Friends of GoalBusters Fundraising Intensive
About this Event
The Friends of GoalBusters (FOG) Fundraising Intensive is built for people who are tired of sitting in rows listening to someone talk at them about problems they already know they have.
FOG is an intimate gathering of fundraising practitioners -- current and past GoalBusters clients, partners, and peers -- who spend an evening and a full day learning from each other, from marketing strategist and author Mark Schaefer, and from fundraising productivity expert Chad Barger.
The format is built around the Huddle: a real challenge put on the table, small-group peer discussion, and an honest report-back to the room. No panels. No death by PowerPoint. Just the people in the room, thinking out loud together.
This year's program tackles the question that keeps every fundraiser up at night: we have to raise more money. How do we do it without dying?
What You’ll Experience
- A welcome evening that includes an orientation to FOG, good food, good drinks, and the kind of conversation that makes Wednesday feel like a continuation rather than a beginning
- Four peer Huddles on donor conversations, building the right team, doing more without burning out, and building a culture of philanthropy from the inside out
- Two sessions with Mark Schaefer, globally recognized marketing strategist and author of Marketing Rebellion, Belonging to the Brand, and Audacious
- A practitioner session with Chad Barger on Slow Fundraising
Who this is for
Current and past GoalBusters clients, partners, and friends of our community who want honest conversation, peer wisdom, and practical answers, and who are ready to leave with renewed energy for the work ahead.
Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Tuesday Registration
🕑: 05:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Tuesday Night Welcome Program
Info: Tuesday evening is your on-ramp to the FOG. Start with a hosted reception and bar, then move into an orientation, and continue the conversation together over more food and drink. The whole evening is designed to make Wednesday feel like a continuation rather than a beginning. Come ready to meet people and have a conversation worth having.
🕑: 07:00 AM - 08:00 AM
Wednesday Morning Wellness Sessions (Optional)
Info: Start your morning with chair yoga on the patio with Anni or a power walk with Jeff. Both are optional and open to all.
🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:45 AM
Breakfast Buffet and networking
🕑: 08:45 AM - 09:00 AM
Welcome to the FOG
Info: Alice Ferris and Jim Anderson set the stage for the day, frame the animating question, and get the room ready for what's ahead.
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Opening Keynote: The Gift of Uncertainty
Host: Mark Schaefer
Info: Alice's marketing hero, Mark Schaefer, opens the FOG with a session on what uncertainty makes possible.
🕑: 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Huddle 1: Getting to the Conversation
Info: What's stopping you from picking up the phone and calling your donor? You'll leave with a clearer sense of what's holding you back -- whether that's making the ask, scheduling the visit, or simply staying in touch with the people who already believe in your work -- and at least one concrete step toward the donor conversation you've been putting off.
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Huddle 2: Building the Right Team
Info: Who in your organization could be a fundraising ally, and what's standing between you and that relationship? You'll leave with a fresh perspective on who's already in your corner, who could be, and at least one practical idea for building the internal support your fundraising program actually needs, including the accidental fundraisers you didn't know you had.
🕑: 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Lunch Buffet
🕑: 12:45 PM - 01:30 PM
Lunch Session: Hope Is a Strategy: A Resilient Fundraiser's Guide
Host: Alice Ferris
Info: Fundraising is harder than it used to be -- the channels are noisier, the attention is shorter, and some of the things we built our practice on don't feel as solid as they once did. But people still care, donors still give, and relationships still win. Alice Ferris and Jim Anderson make the case for optimism -- not the pretend kind, but the hard-won kind. You'll leave with a clearer sense of what's worth protecting, what to let go of, and why hope isn't just a feeling. It's a strategy.
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:15 PM
Power Session: Slow Fundraising
Host: Chad Barger
Info: Chad Barger makes the case for doing less better -- and why slowing down might be the most productive thing you can do for your fundraising program.
🕑: 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
Huddle 3: Doing More Without Burning Out
Info: What would you stop doing tomorrow if you gave yourself permission? You'll leave with a clearer picture of where your energy is actually going, at least one thing you're ready to let go of, and one thing worth fighting to protect -- because doing more with less only works if you're still standing at the end of it.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Huddle 4: Building Philanthropy from the Inside Out
Info: What would have to change internally before your donors felt the difference? You'll leave with an honest assessment of your organization's culture of philanthropy: what's working, what's getting in the way, and at least one idea for shifting the culture toward something that puts the donor at the center of everything you do.
🕑: 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Closing Session: Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI World
Host: Mark Schaefer
Info: Mark Schaefer closes the FOG with the bigger picture -- what it means for all of us, not just fundraisers, to stay human, stay connected, and stay audacious in a world where the machines are getting smarter every day.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 199.00
