Communicating your Cause in Challenging Times

Location: The Four Seasons Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (Next door to the RDS)
Date: Tuesday 27th July 2010
Time: 9am-1pm
Fee: €65 (Early bird rate) - Book before July 15th. €80 standard rate for bookings made after July 15th.

Overview

"Demand for Services Soar. Donations Dwindle". Regardless of the mission or size of your organisation, every fundraiser seems to share the same primary concerns right now, such as:

How do you make your message stand out in an increasingly crowded field of ever scarcer resources?
How can you refine your case for support so that it's both compelling and unique?
What are the most cost-effective channels for delivering that message to make the most of limited budgets?

These questions and more will be explored by a panel of diverse professionals who will share real-world examples to help give you the competitive edge in fundraising communications.

Confirmed Speakers include:

Alistair Hodgett, Head of Public Affairs with Wilson Hartnell Public Relations; Richard Dixon, Director of Fundraising at Concern Worldwide, as well as representatives from Facebook and the DSPCA.

Aim:

To provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively communicate your fundraising message to the media.

For:

Anyone in fundraising responsible for external communications.

Fee:

€65 (Early bird rate) - Book before July 15th. €80 standard rate for bookings made after July 15th.

Agenda

09.00am Registration (tea/coffee)

09.30pm Introductions, welcome and update from Fundraising Ireland
Speaker: Mary O'Kennedy, Chair of Fundraising Ireland

09.40am - 10.20am Session 1: Messages That Work for the Whole Organisation (and especially for fundraisers)

Different aspects of an organisation's messaging - fundraising, advocacy, media relations etc - can often emphasise different needs, make different asks of audiences, and communicate on different timelines with different abilities to respond to opportunities.

In this challenging environment, how can organisations find common messages that resonate with audiences including donors, and lead them to give larger amounts more frequently (or give for the first time)? How can the fundraiser make best use of the full array of available comms tools to achieve a measurable return on any investment?

Alistair Hodgett, Head of Public Affairs for Wilson Hartnell Public Relations and former Washington DC Media Director for Amnesty International will provide insights into how to develop effective messages for today's environment and how to select and use low-cost comms tools to deliver them.
Speaker: Alistair Hodgett, Head of Public Affairs, Wilson Hartnell Pubic Relations.

10.20am - 11.00am Session 2: Getting the Most out of Facebook
Speaker: Nikki Lannen, Sales Representative UK and Ireland, Facebook.

11.00am - 11.20am Coffee and Networking break

11.20am - 12.00pm Session 3: A Duck Hears Also: making sure your message is listened to and not just heard.

At least 3,000 NGOs are operational in Haiti – many of these launched appeals for funds in the immediate aftermath of January’s earthquake. In Ireland, dozens of groups and organisations also appealed for support. Richard Dixon, Concern’s director of fundraising, explains how Concern launched their appeal for support in Ireland, ensuring that they their key messages were listened to and acted upon, rather than just becoming part of the background noise.
Speaker: Richard Dixon, Director of Fundraising, Concern.

12.00pm - 12.40pm Session 4: Funding Your Cause in Challenging Times: The DSPCA story of sustainability
Speaker: Lori Davis, Head of Development and Sustainable Funding, DSPCA.

12.40pm - 1.00pm Panel Discussion and Q & A

1.00pm Close

Agenda
09.00am	Registration (tea/coffee)
09.30pm	Introductions, welcome and update from Fundraising Ireland Speaker: Mary O'Kennedy, Chair of Fundraising Ireland
09.40am - 10.20am	Session 1: Messages That Work for the Whole Organisation (and especially for fundraisers) Different aspects of an organisation's messaging - fundraising, advocacy, media relations etc - can often emphasise different needs, make different asks of audiences, and communicate on different timelines with different abilities to respond to opportunities. In this challenging environment, how can organisations find common messages that resonate with audiences including donors, and lead them to give larger amounts more frequently (or give for the first time)? How can the fundraiser make best use of the full array of available comms tools to achieve a measurable return on any investment? Alistair Hodgett, Head of Public Affairs for Wilson Hartnell Public Relations and former Washington DC Media Director for Amnesty International will provide insights into how to develop effective messages for today's environment and how to select and use low-cost comms tools to deliver them. Speaker: Alistair Hodgett, Head of Public Affairs, Wilson Hartnell Pubic Relations.
10.20am - 11.00am	Session 2: Getting the Most out of Facebook Speaker: Nikki Lannen, Sales Representative UK and Ireland, Facebook.
11.00am - 11.20am	Coffee and Networking break
11.20am - 12.00pm	Session 3: A Duck Hears Also: making sure your message is listened to and not just heard. At least 3,000 NGOs are operational in Haiti – many of these launched appeals for funds in the immediate aftermath of January’s earthquake. In Ireland, dozens of groups and organisations also appealed for support. Richard Dixon, Concern’s director of fundraising, explains how Concern launched their appeal for support in Ireland, ensuring that they their key messages were listened to and acted upon, rather than just becoming part of the background noise. Speaker: Richard Dixon, Director of Fundraising, Concern.
12.00pm - 12.40pm	Session 4: Funding Your Cause in Challenging Times: The DSPCA story of sustainability Speaker: Lori Davis, Head of Development and Sustainable Funding, DSPCA.
12.40pm - 1.00pm	Panel Discussion and Q & A
1.00pm	Close

Fundraising Ireland would like to thank the Four Seasons Hotel for its generous donation of the room for this, and all Fundraising Ireland events.