The Chamber Leadership Alliance (CLA) is proud to present you a Chamber Leadership Development Program (CLDP) on June 16, 30, and July 14!

This CLA program will leverage knowledge from subject matter experts on fundraising and grant writing to provide leaders with the necessary tools to grow sustainable chambers/chapters and advocacy organizations to effectively build and strengthen minority, women, LGBT, disability, and veteran business communities.

Agenda Description:

Part 1, June 16: Finding and Cultivating Funders During COVID-19 and Beyond (Time 11:00 AM-1:00 PM EDT)

• During times of crisis it can be difficult for Chambers of Commerce to accurately find funders who might support their work. Others, regardless of the time, have potential prospects but struggle to figure out which are the right ones to apply to with their limited time. This CLA session will help Chamber professionals with limited experience as well as those that are looking to elevate their skills in pursuing dollars from both private funders and public agencies to develop a pipeline of prospects for their organization. We will also address concrete outreach strategies (for during and after a global pandemic) that help you turn prospect research into the dollars that will allow you to achieve your larger organizational goals.

• In this training, you will:

  • Assess what type of funding will work best for your organization, particularly in light of any programmatic changes due to COVID19;

  • Build your toolkit of research resources to find the highest priority prospects first;

  • Develop a cultivation strategy for your organization that accounts for the current health crisis; and

  • Learn about tools for tracking prospects and funder relationships over time.

Part 2, June 30: Preparing a Grant Proposal During COVID-19 and Beyond (Time 11:00 AM-12:30 PM EDT)

• How can you be confident you’re writing a strong grant proposal, that gives funders the information they’re actually looking for? Writing strong grants can be tricky, particularly in times of crisis or uncertainty – whether you’re new to grant writing or have been writing grants for years. In this webinar, we'll break down what funders are actually looking for in a grant proposals, and show you how to take your existing grant language from 'okay' or 'good' to 'great!'

• We will:

  • Walk through the common sections found in grant proposals, and how to develop a compelling response for each;

  • Show you how to save time by reusing content, while still tailoring custom responses;

  • Share step-by-step feedback on sample grant language, and how to take it from 'ok' to 'good' to 'great'; and

  • Answer some of the most common questions we hear from clients on this topic, including how to tell your “COVID-19 story.”

• There will also be time for Q&A during the training. By the end of this webinar, you’ll have the insight and tools you need to be sure your grant proposal includes the information funders care about, in the most persuasive language possible.

Part 3, July 14: Project Design: Understanding and Measuring Impact During COVID-19 and Beyond (Time 11:00 AM-12:30 PM EDT)

• Strong programmatic outcomes are vital to the success of any grant program. Measuring these outcomes and understanding your Chamber’s impact is important — not only to achieve your goals, but also to communicate your work effectively. But programmatic monitoring and evaluation can be complicated – particularly as you assess and adapt in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This webinar will make monitoring and evaluation easy to understand and focus on practical tips and case studies.

• We will cover the following:

  • Why is monitoring and evaluation important?

  • How to improve your existing monitoring and evaluation process?

  • Digging deeper into concepts like: theory of change, logic model, data collection, assessment, and instrument, as well as qualitative and quantitative data.

• By the end of the webinar, you will be able to have a more nuanced understanding about the purposes of program evaluation, link it to your Chamber’s goals, and have concrete tips and techniques to begin or improve your evaluation efforts.

Meet the Expert:

Ava Knox

Ava Knox, Deputy Supervising Director of Grant Writing, has spent the last eight years as an institutional fundraiser, with a specialty of working with arts organizations of all sizes. At Elevate she supervises a team of early-career Grant Writers, facilities workshops and webinars for the public, and provides institutional fundraising expertise to a range of nonprofit clients.

She has worked as a performer, teaching artist, and fundraiser with nonprofit organizations in both California and the DC area, including: California Shakespeare Theater, Round House Theatre, and Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. Most recently, Ava served as the Development Manager for Blue Star Families, a nonprofit organization that provides free resources to more than 1.5 million military family members.

Ava is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Emerging Arts Leaders DC. She earned a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and graduated cum laude with a BFA in Acting from Brooklyn College.