Increasing revenue with a Bequest program

Bequests are an under-utilised fundraising tool for many charities. Bequest specialist Evelyn Mason will look at marketing theory and how it can be applied to marketing your bequest program. In addition you will discover the latest bequest research from the USA and Australia.
Using these breakthrough marketing concepts you will learn ways that you can promote your organisation’s bequest program, how to identify your target market, how to communicate with them, and what the benefactor expects from your organisation. Questions such as Who will leave a bequest? Will they inform us of their decision? What would encourage them to inform us will be answered.
The Presenter: Evelyn Mason

Creating Direct Mail that Sizzles!

Most organisations think direct mail is simple; not much more than a letter with a PS and a reply paid envelope in the mail. With so much competition in the charitable marketplace your DM has to sizzle to bring an appropriate ROI. But DM alone won’t cut it in an ever-increasing world of technology and choice.
In this session Nathan Brown, will reveal key principles for a solid Direct Mail strategy – from writing principles to packaging and KPI’s for result measurement. He will also review what makes for a well-rounded DM communications plan and how you can increase DM effectiveness though a well constructed strategy that involves other mail campaigns, web and social networking platforms.
The Presenter: Nathan Brown

Getting Through Hard Times

Not-for-profits are not immune from the recession. In these difficult times when revenues are likely to be falling not-for-profits will need ingenuity and imagination to survive. Tough times don’t last! Tough people (or organisations) do!
Donor retention will be more difficult as donors feel the pinch. But there was never a more important time to place a high priority on maintaining relationships with existing donors to minimize attrition. At the same time new donor acquisition programs must be fine tuned for efficiency.
John Bradford, author of Fundraising, will share from his extensive knowledge, both nationally and internationally, giving practical examples of how to achieve the best donor retention plan for your organisation.
The Presenter: John Bradford

Digital Innovation uncovered

Change may be all the rage, but if you have trouble getting your head around the latest Twittersphere and Cloud-Computing you face real danger in following the latest fad from the Trendsetter’s Toolbox. Online donors are educated, sceptical and empowered like never before and are making fundraisers rethink traditional strategies.
This session will cover some of the likeliest strategies, tools, and toys that will help you reach online success – without being taken for a ride. Karen will use working examples from her role with CBM to outline practical strategies they have implanted – and strategies your organisation can model off for increased online success.
The Presenter: Karen Trouw

Celebrity Ambassador Programs–Using star power to change the world.

What do you do when your charity has no donors, no profile and no fundraising budget, but needs to raise $100,000 fast? For Australia for UNHCR a chance telephone call to Australian cricket legend Ian Chappell turned the fortunes of the fledging charity around and resulted in thousands of dollars being raised for emergency relief for Afghan refugees.
Following on from the success of this initiative, Naomi Steer established Australia for UNHCR’s ‘Special Representative’ program which now includes high profile supporters Jane Turner (‘Kath & Kym’), Australian Socceroo Mark Schwarzer and former Australian Test Cricket Captain Ian Chappell, who all work to raise funds and awareness about the plight of refugees.
In this session we will look at how your charity might benefit from the use of celebrity ambassadors and other representatives as well as some of the pitfalls that can be involved in establishing such programs. You will also discover how to approach celebrities with a pitch that will maximise your chances of gaining a positive response.
The Presenter: Naomi Steer

Legal Fundraising 101

This presentation will cover a smorgasbord of the main legal issues you currently face in fundraising for your organisation. There are many facets to being a fundraiser, meaning that there are numerous legalities which a fundraiser must not only be familiar with, but also comply with at all times. Vera will leave you with an understanding of the legislation that applies to fundraising and various other legalities. Examples are: privacy laws; prescribed private funds; bequests; keeping of notes on donors; fundraising licences; FIA Codes; agreements with sponsors, and much more.
New PPF Regime – What you need to know
The Assistant Treasurer released a discussion paper last year inviting the public to make submissions on the Federal Government’s 2008 Budget commitment to improve the integrity of Prescribed Private Funds (PPF). Approximately 140 submissions were received by the Federal Government, and it is now anticipated that new guidelines will be issued by the Federal Government in April 2009, along with new legislation creating a new regime which is anticipated to commence on 1 July 2009.
This presentation will explain how the new regime will operate and how that will affect the ability of charities to fundraise through PPFs.
The Presenter: Vera Visevic

