May Professional Development | The Ethical Imperative: Standing Tall in the Face of Pressure Join your colleagues on Wednesday, May 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Wedge at Foundation for an interactive and insightful gathering centered around ethics. Kirk Swenson, Vice Chancellor at UNC Asheville, will present a framework for ethical decision making that protects our donors, our organizations and our profession. Kirk will share examples of ethical challenges he has faced in his own career and invites members to submit their own for discussion that day. You may choose to submit your ethical challenge anonymously. [...]

August Professional Development | The Power of YOU: The Art & Science of Self-Renewal Balance and resiliency don’t come from a new app or a better time management system - they come from the inside out. Learn how engaging the power of self-renewal, building a support network and managing your energy can increase your ability to be more creative, energized and resourced in all areas of your life. Passionate about supporting men and women in finding balance through the art/science of self-care, Renée Trudeau will share simple, powerful strategies and science-based tools for feeling more focused, connected and calm no matter how crazy your life [...]

October Professional Development | Gift Planning Beyond Bequests: Three Big Opportunities The slides from this presentation are available for download HERE.   Ready to ask your donors for more than a bequest in their will? Or at least offer more options for significant planned gifts? Sheryl Aikman from Alenda Consulting will outline the planned gift opportunities that can help you move your donors (and your organization) beyond the simple bequest.   Sheryl Aikman is the principal of Alenda Consulting LLC. She serves a wide range of nonprofit, individual and professional advisor clients, with a focus on major, [...]

December Professional Development | The Joy of Fundraising from the Perspective of the Executive Director/CEO In this talk, Mark Weinstein will examine the differing roles and motivations of the Executive Director/CEO, the Chief Development Officer, the Board, Development staff and other key players in an organization where fundraising is a significant revenue need.  He will address issues involved in the development of fundraising design structure, the use of metrics to measure and motivate, as well as the importance of involving the entire organization in development efforts.  Mark will speak about the importance of managing expectations while simultaneously [...]

March Professional Development | Enhancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging This program will take place in-person at Lenoir Rhyne University, 36 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC 28801. We will meet in Classroom 314. There is free parking in the shared parking lot with the Visitor Center. Please bring yourself a bagged lunch to enjoy during the program!   The slides of this presentation are available for download HERE.   The focus of the presentation is to build a foundation of understanding terminology in which to move an organization forward in its DEIB Initiatives. Terms discussed include Diversity, Equity, [...]

April Professional Development | How to Raise Endowment Funding We all know we need to have a robust and growing endowment for our nonprofit.  But, even if we have an endowment fund right now, how can we work in more money for that when we need dollars for more pressing needs?  This session answers the following questions: What exactly is an endowment? How does it function? How much does it need to be? Should it produce income? What should we spend it on? Who is in charge of it? How do we raise it? Where does endowment [...]

June Professional Development | Lemons to Lemonade: Finding Opportunity in Uncertainty The slides for this program are available HERE. The lemons: Cost of living increases, rising interest rates, aging baby boomers. Believe or not, there are giving opportunities that can sweeten the mix. In the spirit of a summer lemonade stand, we’ll stir up a couple of recipes to offer your donors, with variations for bequests, IRA gifts, and charitable gift annuities. Sheryl Aikman is the principal of Alenda Consulting LLC. She serves a wide range of nonprofit, individual and professional advisor clients, with a focus on major, life [...]