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July 27, 2010
Dini Partners’ Robert Corder was named to Colorado Public Radio Board of Directors
Colorado Public Radio's (CPR) board of directors named Warren Olsen board chair. In addition, newly-appointed directors Robert Corder, Melinda Quiat and April Thayer, whose three-year terms started July 1, bring extensive business and nonprofit knowledge to the board.
Read more.
April 26, 2010
“Beyond Writing the Check: Working Closely with Donors on the Development of Institutional Programs”
AHP Pacific and AHP Rockies & Southwest Joint Regional Conference
Phoenix, AZ
Michelle Buchanan, CFRE, Partner
How do you encourage a major gift donor's passion for your program without letting them run the show? This session will share insight into how best to partner with the actively engaged donor while maintaining a healthy and manageable level of donor influence in your organization.
April 25-27, 2010
“Road Map to Major Giving, Now and in the Future”
AHP Pacific and AHP Rockies & Southwest Joint Regional Conference
Phoenix, AZ
Judy Waxman, CFRE, Senior Consultant, and Kristi Gordy, CFRE, Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas
The face of philanthropy is evolving. Are you? Learn how a Generation X donor group was created to support Dell Children’s Medical Center and then leveraged to obtain several major gifts within its first year. Establish you own successful group to bring in major gifts now, and through Generations Y, Z, and beyond.
March 27-30, 2010
“The Mystique of Moves Management”
CASE District IV Annual Conference
Austin, TX
Fayruz Benyousef, CFRE, Partner, and Heather Burton, Sage North America-Nonprofit Solutions
Moves management doesn’t have to be mystifying. In fact, those new to the concept are probably doing it already, just not in a proactive or systematic manner. Moves management, at its core, is about the relationship your organization has with your donors – and how you strategically deepen each relationship through the stages of awareness, to commitment to your organization’s mission and values. Those attending this session will learn best practices for moving donors up the giving ladder.
March 29, 2010
“Balancing Aspirations and Reality: Advancing the Philanthropic Agenda Across Campus”
CASE District IV Annual Conference
Austin, TX
Ben Renberg, CFRE, Partner, Dr. Dennis A. Prescott, Baylor University, Jim Palincsar, Texas A&M Foundation, and Craig Shaver, SMU
Ben Renberg will facilitate a panel of senior university development leaders to discuss a range of topics, including: how the national economy has influenced communication with executive board leadership; strategies of meeting institutional aspirations with a firm understanding of reality; finding efficiencies and how your office can do more with less; how to define new programs and talent throughout the university to plan for the future; and how to advance the development agenda in a presidential transition.
March 4, 2010
“Where is the Money? Strategies for Successful Fundraising in 2010"
Best Boards: A Leadership Conference for Nonprofits, presented by Rice University and AFP-Greater Houston Chapter
Deacon Larry Vaclavik, Principal and Managing Partner
Nonprofit organizations face increasing demands for services while revenues decline and the stock market struggles. Larry Vaclavik will discuss Dini Partners' Giving in 2010 survey results, which gauged the outlook of major philanthropists for the year ahead. He will also offer practical strategies for navigating the new world of fundraising.
February 25, 2010
“Prospect Research: No Time and No Money”
Association of Fundraising Professionals, San Antonio Chapter Annual Conference
San Antonio, TX
Ali McLane, Consultant
Who are your prospects? Who is making money in this economy? How can you identify and research them effectively in the least amount of time? Prospect research is an investment. How can you get the biggest return for that investment? This session will show you how to achieve the biggest return on investment using tools you already have, plus get the skinny on low cost/no cost resources you can put into action at the office the next day. Learn how to turn data into actionable intelligence!
February 19, 2010
“Creating A Successful Board and Staff Partnership”
AFP-Greater Houston Chapter's Ask the Experts Conference
Houston, TX
Ben Renberg, CFRE, Partner, and Nicole McWhorter, CFRE, Consultant
Executive leadership of nonprofits face numerous challenges in their quest to achieve the right balance in board leadership. Board members need to be well informed, enthusiastic, and involved advocates who engage in fundraising for your organization. In this session, participants will learn and discuss: what makes a high performing board and best practices for effectively managing the nonprofit board; how the board and staff can work collaboratively to move an organization to the next level; and recruitment techniques and stewardship ideas for volunteer leaders.
February 19, 2010
“Fundraising Best Practices: Donor-Centered Not Dollar-Centered”
AFP-Greater Houston Chapter's Ask the Experts Conference
Houston, TX
Ben Renberg, CFRE, Partner, and Nicole McWhorter, CFRE, Consultant
Even in today’s challenging economic times, successful major gift campaigns continue to be organized, planned, and executed. But only those with all the right components in place will be successful. This session focuses on building the "know-how" to inspire donors to give and the best practices that define high performance fundraising. Learn what donors expect before and after making an investment, the role board and staff play in fundraising, and ways to increase fundraising results, even in tight economic times.
