The Public Media Major Gift Academy

Major Gift Academy

ADVANCING EVEN THE MOST SKILLED MAJOR GIFT PROFESSIONALS

Apply tactics to your major gift fundraising to bring in more gifts, bigger gifts, and less donor attrition over time.

Powered by Greater Public and Veritus.

Make a Strong Major Gift Program Even Better

Even the best major gift programs are challenged by donor attrition, decreasing gift amounts over time, the pressures of time management, burnout, and staff turnover.

The Public Media Major Gift Academy, powered by Greater Public and Veritus Group, is designed to remedy these challenges for public media leaders and major gift fundraisers. This three-month online training cohort offers tools and methods to help even the most experienced major gift fundraisers get better, more reliable results.

The donor-centered methods of the Major Gift Academy will:

  • Reduce your major donor attrition and increase major gift amounts over time, leading to less pressure to always find and cultivate new major donors.
  • Improve your methods and systems, even if you are the most talented and charismatic major gifts fundraiser.
  • Offer a positive and motivating accountability process for major giving staff.
  • Make major gift revenue more goal-focused and predictable, and less vulnerable to disruption in the event of staff turnover.
  • Reduce your caseload file to a manageable level for greater success and less risk of staff burnout.
  • Build a more collaborative culture of philanthropy within your organization.
  • Present a better approach to time management for better work-life balance.
  • Develop your major gifts program in a way that’s scaled to each station’s size.

Academy participants will:

  • Build meaningful relationships with donors.
  • Connect donor passions with your organization through compelling offers and asks.
  • Build the confidence needed to set, meet, and exceed ambitious revenue goals.
  • Understand how to create a truly donor-centered culture.
  • Know how to effectively engage your CFO and finance department in major giving success.
  • Join a supportive cohort of individuals from around public media who share the same goals and challenges.
Want a preview?
Sample Module 1 of the Academy >>

Thanks to a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, we’re able to offer this training for $999 (it’s normally $1,997). Please see below for more information regarding scholarship opportunities.

We are no longer accepting applications at this time.

In the words of past participants:
  • 85% say they’re confident or extremely confident in their ability to be more successful in major gifts as a result of the program, up from 0% who felt this confidence going into the program.
  • 80% have already increased revenue one year after completing the program, 55% with six-digit gifts. This is before the majority of participants have had the opportunity to fully implement all program recommendations.
Who is the academy for?
There are two tracks available:

  1. Major gift officers looking to bring in the type of transformational gifts that are commonplace in other nonprofits like hospitals, universities, and major arts organizations. Fundraisers will learn how to identify the right donors for cultivation, skillfully manage time and portfolios to build relationships with the right number of donors at the right time, connect with donors using the right offers and asks, feel confident addressing donor hesitation and objection.
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  2. Public media executives and fundraising managers looking to pivot their organizations to seize upon the historic revenue potential that major giving holds. Leaders will learn how to successfully, support and manage major gift officers, support a thriving donor pipeline that allows each donor to reach their true giving potential, and feel confident building meaningful relationships with major donors.

Applicants must be employed by CPB CSG grantee public media stations. Rural and minority audience service stations are encouraged to apply.

Who conducts the training?
The Public Media Major Gift Academy is designed by Greater Public and Veritus Group, the leading major-gift consulting agency serving nonprofits in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Veritus grew out of the combined 70+ years of experience of founding partners, Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels, who have focused for decades on metrics-based, results-driven, donor-centered fundraising originally with direct marketing, and, since 1995, major donor fundraising.

Veritus has fine-tuned its incredibly successful program for public media over the past year by conducting the Transformational Major Giving Pilot Program with Colorado Public Radio, WAMU, WCMU, and WHYY.

What does the training / time commitment look like for major gift officers?
The training consists of 8 training modules (topics below) to be completed over 14 weeks, earning 36 CFRE points. A module takes about 3-5 hours to complete and includes media resources like videos, podcasts, webinars, expert articles, and samples, as well as bonus reading and other assignments related to specific learning goals. Assignments are designed to apply what you’re learning to your own work and organization, so that you come out of this experience with a comprehensive plan and clear actions that will lead to your success.

This foundation is accompanied by regular live sessions to help participants integrate the training into their practice and ask questions.

Module 1: How to Think About Major Gifts
Module 2: Being a Major Gift Fundraiser
Module 3: How to Think About and Treat Donors
Module 4: Creating Donor Offers
Module 5: Caseload Principles / Managing the Right Donors / Setting Goals
Module 6: Creating Donor Strategy / Minding the Front and Back-End of Major Gifts
Module 7: Making the Ask and Dealing With Objections
Module 8: Staying in Control Through Ongoing Planning and Analysis

Explore the full learning guide for the major gift officer course >>>

What does the training / time commitment look like for executives and fundraising managers?
The training consists of 8 training modules (topics below) to be completed over 14 weeks, earning 36 CFRE credits. A module takes about 3-5 hours to complete and includes media resources like videos, podcasts, webinars, expert articles, and samples, as well as bonus reading and other assignments related to specific learning goals. Assignments are designed to apply what you’re learning to your own work and organization, so that you come out of this experience with a comprehensive plan and clear actions that will lead to your success.

