Arts Nonprofit Nuts & Bolts: Building Successful Fundraising Campaigns

This immersive two-hour workshop is tailored for individual artists, small arts nonprofits, and fiscally sponsored projects looking to strengthen their fundraising efforts through structured campaigns. Participants will gain practical knowledge on developing a robust fundraising strategy with tiered benefits that appeal to donors and sponsors, creating a foundation for sustained support and engagement.

Learning Objectives:

1. Cultivating a Culture of Philanthropy: Understand how to embed philanthropy into your organization’s values and everyday practices, fostering an environment where everyone, from artists to administrators, champions the cause.
2. Creating a Strategic Fundraising Framework: Learn to set realistic fundraising goals, identify key audiences, and build a timeline that aligns with your project or organization’s unique needs.
3. Designing Tiered Benefits: Discover how to craft meaningful benefit tiers that appeal to a variety of supporters, from individual donors to potential corporate sponsors, incentivizing ongoing engagement and loyalty.
4. Developing Persuasive Campaign Messaging: Explore storytelling techniques that effectively communicate your mission and project goals, inspiring donors to become part of your journey.
5. Engagement and Stewardship Strategies: Gain tips on nurturing relationships with donors, maximizing post-campaign communication, and building long-term connections.
   
   

About the Instructor
Nicholas Gulick (he/him/his), M.S., CFRE, ICF-ACC, is the Director of Development at OZ Arts Nashville, a Nashville-based nonprofit arts organization dedicated to innovative, contemporary art and performance experiences, and Principal Empowerment Coach for his namesake executive coaching and consulting firm. Nicholas created "Coaching Your Donors to Give: Relationship-Building Skills for Fundraisers," a program developed to empower professional fundraisers through powerful coaching skills. Recently named on the “The Risers” list of the In Charge honorees in the Nashville Post 2024 Leaders Issue, Nicholas has been recognized for his commitment to community leadership and advocacy.

Previously, Nicholas was the Director of Grants for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, where he oversaw all grants-related activities to support the center's diverse programming and nationally recognized arts education program, as well as the Corporate and Foundation Relations Manager at Nashville Ballet.

Nicholas is the Immediate Past President of Nashville Pride and an active member of Nashville in Harmony, most recently serving on the board of directors and chairing its strategic planning committee. Nationally, Nicholas is a member of the New Harmony Task Force for GALA Choruses and the Professional Education Committee for the Grant Professionals Association. A strategic leadership, communication, and learning and development consultant, Nicholas works with organizations to harness their 'people potential' and advance their missions.

A native of McMinnville, TN, Gulick holds an MS in Strategic Community and Leadership from Belmont University (‘21), a Graduate Certificate in Performance Coaching from Lipscomb University (‘20), and a BA in Music, and a BA in Speech Pathology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (‘12). His fundamental values are love, community, presence, heart, connection, and curiosity.