Short Courses

The following are examples of courses we run with organisations both online and in person. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss further.


Solid run a series of short courses on the topics below. Aimed at those responsible for managing or developing relationships with major donors, each course is designed to help you develop your charity’s major donor programme, enhance donor relationships and take your fundraising skills to the next level. Led by two of our experienced Directors, present theory and case studies and encourage participants to share experiences in an informal workshop style.

We have adjusted our training sessions so that we can now run them on-line for philanthropy teams:



How to work most effectively with Senior Volunteers and Make the Ask

Successful peer-to-peer fundraising is the lynch pin of major donor fundraising – get that right and your income could soar – but managing senior volunteers, including Trustees and others, takes skill and dedication. The first part of this workshop focuses on how to get the most from your volunteers, supporting them to become successful major donor fundraisers. We will also share the result of our extensive research, commissioned by the Institute of Fundraising into Senior Volunteers, which includes interviews with some of the most successful Senior Volunteers and Professional Fundraisers.

After researching, cultivating and engaging a prospect comes the critical step of asking for a donation – the step that fills many with fear. Getting the ask right to get the results you want takes detailed planning, insight and of course confidence and often involves senior volunteers. The second part of this workshop will help fundraisers of all levels who want to develop their technique or refresh their skills in how to effectively engage with donors and successfully ask for support. It will give practical tips and advice on planning, preparing and delivering a successful ask meeting – drawing on examples from our own experience and with a particular focus on how to fundraise in these challenging times.

For more information contact us on 020 7580 8084 or at jane@solidmanagement.co.uk.

 



Delivering successful major donor events

Events provide a vital opportunity to meet, involve, ask and thank major donors – so getting them right is crucial to your success. This course will look at what makes major donor events different to all other events and focus on how to use events as part of the asking process. We will examine how to deliver successful pledge events, providing case studies and examples to demonstrate what works and what doesn’t.



Giving Clubs – how to ensure their success

Is your charity considering setting up a giving club or do you need to breathe new life into an existing programme? This course will look at the step by step process of establishing a successful major donor giving club and to ensure its success year on year. It will also look at how clubs differ from giving circles and how both can add the most value to your organisation.



Getting the most from proposal writing

This interactive workshop considers the role of the funding proposal in the donor cycle; the key elements of a successful proposal; and how to improve existing proposals to maximise impact. As part of the workshop we assess existing proposals and work with participants to explore ways they can be enhanced and effectively tailored for specific audiences. This course really focuses on taking proposals from good to great and is relevant to those new to proposal writing as well as those who have significant experience in proposal writing.