Training That Your Team Will Actually Use on Monday
Hands-on fundraising training for nonprofit staff, boards, and conference rooms. Built for under-resourced nonprofit organizations, taught in plain language, and designed so people leave knowing what to do next.
Book a 15-minute callLive on Zoom or in person. Staff trainings, board sessions, conference workshops, and facilitated conversations.
You've sat through the training where nothing changed.
Good speaker. Nice slides. A binder that went on a shelf. By the next staff meeting, everyone was back to doing things the way they always had.
That isn't because your team didn't care. It's because most training is built to inform, not to change what people do. Adults learn by working on their own problems, one idea at a time, with time to practice before they leave the room.
So that's how I build every session.
How I teach
Your work, not a case study from somewhere else
Every session includes time to apply the idea to your own organization. People leave with a draft, a plan, or a list, not just notes.
Plain language, no jargon
Fundraising is a learnable skill, and it should sound like one. We talk through examples, look at samples and create real understanding.
Built to outlast the session
Worksheets, templates, and simple routines your team can repeat after I'm gone, and hand off when someone new joins.
Pick the format that fits your people
Staff Trainings
60 to 90 minutes, live on Zoom or on site. For development teams, program staff, and anyone who talks to the community about your work.
Board Trainings and Retreats
Help your board understand how fundraising works and find a role each member can say yes to, without turning anyone into a salesperson.
Conference Sessions and Keynotes
Workshops, plenaries, and keynotes for associations, foundations, and conferences. Interactive by design, even in a big room.
Facilitation
Community listening sessions, planning conversations, and team retreats. I guide the conversation so your leadership can take part in it.
We will work with organizations to meet their needs. Scholarships and in-kind gifts may be available.
Popular topics
Every session is shaped to your audience. These are the ones groups ask for most.
- The Generosity Engine: how fundraising actually works, from first hello to lasting support
- The Board's Role in Fundraising: finding a job every board member can do
- Asking with Purpose: making the ask by email, phone, and in person
- How Supporters Decide: what moves people to give, and keeps them giving
- The Keeping Cycle: thanking and staying in touch so supporters stay
- Budgeting When Income Is Unpredictable: planning around the money you can count on
- Corporate Partnerships: moving past sponsorships into real business partners
- Systems That Outlast Any One Person: documenting the work so a staff change doesn't reset everything
Don't see your topic? Ask. I build custom sessions too.
Three steps from call to classroom
Talk
A 15-minute call to hear who's in the room and what you want to change.
Shape
I send a short proposal with the session outline, format, and price. We adjust until it fits.
Teach
I teach the session and leave your team with the tools to keep going.
Meet your trainer
I'm Sarah Barton, The Generosity Strategist and founder of Nonprofit411. I've spent 25 years in the nonprofit sector, raised more than $17 million, and trained more than 2,000 nonprofit professionals.
I've been the development director handed a goal, the executive director of a small foundation, and a grant reviewer reading applications from the funder's side. My roots are in West Virginia and Appalachia, and I work with nonprofits across the country.
I teach the way I wish I'd been taught: one idea at a time, with time to practice, in words everyone in the room can use.
Questions
Do you only teach fundraising?
Fundraising is my home base, and I also teach topics that support it, like staff communication, budgeting, and board roles. If you have a need, ask.
Can you teach in person?
Yes. I teach on site and on Zoom. Travel is quoted with the proposal. [CONFIRM TRAVEL POLICY]
How far ahead should we book?
[X weeks] is ideal. Conference dates fill first, so reach out early.
Will we get materials?
Yes. Every session includes worksheets or templates your team can keep using. The slides are not the takeaway. The tools are.
Can the session be recorded?
[CONFIRM RECORDING POLICY]
Our budget is tight. Is there a fit?
Let's talk. Scholarships and in-kind gifts may be available. Some groups also bring in a sponsor or share a session with partner organizations.
