The Relationship Fundraising Accelerator: Beyond Events
Monday, October 26 | Chicago

Turn Your Fundraising Into a Relationship-Driven Strategy

A one-day workshop for nonprofit leadership teams ready to move from event-dependent fundraising to donor relationships that grow year after year. Bring your leadership team. Leave with a plan you can put into action.

Not sure it's just the right fit? Schedule a call with Anne Smith, co-founder and facilitator of this workshop. Email Anne at asmith@twbfundraising.com

TWB-Beyond Events Accelerator Logo_CMYK (1)

WHEN
Monday, October 26
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

WHERE
2 N. Riverside Plaza
Chicago

INVESTMENT
$1,500 per organization
Up to 3 participants of your leadership team

Sound familiar?

"We engage the same people every year."

“New people come to our event, but only once.”

“Our donors aren't increasing their gifts.”

“The event burns out our staff.”

If your fundraising has leveled off despite everyone working harder, you've hit the ceiling most nonprofits hit. The Accelerator is how you break through it.

Keep your gala. Stop letting it be the finish line.

That's what Beyond Events means. It isn't about canceling your events. It's about using them differently: as the start of relationships with the donors who can do far more, not as the end of the conversation. Over one working day, your team will assess where you stand, then build a practical, paced plan to grow major gifts through relationships.

What you will gain from this framework

1. An honest assessment

You'll score your organization across the five components of sustainable major gift fundraising, so your whole team sees the same strengths, gaps, and opportunities.

2. A three-year roadmap

You'll leave with next steps and milestones for each year, paced with a crawl-walk-run approach that matches what your organization can actually absorb.

3. Your top three infrastructure priorities

Our checklist covers everything from your CRM to board relationship mapping. You'll leave knowing the three improvements that matter most for the next 12–24 months.

4. A plan for who owns what

You'll map clear roles for your CEO, development lead, board, and staff.

5. Tools to take back

These include benchmarking data, a sample moves-management plan, and simple formulas for measuring your event ROI and cost per dollar raised.

Bring your leadership team. Leave with a plan you can put into action.

Agenda

9:00 AM	Arrival and breakfast
9:30 AM	Welcome and introductions
9:45 AM	The Accelerator framework & case study
10:30 AM	Exercise 1: Clarify your fundraising vision
11:25 AM	Exercise 2: Assess your current capacity
12:15 PM	Lunch
12:35 PM	Exercise 3: Build your roadmap
1:30 PM	Peer feedback, connection and next steps
3:00 PM	Adjourn

Presented by TWB Fundraising. Includes a six-month check-in and optional coaching for participants.

Who should attend

The Accelerator works best when executive and development leadership are in the room together. We strongly encourage organizations to bring:

Your Executive Director or CEO
Your development lead
A key fundraising team member

What progress looks like

Increased giving is the goal, but it takes time to show up. Here's what past Accelerator participants accomplished in the months that followed:

Drafted a case for support for the first time
Began 1:1 meetings with board members to set individual fundraising goals
Built a portfolio of top prospective donors, with a small team reviewing it regularly
Planned personal follow-ups with event attendees instead of treating the event as the endpoint
Reframed the board's role as connectors and door-openers, not just askers

From event-dependent to $1 million gift

When Nick L. became CEO of the Latin American Educational Foundation, about two-thirds of its revenue came from events. He built board commitment, invested in infrastructure, and redirected staff time toward relationships. Over three years, annual donations more than doubled, and the organization secured a $1 million gift.

“It’s clear this framework was built with fundraisers, for fundraisers—thoughtfully addressing the many interconnected elements that shape an organization’s fundraising culture and practice.”

Kristin Pollock
Chief Operating Officer
Kids First Chicago

“I would highly recommend the Accelerator to nonprofit leaders and development professionals seeking to build or access a comprehensive, relationship-based (rather than transactional) fundraising strategy.”

Dayna Dion
Vice President of Communications and Operations
Easterseals Chicago