Fundraising in "normal" times often can be filled with deadlines, anxiety, and complexity. Fundraising in a crisis can feel overwhelming and make you wonder where to begin. This workshop will provide clear, actionable steps for you to implement at your organization in times of extreme hardship. Key sections that will be covered include:

Understanding your Current Conditions: This section will provide a step-by-step about getting a full "lay of the land" to help steer future action.
Immediate Action Planning (within 1 month): After a current conditions assessment, what are the immediate actions that you need to undertake?
Mid-Term Actions (2-4 months): We have to blend immediacy with the tip-toe into a "new normal." What does that look like for you?
Longer-Term Actions (4-12 months): Shifting gears toward a lens of ongoing efforts that improve/increase future stability is essential. Discussed topics will include Revenue Diversification, Lessons Learned, resource and tool development, and proactive "break glass in Case of emergency' actions.

This is intended to be a safe space, providing folks with room to breathe, share, and learn in a setting that fosters nourishment during times of deep challenge and upheaval. The presentation and conversation(s) will be facilitated by Sidney C. Freitag-Fey, CFRE, a career nonprofit external relations professional who celebrated his 20th year of fundraising in 2024. He's weathered the 2008 Bank Crisis, the 2020 onset of the COVID pandemic, countless shifting funding priorities, and much more. Please join us for a centered yet (reasonably) comprehensive discussion.

This virtual training is provided for members and IDHS-funded organizations only. Please confirm here if your organization is a member of The Network.

If you need ICDVP or Social Work CEUs, please indicate this clearly in your registration and later in your evaluation. Please click here for our CEU issuance policy—this document is important to review if you request CEUs.This training will give members and IDHS org staff 2 CEUs at no cost.

A Zoom link will be provided the day before training begins.

Fundraising in times of Crisis