Module 1: How to Manage a Successful Major Gifts Program
Module 2: How to Hire and Retain High Performing Major Gift Officers
Module 3: How to Think About and Treat Donors
Module 4: Creating Meaningful and Effective Donor Offers
Module 5: Managing Caseloads with the Right Principles, Systems, and Structures
Module 6: Setting up the Right Accountability and Evolution Systems for your MGOs
Module 7: Securing the Gift and Keeping the Donor with the Permission-Based Asking Model
Module 8: Being an Effective Leader and Establishing Ongoing Planning and Analysis

Explore the full learning guide for the executives and fundraising managers course >>>

When does it start? How long does it last?
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Semester Name Status Applications Open Application Deadline Start Date End Date
Fall 2019 (pilot) Sold out 10/8/19 10/23/19 10/28/19 2/17/20
Summer 2020 Sold out 10/8/19 4/22/20 4/27/20 8/3/20
Fall 2020 Sold out 4/10/20 9/2/20 9/7/20 12/14/20
Winter 2021 Sold out 8/14/20 1/6/21 1/11/21 4/12/21
Spring 2021  Sold out 1/11/21 3/10/21 3/15/21 6/14/21
Summer 2021  Sold out 2/1/21 6/24/21 7/1/21 9/30/21
Fall 2021 Sold out 8/26/21 10/13/21 10/18/21 2/3/22
Spring 2022 Sold out 10/22/21 3/4/22 2/28/22 6/1/22

What does it cost? Are there scholarships?
Thanks to a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, we’re able to offer this training for $999 (it’s normally $1,997).

Support from CPB also allows us to award 50 full scholarships to the program. All applicants will be considered for scholarship, no additional steps are needed. Consideration for scholarships will be based on budget size, with smaller stations receiving preference. Additional consideration will be made for rural audience service stations and minority audience service stations.

Not sure if you can afford the program? Apply! We’ll get you a decision within 7 business days.

Is there a way to preview the program's content?

Yes. Click here to see a sample of Module 1 of the Academy. 

Have more questions?
Please see our The Public Media Major Gift Academy – Other FAQs page.

Joyce MacDonald

President and CEO

jmacdonald@greaterpublic.org

This program is generously funded by:

CPB - Corporation for Public Broadcasting

 

What past participants are saying…

“Our fundraising team of three all participated in the MGA this fall. The combination of videos, podcasts and articles reinforced the fundamentals of fundraising and provided very specific tools to help organize our work. A combination of practical tactics and philosophy reinforced our commitment to the process of fundraising. The Veritus team was right there encouraging us to get the course completed by the deadline (an important task!). I recommend this course for new and seasoned fundraising professionals.”
Mardi Gradolf, Director of Development - Arizona PBS
“There are no words to express the gratitude and excitement I feel upon completing the Veritus Groups Academy Major Gifts Course.

My gratitude is a result of the changes I have experienced since the beginning of the course and then upon completion of the course and passing of the final exam. Going into the course I looked forward to learning something new but was apprehensive that I would be able to feel confident in myself enough to properly absorb the information. I saw what I thought would be information overload. I immediately felt at ease as soon as I had my first peer group session and realized that I was among a warm and welcoming group of master educators. This group helped me believe I could not only take in the information but apply it while I was continuing the course. The details on so many subjects, from back end management challenges, building trust with the donors, identifying the needs and problems our organization should address, organizing myself with Marketing Impact Charts, proposal writing and assistance in ways to draw the donors’ passions and interests out were just the tip of the many ways I could see myself making major but exciting improvements in handling my caseload.

I am looking so forward to meeting with my CEO and other staff as we explore so many topics. My leadership team is also very much on board with making the suggested changes.

I would highly recommend taking this course, whether you are an experienced Major Gifts Officer looking to freshen your outlook or a less experienced one like myself.

My biggest takeaway on completion of this course is that if you treasure and show true human concern for your caseload, apply the steps so simply outlined in the course, make use of the Marketing Impact Chart to organize yourself you will not only be successful but find greater joy in your mission to steward the wonderful folks your organization has entrusted to you.”

Patti DePaulis, Director, Philanthropic Partnerships - WCNY Public Broadcasting
“I am pleased with the courses and training from the Veritas Group through the Major Giving Academy. Not only has it provided structure and accountability to our development person, but it has also allowed me to plan a strong strategy for myself as an executive director. The tactics in training are fantastic. The videos are clear, the instructors knowledgeable, and the papers are to the point. I liked having some check-in calls with others in the program to use one of the great strengths of public radio in that we all want to help each other succeed in our mission.

To have strong training in fundraising allows us to raise more money to serve our communities better and ensure our future.”

Tammy Terwelp, Executive Director - Aspen Public Radio
“The material I learned in the major gift academy has helped me gain a better sense of how to go about the work of Major Giving in a more strategic and purposeful manner. The information provided concrete examples of how to execute the processes and philosophy shared throughout this course, and has given me detailed how-to’s for going about my day-to-day work, as well as long-term planning.

The most valuable lesson I took away was the philosophy around treating your donors as partners and not just sources of income. And true partnership includes regular communication, connecting interests & passions with the organization’s mission, and asking permission. I learned not only how to think about my relationships with donors in this manor, but also to then put that donor-centered philosophy into action. I would recommend this course to any fundraising colleague who is looking for a well-structured, comprehensive course on major giving.”

Danielle Abramson, Associate Director, Major Giving - WXXI Public Broadcasting