Level 3 of 5

Fundraising & Financial Sustainability

Master the art and science of sustainable fundraising. Build lasting donor relationships, master the grant lifecycle, diversify revenue, and create financial resilience for your mission.

7 chapters
44 lectures

3.1 Donor Retention & Relationships

6 lectures ▼
3.1.1The First-to-Second Gift Problem: Why 86% of New Donors Never Come Back
3.1.2The Donor Retention Playbook: From 14% to 50% in 12 Months
3.1.3Relationship-First Fundraising: Moving Beyond Transactional Ask-Give Cycles
3.1.4The Thank-You Economy for Nonprofits: Recognition That Matters
3.1.5Lapsed Donor Re-engagement: The 6 Campaigns That Work
3.1.6Monthly Giving Programs: Building Recurring Revenue That Grows

3.2 Fundraising Innovation

7 lectures ▼
3.2.1Non-Cash Asset Fundraising: Stock, Crypto, DAFs, and Planned Giving
3.2.2Peer-to-Peer Fundraising in 2026: What's Changed and What Works
3.2.3Virtual Fundraising Events That Raise Real Money
3.2.4The Small Nonprofit Fundraising Stack: Raising More with Less
3.2.5Corporate Partnership Models Beyond Sponsorship
3.2.6Crowdfunding for Nonprofits: Platform Comparison and Campaign Design
3.2.7Fundraising for Clubs: Beyond Bake Sales

3.3 Donor Pipeline & Major Gifts

6 lectures ▼
3.3.1Major Gift Fundraising: Identification, Cultivation, Solicitation, Stewardship
3.3.2Mid-Level Donor Strategy: The Overlooked $100–$999 Segment
3.3.3The Planned Giving Starter Kit: Bequests, Trusts, and Legacy Programs
3.3.4Donor-Advised Funds: How to Market to and Steward DAF Donors
3.3.5Capital Campaign Planning: From Feasibility Study to Ribbon Cutting
3.3.6The Volunteer-to-Donor Pipeline: Converting Service into Sustained Support

3.4 Campaign Execution

3 lectures ▼
3.4.1Giving Tuesday Strategy: A 6-Week Campaign Plan
3.4.2Year-End Fundraising: The December Campaign That Maximizes Revenue
3.4.3Text-to-Give and QR Code Fundraising: Setup and Campaign Design

3.5 Grant Strategy & Management

10 lectures ▼
3.5.1The Grant Lifecycle: From Discovery to Closeout
3.5.2Building a Grant Pipeline: The Portfolio Approach
3.5.3Funder Research for Small Nonprofits: Free and Low-Cost Methods
3.5.4The Letter of Inquiry (LOI): Templates and Best Practices
3.5.5Budget Narratives for Grant Proposals: What Funders Want to See
3.5.6Outcome-Focused Grant Writing: What Funders Want in 2026
3.5.7Grant Reporting Best Practices: Building Trust Through Transparency
3.5.8The Grant Compliance Toolkit: Monitoring, Reporting, and Closeout
3.5.9When to Say No to a Grant: The Opportunity Cost Framework
3.5.10Grant Strategy for Small Nonprofits: Building a Sustainable Portfolio

3.6 Funder Relations & Advanced Grants

5 lectures ▼
3.6.1Building Funder Relationships Beyond the Ask
3.6.2Collaborative Grant Applications: Winning Coalition Proposals
3.6.3Multi-Year Grants: How to Apply, Manage, and Report
3.6.4Government Grants: Federal, State, and Local Opportunities
3.6.5AI-Assisted Grant Research: Finding Opportunities Without $200/Month Tools

3.7 Financial Sustainability

5 lectures ▼
3.7.1Revenue Diversification for Nonprofits: The 5-Source Model
3.7.2Earned Revenue Models: From Fee-for-Service to Social Enterprise
3.7.3Cash Flow Management: Surviving Uneven Revenue Cycles
3.7.4Building an Operating Reserve: How Much, How Fast, Where to Keep It
3.7.5Endowment Building for Nonprofits: When, Why, and How to Start

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