This one-day skill-building event reframes NETWORKING and FUNDRAISING in relational ways and will benefit anyone that wants to sharpen their in-person networking and fundraising skills: entrepreneurs, community members, seasoned fundraising professionals, board members, senior management, grassroots organizers and anyone that wants to create welcoming community spaces.

Dont' miss early bird pricing available through March 20th.

NOTE: The event includes two sessions. While we encourage you to attend both, you do not need to attend one session to understand or benefit from the other.

Registration & Gathering (9:30am-10am)

Networking: Art of the Schmooze (10am-12pm)

Do you feel awkward at networking events and uncomfortable making new connections? Do you miss opportunities to connect with new donors, community members and colleagues because you don’t know the best way to approach them at events? Do you have trouble ending conversations so you can keep circulating? We will cover the basics of how to work a room, from having the right tools to knowing the best approach to engage prospective donors and collaborators while cultivating community support. You will leave knowing how to effectively and inclusively build your network.

You will leave with very practical tips on:

• What to do in the first 15 minutes of a networking event
• How you can say little and leave them thinking you are fascinating
• Inclusive body language and questions to avoid asking
• How to wrap up a conversation gracefully

Networking Lunch (12-1pm)

Included in admission to the first session and the All-Day pass, the networking lunch will give you a place to practice the skills with other participants and Robbie.

Fundraising: Getting Past the Fear of the Ask (1pm-4pm)

This engaging coaching session will benefit anyone who wants to become a more effective fundraiser. In a supportive environment, move past personal roadblocks and recognize some common mistakes. Practice specific language for how to make a strong ask, based on the relationship-building tips shared earlier in the day at Art of the Schmooze, and review ten tips that will make your next fundraising plan a success. Work in small groups to begin to build a strong prospect list based on an individual’s capacity, connection and commitment. “If you are afraid to ask for money, kick yourself out of the way and let the cause talk.”

You will leave with very practical tips on:

• How to reframe fundraising so it doesn’t feel like begging
• An understanding of what makes donors donate
• Specific strategies for identifying a donor’s capacity to give
• An easy to use framework for identifying prospective donors

ABOUT ROBBIE SAMUELS

Robbie Samuels has been recognized as a networking expert by Inc. and Lifehacker, and profiled in "Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It." Since 2009, his engaging and fun presentations have helped a wide array of audiences increase their networking and fundraising confidence. From 2005-2015, Robbie was Senior Manager of Events and Donor Engagement at GLAD and coordinated up to 25 fundraisers and donor cultivation events a year. These fundraisers raised nearly one million dollars annually (25% of GLAD's budget). In 2006, he founded Socializing for Justice (SoJust.org) to build a cross-cultural, cross-issue progressive community and network in Boston. In recognition of his social justice work, Boston City Council named his birthday "Robbie Samuels Day" in 2011. Learn about Robbie and his work at www.RobbieSamuels.com. Listen to his weekly podcast on leadership and networking at www.OntheSchmooze.com.