A CEO’s perspective

Running a modern day charity is fraught with huge challenges – and equally large opportunities. What makes a standout CEO? What qualities or steps in the career ladder do you need to attain? How does a great CEO stand out in the world of the numerous Not-for-profits? Have you ever asked any of those questions?
Find out from one such CEO, Jannine Jackson (Sir David Martin Foundation) who is making a huge impact within her organisation and the world of Australian fundraising at large. She will explain how to be on-fire CEO who runs a successful Not-For-Profit organisation. Find out how and why she has implemented many great and successful changes to Sir David Martin Foundation. Also discover what challenges she has personally had to deal with on her way to be a successful CEO and how she has climbed over them. A great insight into the life and challenges for a CEO of a Not-for-profit organisation.
The Presenter: Jannine Jackson

Speed Thinking your way to better results

Imagine the edge you could gain in the market-place if your team or organisation could be faster-to-market, avoid procrastination and solve problems literally in minutes.
Speed Thinking can help you to become more productive in a shorter period of time. This can be achieved by learning how to think better and faster. Bestselling author and speaker Ken Hudson will give you the tools and the skills to achieve this in this energetic session.
In a time-poor world, every leader needs to be able to size up a situation and make a decision quickly. It is ‘survival of the fastest’. This is a skill and mindset which can be learned quickly and effectively and can sharpen your whole approach to managing your growing workload.
The Presenter: Ken Hudson

Developing sustainable volunteer partnerships and programs

There is a dynamic opportunity within community and not-for-profit organisations to engage talented volunteers to help create, mentor and guide the future success, direction and work of our organisations.
Volunteer managers, supervisors and co-ordinators spend a sizeable chunk of time advocating about the value and benefits of working with volunteers. Yet do we practice what we preach? Do we allow volunteers to make a meaningful contribution to the leadership of the very volunteer program we administer and manage? Do we develop volunteers in leadership and oversight of the volunteer programs we lead?
In developing a sustainable volunteer program, Cancer Council NSW has developed a volunteer leadership initiative based on empowering volunteers. Existing and potential leaders engaged as volunteers are not only identified and encouraged to use their leadership qualities, but are also trained and developed to create other new leaders. They are also actively involved in the Cancer Council NSW’s strategic planning and program development.
In this presentation, Donna Purcell, Cancer Council NSW’s Volunteer Program Manager, will share with you ideas and initiatives to help recruit, manage and sustain a successful volunteer program and how volunteers add value and grow capacity across an entire organisation.
Donna will also share strategies for developing sound volunteer partnerships and involving volunteers in community organisations from the top down.
The Presenter: Donna Purcell

Online Marketing study

Is integrated online / offline marketing the nirvana it’s made out to be for fundraisers? Will electronic direct marketing kill traditional DM? Is the average online donation higher than offline? What are second year retention rates like for donors acquired online? How about lifetime value of an online donor? As NFP continue to invest in e-marketing efforts find out how they are working for some of Americas top charities.
Kevin will present, analyse and provide 10 key findings from a recent online donor study that analysed then donation patters of over 1,000,000 American online givers. This is a must see presentation for anyone seeking to base their e-marketing programs on detailed research based facts.
The Presenter: Kevin Sher

PR - Relationship building with the media and beyond

Many charities are under-utilising the power of PR to dramatically increase awareness in funds. In this competitive age, Chris Cormack will show you how to:
• Getting the edge – what is so unique about your organisation that the media and others might be interested in? How to use the media to help you build your profile and support the work you do or services you provide.
• Effectively generate press – what is news and what is not, and how do we get the media to talk about it?
• Contra challenges – who can we work with to deliver our messages and how we can we do it for little or no cost?
• Media fragmentation—Who, what, where and when – so much media—where do we begin? Who reads what and when and where!
The Presenter: Chris Cormack