to enhance accessible outdoor space, encourage youth to learn more through hands-on education and create the next generation of environmental stewards in the San Diego region,” said Christiana DeBenedict, SDF Director of Environment Initiatives.
This year’s grantees will help address these inequities and enhance access to the outdoors throughout San Diego County.
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