Starting a Nonprofit
Networking to Find Potential Donors for Fundraising
Summary of Today’s Training Many grassroots leaders feel their local relationships are not enough to fund their program, so they need outside donors. The best way to meet outside donors is networking, which means meeting new people through the people you already know. Networking is like building a spider web: you start with close connections,…
Read MoreYour Relationships are the Key to Successful Fundraising
Summary of this Fundraising Training Most grassroots fundraising begins with relationships, not strangers. Large nonprofits often fundraise for years from an existing donor list. If you do not have a list like that, start with the people you already know. Make a simple list of friends, family, and professional connections. Reconnect when needed, share your…
Read MoreWhat is a fiscal sponsor?
Many community leaders approach Cultivate asking for financial support. Though we cannot give grants or other financial support to people in our program, we do help them find a fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsorship is an important aspect for community organizations seeking support from donors in the USA. Here is a section of our Introduction to…
Read MoreFrom Start to Sustainability: The Program Design and Implementation Process
Wouldn’t it be nice if we were given step by step instructions for our life? If we could just follow a preset plan each day? For some of us, that sounds like a dream. Wake up, look at a list, see if you are on track with your life plan, and adjust if necessary. For those…
Read MoreThe Challenges of Funding for International Development
There are many challenges international development organizations face. Often, they work in a context where poverty and oppression are commonplace for most members of the community, and where the lack of infrastructure, good governance, and human resources creates even more difficulties. However, for most nonprofits and NGOs, having adequate funding is still the biggest challenge…
Read MoreOvercoming Learned Helplessness
How can we support people in finding ways to overcome their dependency and helplessness even when they are not the ones to blame? The process of overcoming helplessness and dependency starts with the heart and mind, and is anchored in hope.
Read MoreThis is Us
We exist to empower and serve community leaders across the globe. They have the vision, passion, and dedication, we simply help them with the resources, knowledge and skills to help make it a reality. Learn more about our work with Arnika, a young woman in India. When you support Cultivate, you are supporting our efforts…
Read MoreTwo are Better Than One
This weekend I had the opportunity to collaborate with some very intelligent and insightful people, and was reminded that two are always better than one. A dozen is even better! On Friday night, I was the guest of honor at a beautiful dinner party hosted by Kate Shannon of Merrill Lynch and Christy Morrell-Stinson of…
Read MorePerseverance
Perseverance is a tough lesson to learn, but in the end, it is one of the most valuable ones. It makes you stronger, more patient, and helps you embrace what is most important. For the past several months, Cultivate has been working hard on a new project – launching a new online training platform for…
Read MorePrepare For What’s To Come
Working towards something that has not yet arrived is tough. You must have a strong vision to keep you moving, and when your energy falters, you must have something to cling to just so you can keep moving. That’s where I feel right now. I spend so much of my time and energy working on…
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