This is the second of a two-part series on the dynamics of fundraising by industry professionals Sarah Koski (Oregon) and Erin Patton (Maryland) for the Forbes Fund's “Emerging Directors of Development," sponsored by the Segal Family Foundation. Together, Sarah and Erin bring over half a century of combined nonprofit and corporate leadership experience. Download this presentation guide to get a glimpse into their deep-dive on how to find donors, where to tell your story, and several role play scenarios. More about this program: The Segal Family Foundation and The Forbes Funds developed and launched “Emerging Directors of Development,” a learning program that will recruit and train local young professionals, specifically black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) in nonprofit development & fundraising. Graduates will be placed in a full-time development role at a participating local 501c3 organization, which will also receive ongoing support and assistance during and after the program. Fewer than 1% of executives at Allegheny County-based corporations and nonprofit organizations are people of color. The co-developed program seeks to increase the representation of black and brown professionals in these executive roles immediately. The program will recruit and enroll ten early-career professionals that are outgoing, entrepreneurial, and hard-working in a four-month intensive course. The course will immerse participants in learning the technical and people skills necessary for becoming a high-level development professional. The professionals will be paired with a participating nonprofit organization that is currently hiring for the position. The program is open to local 501c3 organizations challenged with hiring qualified high-level development professionals and/or looking to hire a first-time well-trained development professional. Organizations will receive ongoing support services as participants are trained and through the first six months of employment. Participating organizations will receive Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership membership, development coaching in the interim stage, and sustained capacity-building resources & opportunities beyond the conclusion of the program. Slide Design: Sarah Koski

1. TELL THE
STORY AND
MAKE THE ASK
EMERGING DIRECTORS OF DEVELOPMENT
Erin Patton and Sarah Koski
PRESENTED BY

2. MEET THE
PRESENTERS:
ERIN PATTON
FROM EDELMAN PR
TO VISIONARY
STRATEGY AND
NONPROFIT
LEADERSHIP

3. SARAH KOSKI
MEET THE
PRESENTERS:
FROM IMAGE
BRANDING & CRISIS
INTERVENTION TO
NONPROFIT
STORYTELLING

4. Find your brand voice Build your brand for your mission and for yourself
Own the narrative Utilize storytelling to stay ahead in donor trust
Keep your cool Learn how to quick pivot when challenges arrive
OBJECTIVES:

5. STORYTELLING FOR
SUCCESS
OWN THE
NARRATIVE.
KEEP HOPE
ALIVE.

6. • LIVE THE MISSION
• Capitalize on Your Culture
• Own your Content
• Find Direct Access To Funders
⚬ Get Past the Gatekeepers and
the Spam Filters

7. • INSTAGRAM:
￭ YOUTH, CREATIVES, “SOCIETY SECTION”
• Twitter:
￭ “tech bros,” government, politicians
• LinkedIn:
￭ business leaders, bankers, funders
• Facebook:
￭ retirees, family-friendly
• TikTok:
￭ give it to the intern and let them loose!

8. REAL-WORLD
SCENARIOS
QUICK PIVOTS &
CREATIVE
SOLUTIONS

9. "CONTRARIAN SOCIETY"
The owner of a Fortune 500 Company gives your university department the largest gift in
organizational history, with plans to start a "contrarian society" and annual festival (hosted on
campus). However, the Development Officer and Dean who helped broker this gift are no
longer working for the university (and the position has not been filled until you arrive). It's been
five years since his donation and there's been no attempt to start plans on the society or event.
He is furious and is telling every major giver at the university not to trust you or your
department. Annual giving and major gift appeals are now relatively nonexistent.
It's your first week on the job. What do you do?

10. "LEADERS OF THE NEW SCHOOL"
Isaiah recently started a community development nonprofit and wants to purchase an abandoned school in his
old neighborhood with a vision to revitalize it into a community center. He and a few childhood friends were
preparing to invest their own money to purchase the property but city inspectors revealed that the facility is in
need of major capital improvements and upgrades before it is up to code and fit for occupancy. There is strong
community support for the project as there is currently no community center in the neighborhood but the
estimated project costs are $1.5M. The school board which owns the property informs Isaiah that a group whose
parent company is from Europe has made an offer on the property to create a mixed-use development for market
rate housing in the future. Isaiah and his friends are given 30 days to respond with verification they have secured at
least 50% of the funding.
Time (and funding) is of the essense. What do you do?

11. "BAD PUBLICITY"
It's your first day on the job as the statewide fundraiser for a national organization You have a
portfolio of 364 donors and open your email to dozens of emails from the "national office" with
damage control talking points in response to a scathing multi-week investigation by
ProPublica and the Readers Digest. The investigation purports that the organization's national
CEO is mismanaging funds and the story is now making the national news circuit. After you
conduct your own research, you realize that the investigation is highly misleading but the
damage is already done. Your organization is now under the shadow of widespread donor
mistrust.
No one is answering your calls. What do you do?

12. "DON'T JUDGE A BOOK"
Change is in the air. You are newly married, with a child on the way and recently accepted a job offer to become Development
Director for a conservative, legacy nonprofit! The Executive Director and Board have made DEI a core part of the strategic plan and
your hire is evidence of the commitment. The salary is double what you were making in your previous role. At the first board
meeting, the Chair offers you their full support and autonomy to cultivate relationships with existing donors. You are joining at a
pivotal moment in the history of the organization as it is the 50th year anniversary. The Board chair promises to make a warm
introduction to two major donors who are expected to write checks totaling seven figures. During your initial meeting with one of
the investors, you get a feeling the donor is uncomfortable. When you get back to the office, the ED informs you the donor
expressed concerns over your appearance and some of your social media posts, questioning your fit for the role. The ED then asks
you to take a more conservative approach and suggests you “tone down” your social media page before scheduling the next
meeting that you will now be tag teaming together.
You sense some personal and social minefields. What do you do?

13. "STOLEN DONOR"
You are reviewing your corporate donor portfolio and notice that one of your largest givers has
fallen off your roster and "unofficially" been re-assigned to an Executive Director in a local city.
Although she is responsible for fundraising, your Regional Development Director position
outranks her. She is not only talking to your donor, but she has also already solicited him for a
large corporate gift that dramatically affects your "moves management plan" for Q1 goals. After
speaking with her directly, she refuses to give him back to your portfolio -- and your supervisor
doesn't have time to intervene and tells you to "fix it" or find a new donor.
Time is of the essence. What do you do?

14. Q&A
FIND US ON
LINKEDIN:
ERIN PATTON
SARAH KOSKI