Non Profit Seminar: Fundraising-Strategies and Practices - 09/28/2020 - C0405

This is a SCORE signature class that is a must attend class if you want to know fundraising or improve existing fundraising at your organization. This class will cover how the vision statement, mission, organizational objectives and case for support, translate into funding strategies. The major fund development programs include: annual campaigns, major gifts, board development, corporate and foundation grants, marketing for non-profits, and special events. Strategies and preparation for each type of fundraising will be discussed. Upon completion of the course, class participants will have an overview of the basics of the best practices in fund development today and an appreciation of the hard work, but great satisfaction that comes with raising money for great causes. We will also go over adjusting and modifying your fundraising strategy due to the pandemic.

Key Topics:

Overview of aspects of a comprehensive fundraising development plan.
Pros and cons of fundraising methods
Key components to have in place for major gift campaigns
doing the "ask"
Key components of a successful fundraising event
Grant Proposal keys to success
Components of a successful fundraising board of directors
Key marketing strategies for fund development

Learning Outcomes:

How to write your Statement of Purpose/Case for Support for your non-profit organization
What you need for a successful Board and Event
Understanding the Major Gift cycle and practice asking for a gift
Basic understanding and appreciation of all aspects of a comprehensive development plan

What People Are Saying About This Class:

"Well organized and very interactive"
"Great Presentation-excellent seminar"

Registration Information

Registration Fee: $ 10.00

Veterans: Free admission is available for this class. Click Here for details.

The link to join the video class will be sent with your registration confirmation.

If you have trouble registering, send an email to info@svscore.org

About the Speaker:

Nivisha Mehta

Nivisha Mehta has 18 years of experience in major gift fundraising, grant writing, special event planning and sponsorship, marketing, and program strategy and development for nonprofit organizations. In that time, she has raised more than $8 million and developed expertise in fundraising across diverse ethnic communities in the Bay Area.

Nivisha has been a senior philanthropy/major gifts officer for many large Bay Area non-profits such as the American Red Cross, Alum Rock Counseling Center, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, IIT Madras Foundation, and El Camino Hospital Foundation for their South Asian Heart Center, Hope Services, and RAFT.

Nivisha is currently the Chief Development Officer for RAFT (Resource Area for Teaching) in San Jose, CA. For the past 26 years, RAFT has been a leader in hands-on learning techniques that focus on improving science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) education. RAFT is able to serve over 8,000 educators and reach over 150,000 students in the Bay Area every year with the support of individuals donors, 6,000 volunteers, financial and material donations of 200 corporations. Nivisha leads a team of 4 to help increase donations from individuals, major gifts, signature fundraising event, and corporate and foundation grants. Her goal is help RAFT expand locally and nationally so that every educator and every student can “inspire JOY through hands-on learning.”

From October 2018 till January 2020 Nivisha has been Vice President of Development at Hope Services (www.hopeservices.org) where she managed a development team to raise funds from their annual fund, special event, grants, and major gifts. The organization’s mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health needs. Hope Services is one of the leading providers in the Bay Area and serves individuals in six counties. Over the period of 14 months she successfully raised $1.9M for the organization and helped launch a new website, annual report, and other donor related marketing materials. The signature fundraising event she helped launch had a record number of 45 sponsors and yielded the highest revenue in the organization’s history. The annual fund increased from $100K in donations to $264K by the time she left with 40% lapsed and 40% repeat and 20% new donors totaling 427 individuals that contributed. Her excellent stewardship and cultivation strategies helped engage all past major donors and brought in over 250 new donors in a period of 14 months.

Nivisha began her professional fundraising career in 2001 as a consultant writing grants for Bradley Associates and Consultants. She next joined the American Red Cross as the Associate Director of Development for the Santa Clara Valley Chapter, where she managed the annual direct mail campaign and also did grant writing. In 2003, she moved to El Camino Hospital Foundation where she continued writing grants. There, she increased grant funding for the RotaCare Free Clinic by more than 50% and secured the largest grant the Clinic ever received, $150,000, from a local foundation.

In 2006, Nivisha helped to establish the South Asian Heart Center (www.southasianheartcenter.org) at El Camino Hospital, a nonprofit dedicated to combatting the epidemic of heart disease and diabetes that disproportionately impacts people from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Over a span over nine years, she raised more than $3 million for the Center from individual donors who belong to an immigrant community that is new to philanthropy and local giving. She was instrumental in growing the Center’s donor base from to 0 to 1,100 active donors. Funds raised from philanthropy each year were matched by ECH Healthcare District community benefit dollars bringing the total to more $6M during that time.

Nivisha became Alum Rock Counseling Center’s (www.alumrockcc.org) Development Director in 2007 and in three years increased individual, corporate and foundation support by 300%. She implemented a signature special event, direct mail and online campaigns, template grant proposals for key programs, tours of the agency, donor salons, a donor database, donor collateral and recognition programs, and the establishment of a fundraising-focused advisory council.

At Silicon Valley Community Foundation from 2011 to 2013, Nivisha worked first as the Cisco Giving Counselor. In that role she was responsible for helping employees locally and worldwide find board and volunteer opportunities. She also managed the Cisco Foundation Habitat for Humanity Grants program, reviewing, processing, and approving all requests for national and international grants. She increased international grants submissions by 50% through energetic employee outreach. Nivisha also helped put together and outreach the first Philanthropy report for the Bay Area Chinese and Indian communities. Nivisha has also served on SVCF’s Community Advisory Council and established and managed her own family foundation. She and her husband were also involved in SV2, Silicon Valley Venture Fund, via SVCF, where they pooled their donations into a fund and participated in identification and selections of the grantees.

At IIT Madras Foundation (www.iitmfoundation.org) from April 2017 through August 2018, Nivisha served as the first Development Director, and was tasked with supporting the Foundation’s goal of raising an endowment of $50M for the university in India. Her responsibilities included development and management of a National Major Gifts committee with regional councils. This included building a team of volunteer alumni to help recruit their alumni friends to join the National Gifts committee via a six-figure gift. During the course of her consulting contract, she helped raise $1M in 8 months for a new Foundation just getting off the ground. She also created a pipeline to close of another $3.6M and positioned the Foundation to reach their endowment goal of $10M by the end of that year.

Silicon Valley SCORE members, with nonprofit experience in Silicon Valley, offer counseling for nonprofits. Counseling sessions can be requested with the following experienced members: Nadera Alum, Ted Cooper, Bharat Desai, Frank DeTurris, John Edwards, Bob Goedjen, Michael Kovalich, Ray Noble, Karun Shimoga, Pam Vavra, and Neal Weinstein.