Steamboat Pilot & Today

When people feel like they are part of your organization, they are more likely to give donations. That's the simple message Sharon Ervine of Raising More Money will present May 14 as she walks nonprofit organizations through a systematic model for cultivating lifelong donors.

Before she resigned in March as president and CEO of the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, Dianna Sutton went to one of Raising More Money's workshops in Denver and saw it as a perfect opportunity for fund-raisers in Steamboat Springs.

Sutton approached the presenters and asked if they would like to take a nice drive in the mountains next time they came to Denver.

Not only did they say, "yes," but they also offered to give their two-hour workshop free of charge.

"Typically this would cost thousands of dollars," said Millie Beall, executive director of Routt County United Way.

Twenty-five people already have registered for the class, and there is room for 15 more attendees, Beall said. Registration is required.

The presenter, Ervine, worked at nonprofits and schools in Texas for 20 years. In 2002, she implemented the Raising More Money model as Senior Vice President of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. She now uses her experience to assist other nonprofits to create lifelong donors.

The Raising More Money workshop is part of an ongoing series of educational opportunities being provided to nonprofits by the Nonprofit Excellence Project. Each Capacity Building Workshop focuses on a specific area within nonprofit management or fund development.

To automatically receive e-mail notices about Nonprofit Excellence Project events, log onto http://www.steamboat-springs.net/cgi-bin/dada/mail. cgi.

-- To reach Autumn Phillips call 871-4210

or e-mail aphillips@steamboatpilot.com