Create a donor communications plan workshop

Between never-ending ‘to-do’ lists, lots of options for raising money, and new communications channels popping up every day, it can be hard to pause and look at the bigger picture. Join Big Duck’s Co-Director, Farra Trompeter, for a full-day workshop that will help you identify and stay focused on the best ways to connect with individual donors and prospects. Salvatore Salpietro, Chief Community Officer at Fundraise Up, will also present a brief module about donor experience.

We’ll help you get to know your donors, decide what strategies might guide your efforts to reach them, generate ideas for specific communications activities, learn how to measure your progress, and develop a sample work plan to help you make it all happen. Through a series of hands-on exercises, you'll leave this workshop with a rough draft of your 2026 donor communications plan and clear next steps to put it into action. We’ll even give you a template you can use to get feedback and buy-in from your colleagues!

You will learn how to:

• Structure a donor communications strategy and plan
• Set priorities for audiences and shift how you approach them
• Improve the experience prospects and donors have with your nonprofits
• Determine what you should be communicating with donors (including suggested frequency for email, web updates, specific social media channels) and how often

Why do this?

- “I’m not sure who I should be trying to reach. My current donors will soon age out and younger prospects don’t seem to get what we do.”

- “We do a great job of getting people to make that first gift, but are having a hard time with retention.”

- “I know what I should do for a great year-end campaign, but I’m not sure what I should do the rest of the year.”

When and where?

November 5, 2025 from 9:30am – 5:00pm in Brooklyn at Fundraise Up in Industry City, Brooklyn.

We’ll gather for coffee/networking at 9:30am, engage in the workshop (with breaks) from 10:00am-5:00pm, and then do some more networking over beverages and snacks from 5:00-7:00pm.

Fundraise Up’s office is located at 220 36th St, Brooklyn, NY and it is:

• 20 minutes from Manhattan via subway
• In close proximity to all area airports: 30 minutes, give or take (traffic dependent)
• One block from the 36th Street subway (metro) station for the D, N, R and W lines

We are exploring getting a discount code for a local hotel for those traveling from out of town.

How much does it cost?

• $350: Organization budget: $5 million or higher or consultant
• $250: Organization budget: $1-5 million
• $125: Organization budget: $500,000-1 million
• $75: Organization budget: under $500,000

What will I get?

Before the workshop…

We’ll give you a list of materials to gather so that you can get the most out of this workshop and hit the ground running afterward.

On the day of the workshop…

We’ll present concepts you can apply immediately with lots of room for individual reflection and learning from others. Our co-hosts at Fundraise Up are graciously providing the meeting space, coffee and snacks throughout the day, and a happy hour you can invite friends and colleagues to. Lunch will be on your own with many options via the Industry City food court.

After the workshop…

You will have a template you can use to complete your donor communications plan and share it with your colleagues.

Questions?

Contact Jen Petersen at [email protected]

Host or Publisher Big Duck