Fundraising Academy for Communities of Color

“When I was in the academy I was a new ED who needed more knowledge and skills to raise money for the Bayview YMCA. Over the last 4 years, we grew the budget from 500k to 5 million. I know that the tools, practice and confidence building I acquired from the Fundraising Academy for Communities of Color helped to make this happen”.
-Gina Fromer, Executive Director
Bayview Hunters Point YMCA

Applications for the Central Valley Cohort are currently closed.

Questions?

If you have questions about the program, please contact Steve Lew, Senior Project Director.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY

This skills building program for people of color led nonprofits focuses upon donor development within a multicultural learning setting. Offered by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT), the academy includes dynamic training, one on one coaching and peer learning so that executive directors, development staff and board members can create new fundraising practices within their organization and better results in drawing community support. The academy has helped over 90 people of color led nonprofits in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area to raise the funds they need in a more sustainable way, through diversifying sources and building strong relationships with community donors. Through the generous support of the Community Leadership Project, the California Community Foundation, the California Endowment and the James Irvine Foundation, a majority of the costs are subsidized in order to make the academy financially accessible to community nonprofits.

Hear what past participants in the Fundraising Academy have to say about their experience.

Using the framework of grassroots fundraising developed by GIFT and the Grassroots Fundraising Journal, and the solid experience of CompassPoint and GIFT trainers and coaches, the academy not only strengthens donor development skills, but addresses the organizational systems and leadership culture needed to sustain good fund development and mission based work. The academy is designed for nonprofits based within communities of color, offering relevant materials and examples in a multicultural setting for learning. Participants cite the academy as a unique resource that changes their attitudes and beliefs of fundraising, and transforms their group’s approach to developing new donors. Through four learning cohorts, over 75 organizations have graduated from this highly intensive training and coaching program.

PROVEN TRACK RECORD

A 2007 survey of graduates of the academy reported consistent increases in the number of individual donors and gifts acquired after the first and second fiscal year of attending the academy.

• 80% of participants surveyed reported higher levels of money raised from individuals and increases in the number of individual donors than in previous years.
• 85% of participants reported that their fund development efforts have improved as a result of their participation in the FACC.
• 50% reported that the FACC had a high impact on their overall fundraising, and 50% reported a moderate impact upon their overall fundraising.

I see the importance of creating our own financial base of support within our community. Through the trainings and the little bit of time that I have given to developing this base, it is clear to me that the community wants to support our organization financially. Overall, the fundraising culture & attitude within our organization has changed. I think staff is more open & willing to fundraise.

- Participant evaluation

What are the benefits of participating in the Fundraising Academy for Communities of Color?
Through eight months of training and coaching (1 day each month) academy participants learn practical skills of developing individual donors, build their organizational strategies to raise contributed income, and develop their own leadership approach to fundraising within their organization. In a peer learning environment that supports multicultural learning in this area, participants share their ongoing work and benefit from hearing how other groups are developing donors in different cultural settings. Participants are invited to stay connected to a larger alumnus of former participants and academy staff, to support ongoing learning. Participating organizations also receive a comprehensive binder, textbooks from CompassPoint and a 12 month subscription to the Grassroots Fundraising Journal.

The Academy faculty and fundraising coaches are seasoned fundraising professionals from diverse backgrounds, who have successfully raised money in communities of color. Through expert sessions, donor panels, case studies and problem solving, we continue to build knowledge on the practices of philanthropy and fund development within distinct cultures, and how these practices evolve.

Past Participant Reviews:

You guys did it right with the Academy. It proved to be informative and inspiring to me, and other staff and board members that I brought from Mayfair. It was hard and it certainly complicated my already over complicated life but it was worth it. You really did something substantial to build new skills within our agency and our community.
- Jaime Alvarado, Executive Director
Somos Mayfair

My coach helped me with the preparation and confidence I needed to secure a large state grant to complete the purchase of our property. Five months after the academy, I am still digesting the information and practicing new skills, especially in introducing prospective donors to the organization.
- Shyaam Shabaka, Executive Director
Eco-Village Learning Farm

Through the Fundraising Academy, we learned new techniques that have increased our response rate to CPEHN direct mail campaigns, ideas on how to broaden our donor base, and skills to effectively implement a comprehensive fundraising plan. The individual coaching helped me act on my own fundraising work to lead the board and staff. The most exciting aspect was seeing how building a donor base is helping CPEHN to build a broader base of support for our mission and policy work.
- Ellen Wu, Executive Director
California Pan Ethnic Health Network

Thanks to the Fundraising Academy, we have received $120,000 already from our annual fund letter. We are also setting up house gatherings hosted by respected leaders in the community. Thank you for your excellent training and encouragement and excellent resources.
- Wes Mukoyama, Executive Director
Yu-Ai Kai Senior Services

BUILDING KNOWLEDGE ON THE FUNDRAISING APPROACHES OF NONPROFITS BASED IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
In September 2008, the academy conducted a study of nonprofits based in communities of color in Los Angeles to learn about their approaches to income generation, their staffing strategies, successes and challenges. This report underscored the value of ongoing training for staff and board members that is multicultural and models multicultural fundraising leadership. For more information on the academy, contact Steve Lew or Byron Johnson at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services.