The "F" Word
Let’s talk about the F-word—fundraising. This session is for scrappy nonprofits that don’t have a development department—or even a development person—but still need to raise the big bucks.
The F-Word will drop the pretense and focus on the creativity. We’ll spill the secrets of getting donors to say “yes” (think charm-y not smarm-y), how to raise more with less, and why grandma’s bake sale might actually be genius (with the right spin). We’ll unpack how to be bold, joyful, and just a little bit brazen in your fundraising even if you’re a one-person shop wearing seventeen hats.
What will you takeaway?
The psychology of giving—how to tap into it without selling your soul
Easy, free, or low-cost fundraising tactics that actually work
How to build donor love without a CRM, a gala, or a six-figure budget
Copy-and-steal-worthy ideas from other fierce fundraisers who’ve been there
Who will benefit from this workshop?
Small-but-mighty nonprofits, overworked EDs, board members who just got voluntold to fundraise, and anyone desperate to find the fun in fundraising.
Hosted by Jessica Peterson
More about Jessica:
Jessica Peterson has been wrangling donations and making fundraising magic happen since 2008, when she co-founded Yellow Tree Theatre in the Twin Cities with little more than a dream, a dilapidated furniture warehouse, and a whole lot of gumption. Over the next decade, she grew that tiny theatrical seedling into a nationally recognized professional theater—without ever hiring a development staff (because she was the development staff).
With 20 years of experience in fundraising, storytelling, and charming checks out of pockets, Jessica now brings her passion for philanthropy to the foundation world as a development director at Boreal Waters Community Foundation (formerly the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation). Equal parts strategist, hype woman, and fundraising therapist, Jessica believes asking for money doesn’t have to be scary—and that fun is a secret weapon.