Writing Workshop for Advancement

Strengthen the voice and consistency of your communications to donors and alumni.

Login On: October 15, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET

Zoom Login Instructions

JOIN ZOOM MEETING

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88682834023?pwd=MzZBTzBPTVh0RXZTVWpqNXlHbi9JUT09

Meeting ID: 886 8283 4023

Passcode: 120898

Prepare for the Workshop

This workshop is intentionally designed to allow for maximum learning, connections, and engagement. We advise the following in order to participate fully:

Agenda

October 15, 2020

10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Eastern

Technology Check
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. 

Welcome and Introductions
10:15 – 10:45 a.m.

Advancement Communication: The Medium and the Message
10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
We will begin with a brief overview of how donor communications are transforming. In this foundational session, we will establish the importance of remaining agile to create relevant and impactful acknowledgements, solicitations, and reports.

Clarifying Your Message
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Getting your message across while competing with all other mediums of communication is tough. The quality of your message needs to hook the recipient, be creative, and communicate what you mean. In this session, our faculty will also share strategies to combat and work through writer’s block.

Effective Messaging
12:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
In this interactive session, we will outline messaging best practices while we workshop samples of advancement writing. The faculty and group will review samples you and other attendees have submitted and offer feedback to help transform your shop’s communications. You will learn how to emulate the strengths of each piece in your own work and recognize common errors.

Break
1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

The Medium for Communications
1:30 – 2:15 p.m.
Where and how you communicate are essential points of consideration. It is important to utilize a medium that complements your message and resonates with donors and alumni. In this session, we will explore when utilizing a specific medium might be best and how being intentional can strengthen your message.

Streamlining Your Message
2:15 – 3:00 p.m. 
The best writing is concise. However, our messages to donors and alumni are often clouded by unnecessary words. We will help you clarify your communications by trimming down words and getting to the point quickly and effectively. You’ll have the opportunity to review and improve your own writing samples.

Break
3:00 – 3:15 p.m.

Communication Across Life Stages
3:15 – 4:00 p.m. 
In keeping your donors and alumni at the center of your communications, it is crucial to consider how they receive messages and want to be communicated with. Instead of making assumptions about your donors, we will focus on framing your approach from a life stages lens.

Expressing Thanks in Digital Spaces
4:00 – 4:45 p.m. 
Our communications with donors and alumni have moved off the page and into digital spaces. In this session, we will begin exploring new and interactive approaches for reaching alumni and donors and expressing gratitude.

Wrap-Up and Q&A
4:45 – 5:00 p.m. 

Virtual Networking and Informal Time with the Speakers 
5:00 – 5:30 p.m.