How This Course Is Different
Short answer: A lot. But to get into the details…
For one, the course is designed to bring together two very specific impact areas. There are many amazing fundraising courses and tools out there, but none that bring together food and climate specifically.
Another profound factor that makes this course very unique is that it is not only focused on climate messaging tactics, but also on how to build deeper, more meaningful connections with funders. This is very much a stylistic choice in the way I approach philanthropy. But I do this because it can often yield larger financial commitments over longer periods of time, and it can create internal champions within a Foundation.
I think what also sets the course apart from anything other people have experienced is that I’ve been on all sides of the fundraising ecosystem. After I graduated, I was a research assistant at a nonprofit that provided financial education services to maize and tobacco farmers in East Africa under grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mastercard Foundation and Nike Foundation. When I worked at the World Economic Forum, my team was the first at the Forum to secure agency grant funding for our work from International Development Agencies including IDH, DFID, and USAID. As employee number #1 of ReFED, I supported the fundraising process to secure the first million dollars for the organization after we launched the Original Roadmap (the updated roadmap can be found here). That process not only included writing and securing grants from Walmart, General Mills and Rockefeller Foundation, but also cultivating those funder relationships to co-create a shared vision of the impact our work would have. Additionally, while I’ve been working with many nonprofits over the years, I have also advised foundations on their food and climate giving strategies.
Throughout the course, I share examples of my experiences to help demonstrate that the lessons and insights are not only practical, but immediately actionable. For example, I have designed each registration for the course to include three seats because in my experience, I have learned that the development team member(s) may also serve cross-functional roles. These extra seats are also my signal to organizations that their communications and programmatic teams should have a seat at the table when exploring new fundraising strategies.
Finally, this course is different from others because while I provide participants with a myriad of resources on a variety of topics, I also spend 1:1 time with each organization. This allows participants to get real-time support on their individual fundraising and messaging challenges.
Outcomes I Hope For
My primary goal is for participants to be able to confidently craft compelling climate narratives that feel genuine and authentic to their work, and that ultimately result in successfully securing climate-focused funding. I want to provide them with support, resources, and practical tools that will help them feel empowered in their fundraising.
I also want this course to be a place of community for the organizations that join us. Throughout the 5 weeks, there are opportunities for participants to share their experiences, learn from each other, and identify collaborations and partnerships that can support each other’s programmatic or fundraising work. Not only will they build relationships amongst themselves, but also learn how to cultivate and maintain lasting relationships with donors who can support their work long-term.
At a greater systems level, I want this course to be a catalyst. Ultimately, I hope to see increased funding for climate-positive initiatives and greater impact in the fight against climate change within the food systems sector.
If you’re seeking fundraising support, I invite you to Enroll now and join us on September 4th! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or require additional information before signing up. We hope to see you soon