Seminars Overview

NEW SEMINARS FOR 2014 WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR
REGISTRATION IN OCTOBER 2013

The Institute is considered one of the most effective Training Centers in the country. 10,000 who have attended can attest to its value. Many call the seminars “a life changing experience. Choose one or more of the exceptional seminars below.

The Art of Asking
The future belongs to the organization that has a strong, vital major gifts program. Never has the need been greater for an effective approach to asking and winning. The major gifts will come to the fundraisers and institutions that understand the factors and values that influence donors. You’ll discover the anatomy of a major gift and understand how to market these gifts properly. From prospecting to closure to stewardship, this Seminar embodies it all.

Chicago, IL -
Costa Mesa, CA -

Designing A Successful Capital Campaign
This program is especially beneficial to those contemplating a $1 million to $100 million capital campaign. It is led by some of the nation’s premier campaign managers and trainers. You will capture a comprehensive view of the art and science of capital campaign fundraising. If you’re planning a campaign any time in the future, or are involved in one now, this Seminar is for you.

Chicago, IL -

Seize the Opportunity- Cultivating & Soliciting the Major Gift
In tough economic times, it’s even more important than ever to secure major gifts for your institution. This Seminar provides a fail-safe roadmap to getting the greatest gift possible, in the shortest amount of time, to the great joy of the donor. The major gifts come to the fundraisers and institutions that understand the factors and values that influence donors. Donors give to organizations they trust and have confidence in. This Seminar teaches you to make them believers.

Chicago, IL -
Costa Mesa, CA -

Advanced & DonorCentric Seize the Opportunity- Major & Planned Gifts

This Seminar is for those who are in one stage or another in a Moves Management program in their office… and for those who have taken the Seize the Opportunity Seminar in the past.  We have developed a new matrix for determining the capacity of a Moves staff person.  You will be able to measure effectiveness and monitor and measure progress.  You will be able to determine realistic objectives and evaluate whether a staff person is carrying the proper load.

A small amount of time will be spent as a refresher.  But most of the time will be filled with new material — helpful information that will make your program more successful and successful.

Chicago, IL -

The Power of Leadership
This Seminar is for all who lead a staff — an opportunity to mold your group into a creative, effective, and spirited team that will reach its highest aspirations.  You will learn the critical differences between managing and leadership. How a leader must adapt to change, the willingness to abandon power and control and inspire others to willingly and fully participate.

Chicago, IL -

Three Distinct Activities During Our Seminar

There are three distinct activities that set the Institute apart from any other coaching experience. The first is what we call ParkBenching.  Mark Twain once wrote that the most profound learning experience a person can have is to have a great teacher on one end of a log and a student on the other. Well, we do that, but we skip the log !

In ParkBenching, every registrant at the Institute has the opportunity for a one-on-one conference with a faculty member. The session is open-ended, with no prohibition on the topic.

How to advance in the profession, how to deal with a Chair that's not effective, having a problem with the boss, looking for a new job. You name it— whatever needs to be discussed.

Second is the Buzz Group. It is a small team of six registrants with a faculty member, discussing a topic of significance to their work.  There are always two Buzz Groups at a Seminar— and most often four.

These small groups offer an opportunity, under a faculty member's leadership, to explore in depth an important topic. Peel back the layers and get to the very nub of an issue.  

The 360 Rap is the third.  360 Rap provides an extraordinary opportunity for registrants to analyze a faculty presentation.  Here's how it works.

The faculty member presents a topic. At the tables, following the presentation, in groups of six, registrants examine the material.  Turn it inside-out.  Review it again. Challenge. Explore. Analyze.  Most important, they talk about the take-aways they can put the lesson immediately to use back home.

Attending a Seminar is an extraordinary experience. Many say the most effective and exciting coaching experience they have ever had.  These three special activities, added to one of the most outstanding faculties available, provide a remarkable opportunity to learn, explore, and practice.

Here Are Some Things You Will Take Home From a 2013 Institute Seminar

A Registered Certificate of Seminar participation and completion.

PLUS
A valuable resource cd, with more than two hundred presentation outlines, checklists, relevant reprints, and a host of fundraising tools to put to immediate use upon your return.

PLUS
Regular mailings in the future from the Institute regarding new ideas in fundraising, pertinent new techniques, and innovative approaches to getting the gift.

PLUS
A group of men and women— fellow alumni— who you will be networking with and in regular contact.

Scholarship Application
A limited number of partial scholarships are available. The Review Board of the Institute will be particularly encouraging to relatively new organizations, those that serve primarily a minority constituency, or those especially affected by cutbacks in government funding.  Application.pdf

Registration Fees for Attendees
Fee for each Seminar is $735.00 (US)

Download Form>>  for checks, POs and credit card to mail or fax. (PDF 188k)

FREE Tuition for CEOs and Supervisors
A Special Bonus— There is something quite extraordinary that happens when a CEO or supervisor joins a staff member for a Seminar experience. We are so committed to this important concept that we offer Free Tuition for the CEO or supervisor. There is only a $345.00 fee to cover materials and breaks. You can count on an incredible adventure and a productive journey for the institution. That’s a promise.

Discount Fees for Attendees
We offer quantity discounts for groups of 4 or more from the same organization. All registrations must be made at the same time in order to receive the discount.

Cancellation Policy
Should you be unable to attend after payment is received, a substitute participant may attend or you may request a credit toward a future Seminar. Refunds can be made for cancellations received 4 weeks prior to each Seminar. Cancellations made less than 30 days prior to each seminar will be charged a cancellation fee of $225.00.