In an effort to assist nonprofits with capacity building, the Scott County Community Foundation will be hosting quarterly lunch and learn sessions. Board members, volunteers and staff of nonprofit organizations are highly encouraged to attend.

The first session, ?Fundraising: Donor Communications That Engage/Retain Donors? will be held Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Lifelong Learning Center. Steve Shattuck, Chief Engagement Officer with Bloomerang, will present the session. If you?re a fundraiser or nonprofit development professional, you?ve likely heard the term ?donor retention.? It?s one of the hottest topics of discussion in the nonprofit sector. But what is donor retention? And why is it important? This workshop will focus on how to effectively communicate with your donors in order to increase your retention rates. We will also focus on what can be done about retaining donors and building donor loyalty based on the principles of Dr. Adrian Sargeant and Tom Ahern, two of the foremost authorities on donor communications! We will show examples of their principles in action via various kinds of written and digital communications. The results of improved donor communications can be astounding when put into daily use. After all: it?s not about you. It?s about the donor.

Future topics include ?Fundraising: A Closer Look? on March 15; ?Recruiting an Effective Board of Directors? on June 5; and ?Nonprofit Planning?Yes You Can!? on Sept. 6. These workshops will be led by June Miller with the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network. June brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit training.

?We are excited to continue the nonprofit sessions that we hosted this past year,? said Community Foundation Executive Director Jaime Toppe. ?The series was well-attended, and our nonprofits reported many ideas that they planned to implement to strengthen their organizations.?

?I advise staff and volunteer board members to support your organization by attending,? said Toppe. ?Our grants committee will look favorably upon organizations that apply for funding from the Community Foundation, and have shown a desire to build their organization?s capacity through attendance at these sessions.?

The cost for attending is $10 per person and includes lunch. Registration is due one day prior to the session, and can be made by calling the Scott County Community Foundation at 812-752-2057 or emailing info@www.scottcountyfoundation.org.