Nicole McWhorter and Holly Williams presented two sessions to the American Humanics Management/Leadership Institute (AHMI) in January 2010. Their session “The Nonprofit Board – Central to Organizational Success: Best Practices for Volunteer Leadership” explored what makes a high performing board and how the board and staff can work collaboratively to move an organization to the next level. Their second session “Fundraising Best Practices: Donor-Centered, Not Dollar-Centered” discussed what donors expect before and after making an investment, the role board and staff play in fundraising, and ways to increase fundraising results, even in tight economic times.
Ali McLane and Ben Renberg presented “Building the Middle of the Pyramid: From Identification to Engagement” to the Colorado Professional Researchers for Advancement (CPRA) 2009 Fall Symposium. The session focused on the change in the distribution of the donor pyramid, in part due to the bursting of the housing bubble and the decline of Wall Street. As the distribution of wealth changes and new wealth emerges, the middle of the pyramid becomes more important than ever to reach fundraising goals. Ali reviewed how to identify and research prospects for the middle of the pyramid, and Ben shared how to prepare engagement plans for these new prospects and position for long-term relationships.
In October 2009, Ali McLane presented two sessions at the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) Annual Conference. Her first session addressed “Stewardship: Taking the Donor Experience from Ordinary to Extraordinary.” In the current economic crisis, no donor can be taken for granted. Ali reviewed techniques on segmenting and using technology to capitalize on all stewardship opportunities, taking the donor experience to extraordinary levels. Ali also presented her signature session, “Prospect Research: No Time and No Money,” in which she demonstrated how organizations can achieve the biggest return on investment using tools they already have, plus get the skinny on low cost/no cost resources they can immediately put into action.
Ben Renberg presented “Building a Culture of Philanthropy” to the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation’s Transforming Leadership Returns! training series in October 2009. During the session, participants learned how to recruit the right board members, empower board members’ fundraising capacity, and find and culture relationships with prospective donors.
Ali McLane presented “Demystifying Fund Raising Information and Analytics” in October 2009 to the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Houston Chapter. Over the past decade, nonprofit organizations have been collecting more information than ever before. With this growth in data collection, nonprofits now need the ability to interpret and transform this information into Actionable Intelligence.™ Data expert Ali McLane presented an overview of the different methods of analyzing data to demystify database information and the world of analytics.
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| Dini Partners’ Karen Waller with Dallas Mayor Laura Wheat, recipient of AFP-Greater Dallas Chapter’s Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer award, sponsored by Dini Partners. |
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Ali McLane presented “Donor Base: Profiles and Analysis for Successful Giving Programs” on September 10, 2009 as part of the Development Dialogues webinar series. The session provided participants with the opportunity to understand the best techniques for identifying donors for their giving programs. The webinar presented best practices to identify and enlist a larger support base. Participants also learned to identify donors using external and internal resources, segment annual fund donors using external and internal data, and develop research strategies for high-touch annual fund donors.
Fayruz Benyousef presented “Fund Development Strategies – Are You Ready for a Capital Campaign?” to the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals (TORCH) Foundation 2009 Grant Workshop. This session covered the fundamentals of what a capital campaign is and is not, providing participants with a top ten checklist of things to know and do before launching a new campaign. The session also offered insights on donor attitudes about giving in this turbulent economy. For more information about the TORCH Foundation, please visit www.torchnet.org.
Ali McLane, consultant, presented “Research on a Budget” at the APRA Greater Houston 2009 Workshop held June 12, 2009. Her session focused on helping attendees achieve the biggest return on investment using research resources they already have, plus get the skinny on low cost and no cost resources they could put into action at the office the next day. For more information about other programs sponsored by APRA’s Greater Houston Chapter, visit www.apragreaterhouston.org.
Several members of the Dini team presented at the AHP Rockies & Southwest and Southeast Regional Conference in June 2009 in Nashville, TN. David Northington, principal and partner, was co-presenter of “Enhancing Your Board’s Performance – To Keep Your Donors Happy and Generous,” detailing how a board can be engaged in an organization’s stewardship activities and help fill one of your greatest needs: donor retention. Fayruz Benyousef, partner, co-presented “From Turnover to Transformation,” a case study examining the successful campaign mounted by Peterson Regional Medical Center during a critical leadership change. Finally, four members of the Dini team – David Northington, Fayruz Benyousef, Michelle Buchanan, and Judy Waxman – facilitated “Nowhere to Go but Up: Raising Major Gifts When the Chips are Down.” In this session, they discussed a variety of coping strategies to navigate the current economic climate, including maintaining a strong case for support, nurturing, stewarding and retaining donors, and assessing operations for efficiency and efficacy. For information on other programs presented by AHP Rockies and Southwest Region, visit www.ahp.org/regions/rockies-and-sw/index.php.
David Northington, principal and partner, presented “How to Strategically Plan for the Success of Your Development Program” to the AFP Central Texas Chapter in May 2009. He offered an entertaining overview of the process and importance of strategic planning for an organization, and encouraged participants to consider the role of planning in all aspects of their organization, from operations to fundraising, board development to succession planning. For more information on AFP-Central Texas, go to www.centexafp.org.
