For the Tomahawk Leader

LINCOLN COUNTY – UW-Madison Division of Extension Lincoln County recently provided information on an opportunity for local nonprofit professionals to connect and learn about fundraising and donor relations.

Elizabeth McCrank, CDI Educator with Extension Lincoln County, explained that the Wisconsin Nonprofits Connect to Learn is a new program designed to support nonprofit professionals and those who run community organizations on some of the topics most important to achieving their mission.

The second mini-course of the series, “Fundraising and Donor Relations,” begins Wednesday, Oct. 12, and registrations are currently open.

“The needs of each organization are unique and varied, and the pandemic added a further complication for many nonprofit and community organizations,” McCrank said. “According to a report from the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management and the UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics, Wisconsin nonprofit and community organizations experienced significant challenges in their operations and fundraising. While many of these organizations have shown incredible resilience, they also have a long way to go toward recovering and building future sustainability.”

McCrank noted that, in response to this statewide need, Extension professionals from across the state developed and piloted this program in 2020 and 2021 in several Wisconsin counties. Now the program is being offered more broadly.

“One of the unique features of this program is that it is focused on building a peer network while building some of the most asked-for skills,” McCrank stated. “These workshops foster collaboration and co-creation through peer learning and network building.”

Nonprofits and community groups are invited to take part in any or all of the offerings slated for 2022-2023:

• Fall 2022: Fundraising and Donor Relations (starts Wednesday, Oct. 12)
• Winter 2023: Telling Your Story Effectively (starts in Feb. 2023)
• Spring 2023: Leadership and Organizational Culture (starts in April 2023)

Each offering is $75.00. Scholarships are available.

To sign up, visit www.tinyurl.com/winconnect2learn. 

For more information, contact McCrank at 715-539-1078.