Do You Need to Create a Successful
Women’s Philanthropy Initiative This Year?
Do You Need to Create a Successful Women’s Philanthropy Initiative This Year?
The Opportunity
You and Your Organization are Invited To Join the Women’s Philanthropy Senior Leader Seminar
The Senior Leader Seminar will help you create a successful women’s philanthropy initiative in your organization THIS YEAR. Join me and 11 other leaders from different organizations, meeting once a month for 9 months, to create and implement a women’s philanthropy strategy that works.
Those who follow the core six principles are surpassing their initial goals faster than they had anticipated. Become part of this growing community that successfully embraces women and all historically underrepresented groups to grow their fundraising.

Join a community of leaders ready to implement women’s philanthropy.
You will...
- Learn the 6 core principles of successful women’s philanthropy.
- Learn how to approach your influencers and decision-makers so you have the buy-in for this new path forward.
- Receive feedback on draft implementation plans, strategies, materials and talking points.
- Create and begin to implement your institution’s unique strategic roadmap for a sustainable women’s philanthropy focus that is integrated across your team.
- Gain the enthusiastic commitment, engagement, networks and first gifts from women who care about your organization.
You know that fundraising is a long-term game, and you won’t have achieved your vision by the end of nine months. But you WILL have begun to implement and gain early wins so that you know you’re on the right path.
The Senior Leader Seminar also provides you a community of peers that will endure far beyond the time we spend together. Why is this important?

Current best practices for fundraising were designed across two decades for the dominant donor of the 1970s – white, male and primarily straight.
These best practices became codified as fundraisers shared across institutions what worked. To more quickly design better practices for the more diverse donors of today, our seminar will accelerate the sharing of what works, what does not and why. Together we will create more tools and templates and amplify stories and impact across multiple institutions. The richness of all these resources will benefit you, your institution and far beyond.
During our sessions I will share the experiences I’ve gained working with dozens of organizations, such as William & Mary, Duke University, University of San Francisco, The Jewish Federations of North America, Young Life, The American Red Cross and the National Coalition of Girls Schools. And YOU will share with each other as you and your colleagues grapple together with the content to design your own unique plans to grow women’s support. DOING the work is the fastest way to LEARN the work.
Session details:
Here is the curriculum:
Session One: Key Principles and Cutting Through The Overwhelm of Data
Session Two: Leadership Buy-in
Session Three: Enlisting Women Champions
Session Four: Your Tailored Approach
Session Five: Getting Your Message Ready for the World
Session Six: The All-Important Listening Tour
Session Seven: Continuing Outreach and Involving Your Entire Organization
Session Eight: Critical Steps for Early Wins
Session Nine: From Your First Success to Sustained Success
This Senior Leader Seminar is designed to dive right in,
not wasting any time.
Here is the curriculum:
Session One: Key Principles and Cutting Through The Overwhelm of Data
Session Two: Leadership Buy-in
Session Three: Enlisting Women Champions
Session Four: Your Tailored Approach
Session Five: Getting Your Message Ready for the World
Session Six: The All-Important Listening Tour
Session Seven: Continuing Outreach and Involving Your Entire Organization
Session Eight: Critical Steps for Early Wins
Session Nine: From Your First Success to Sustained Success
How the seminar works
The key points of each session are simple to grasp, which means we can spend time actually implementing and course correcting within your organization, which means that instead of ideas you have an initiative that is getting results.
You’ll be bringing assignments from in between sessions, so we can do the deep work of grappling with what you have and making it apply it in real-time to what you’re working on and needing now.

Sample learning assignment
Session One
- In this foundational first session, we’ll cover the key principles for growing women’s philanthropy and how they affect your current organization. Then, we’ll cut through the overwhelm of donor data and help you zero in on exactly what data is needed to kick-off your efforts.
- Your assignment will have you apply what you’ve learned by reviewing one slice of your organization’s data.
Session Two
- Successful organizations have strong internal leadership commitment and involvement before they start. Using case studies of compelling documents used for leaders, we’ll discuss how to maximize your leaders’ championship of this effort.
- Your assignment will be to create or enhance your compelling internal case for women’s philanthropy at your institution.
Session Three
- External women influencers can both help guide your approach and be bold champions with leaders as well as their own networks. I’ll share various task forces and advisory groups who have helped accelerate the results.
- Your assignment will be to create a list of your influencers and begin first conversations to create your “guiding group.”
Session Four
- It is time to stretch – as in stretching your understanding of the 5 Ts of women’s philanthropy (Time, Talent, Treasure, Ties and Testimony). Honoring this broader definition of philanthropy makes all the difference in creating your tailored approach that will be robust, effective and sustainable. We’ll discuss the unique approaches of multiple institutions that have had early wins.
- Your assignment will be to draft a potential vision and focus for your initiative.
Session Five
- Our discussion and case studies this month will get into further details about the critical components of successful approaches, including the voice of your women stakeholders, metrics and meaningful inclusion.
- This month’s assignment is to enhance your high-level draft with what you learned in the session and then create a short version ready to share externally.
Session Six
- Women stakeholders who care about your organization are often more enthusiastic and bolder than you might anticipate. You can listen deeply to them through appreciative focus groups and/or surveys to find out what resonates and what is possible. We’ll share case studies, sample questions and various formats to gain this critical input.
- You’ll take what you learned and draft your “listening tour” plan to gain input from a broader set of women.
Session Seven
- While you reach out to the “Who” (your women stakeholders), we’ll do a deep dive into “What” is also needed for your early success. “What” includes fundraising processes, tools, templates, or skills and practices that have successfully been adapted in various institutions to connect with women effectively.
- Continue your outreach to your women stakeholders this month but also begin creating a list of the “What” actions you will eventually need across your organization for success.
Session Eight
- You are moving on many cylinders, and you can’t do it alone. So now is the time to broaden the “who” within your institution that will be critical to achieve success. The understanding, support and integration of the work across your organization is key to long-term sustainability.
- Your assignment is to create a list of who will be critical to helping achieve your early success and set up time to have at least two conversations.
Session Nine
- We’ll discuss what you can anticipate as your initiative flourishes and more and more women are involved. Success of your first initiative will open up the evolution of other ways women can provide support across your organization.
- While this is the last session, you will not be left alone. You’ll receive resources to stay in touch with this cohort, as well as join a larger women’s philanthropy learning community.
Participants, Dates, Price
Participants:
Meetings:
We’ll be meeting across 9 months for a 90-minute virtual session each month. Our meeting time is 3:00 to 4:30pm EDT to accommodate multiple time zones
Price:
For each seminar, there will be an Early Bird price of $4,900 up until three weeks before the seminar starts. After that, the Regular Price will be $5,400.
I can accommodate two payments if you need to pay across two fiscal years – let’s discuss.
Frequently Asked Questions
This seminar may or may not fit your needs. Let’s talk and find out.
Seminar application
Please fill out and submit a participant application if you are interested and have leadership commitment. We’ll then have a call to clarify details on your application and answer your questions. If it feels like your institution is ready, I’ll ask you to have your leader fill out the leadership form so I have both in hand as I’m making final decisions on enrollment.
Use the toggle button below to select the desired application.