Sally Blue, consultant, was a co-presenter of “Grants and Funding: Show Me the Money” webinar for the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals (TORCH) Foundation. The webinar offered valuable information on fundraising in the form of grants, capital campaigns, and donor cultivation. During the first half of the session, TORCH Grant Writer Robin Myrick discussed the fundamentals of grant-seeking. In the second half of the program, Sally presented how a robust grants program fits into the larger fundraising efforts of an organization, and discussed the integration of vital program components that can help an organization develop a fully functioning fund development initiative, including major gifts, the donor cultivation cycle and pipeline, and the role of capital campaigns. To learn more about upcoming TORCH webinars, please visit http://foundation.torchnet.org/torchcast.php.
Ali McLane, consultant, served as faculty for the annual CASE Campaign Conference on Campaign Fundamentals in May 2009. Along with Charles Headley of SMU and Chris Pipkens of James Madison University, the group covered a range of strategic topics during the two-day conference including prospect identification and management, campaign reporting, and data management best practices. For more information on CASE’s upcoming education conferences, please click here.
United Way of Northwest Louisiana, Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations and the North Louisiana Chapter of AFP hosted Ben Renberg, senior consultant, and Ali McLane, consultant, for two separate presentations on May 7, 2009. Ben Renberg presented “Now What…Take It to the Street!” which focused on prospect engagement during various points of the donor cycle. He also covered the creation of action and engagement plans with donors and prospects, and discussed how participants can start making effective prospect calls the very next day. Ali McLane’s session, “Prospect Research: No Time and No Money,” helped participants craft strategies to identify and research prospects effectively in the least amount of time, achieve the biggest return on investment using tools they already have, and get insight on low cost/no cost resources that can immediately be put into action.
Anne Murphy, principal and partner, and Ali McLane, consultant, served as faculty members for Rice University and AFP-Greater Houston Chapter’s two-day course “Capital Campaigns, Major Gifts and Planned Giving” in April 2009. Faculty members discussed the components of a successful program, the management of staff and volunteers, planning communications, and strategies and techniques for cultivating and soliciting donors. For more information about Rice University’s nonprofit and fundraising courses, click here.
Fayruz Benyousef, partner, presented "The Almost Perfect Board: How Do I Get One?" to the Texas Association of Rural and Community Hospitals' 2009 Conference in April. She discussed the intricacies of volunteer boards, recruiting individuals for service, meaningful opportunities for engaging board members, ongoing stewardship of volunteer leaders, and best practices for effectively managing the nonprofit board. For more information on future conferences, visit www.torchnet.org.
Ben Renberg, senior consultant, and Ali McLane, consultant, presented "2009 Giving Trends: Passionate about the Mission" at the 2009 CASE IV Annual Conference and at the 2009 APRA-Southwest Annual Conference. The phrase "economic climate" has not been spoken so frequently in living rooms and board rooms throughout the region in decades. In December 2008, Dini Partners conducted a survey of 100 philanthropic leaders across the U.S. concerning their giving outlook for 2009. In these sessions, Ben and Ali reviewed the survey results, shared participant insights, and discussed recommendations to assist institutions continue sound planning and donor engagement in the days ahead. For more information on future CASE IV conferences and events, visit www.caseiv.org or on APRA-Southwest, visit www.aprasw.org.
Anne Murphy, principal and partner, co-presented "Building Your Endowment" at the AFP International Conference with Greg Robertson, chief development officer of the Houston Grand Opera, on March 30, 2009. This session covered the characteristics of endowment success and how to build a successful endowment fundraising program. Participants gained insights into the planning, implementation, and long-term maintenance of strong endowment programs through the lens of their constituents. For information on future conferences and events, visit www.afpnet.org.
Dini Partners’ Holly Williams, consultant, chaired the 2009 Best Boards: A Leadership Conference for Nonprofits, presented by AFP-Greater Houston Chapter and Rice University, in March 2009. The conference featured two breakout sessions presented by members of the Dini team. Robert E Corder, principal and partner, co-presented “Surviving and Thriving in Uncertain Times” with Joseph W. Synan of Leadingwell Associates. Session participants had the opportunity to gain insight, planning guidelines, and other ideas that will help nonprofits thrive, even in times of economic challenge. Anne Murphy, principal and partner, moderated the session “What Funders Look For.” Panelists comprised of foundation executives discussed what donors expect before and after making an investment, the role board members play in the development process, and ways to increase fundraising results. For additional information on AFP-Houston's future conferences and events, visit www.afphouston.org.
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Through our exceptional staff, we provide clients innovative solutions with dynamic results, a team of catalysts with whom they enjoy working and the integrity of a partner committed to greatness.
For 40 years, Dini Partners has worked with some of the nation’s premier institutions to transform their vision into a basis for strong, sustaining philanthropic partnerships. Discover how we can help you.
Dini Partners is a national firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, with additional offices in Dallas, Austin and Denver, Colorado.
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