Advancing Indiana’s Nonprofit Sector

The Fund Raising School at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, in collaboration with Lilly Endowment Inc., is excited to launch the Advancing Indiana’s Nonprofit Sector program. This initiative will empower Indiana nonprofit organizations with training and resources to enhance their fundraising capabilities and better serve their communities.

Drawing on insights from surveys and focus groups conducted in five regions of Indiana, The Fund Raising School is piloting this innovative program in 2025. Participants will benefit from easily accessible, research-based fundraising training, a comprehensive resource library, and a fundraising support hotline. The pilot program will provide tailored fundraising training to nonprofit leaders, focusing on small and medium-sized organizations in Southern and Northeastern Indiana. Overall, the program’s goal is to equip nonprofit staff and board members with the essential knowledge and tools to build sustainable fundraising practices. 

Key Training Needs Identified

• Fundraising for Small Nonprofits
• Annual Fund Development and Facilitation
• Board Development and Engagement in Fundraising

Cohorts

During the pilot phase, two cohorts, each comprised of up to 10 organizations from Northeastern and Southern Indiana, will be selected through an online application process. One staff member with development responsibilities and one board member from each organization will participate in each program training session.

Trainings

Participants will engage in six to eight three-hour professional development sessions in their region of the state between February and September 2025. These sessions will focus on key fundraising topics specifically tailored for small and mid-sized nonprofit organizations including the following:

• Organizational readiness for fundraising
• Board development, management, and engagement in fundraising
• New donor acquisition
• Fundraising with a small staff
• Planning and facilitating fundraising vehicles and strategies

Continued Support

Through this pilot, The Fund Raising School will work to provide continued support to participating nonprofits by establishing a resource library and hotline for support.

• Resource Library: Creation of a library with fundraising plans, templates, FAQs, and toolkits to support small to medium nonprofits
• Hotline: A support hotline for pilot participants to speak with experts to provide ongoing assistance and problem-solving

Cost of Program for Participants

Thanks to the generous support of Lilly Endowment Inc., the participation fee for this program is $299 per organization.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for the program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a 501(c)(3) organization or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3);
• Annual budget must be between $250,000 and $1,000,000;
• Must have at least one full-time staff member; and
• Located in one of the following Indiana counties: Adams, Allen, Blackford, Clark, Crawford, DeKalb, Dubois, Elkhart, Floyd, Grant, Gibson, Harrison, Huntington, Jay, Jefferson, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Orange, Perry, Posey, Pike, Scott, Spencer, Steuben, Switzerland, Vanderburgh, Wabash, Warrick, Washington, Wells, and Whitley.

How to Apply

You may apply online by clicking here.

You will have the option to save your progress and return later to complete your application.

Application Virtual Support Office Hours

Information on how to access the support office hours can be found here.

Application Deadline

Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Selection Notification

You will receive an email notifying you of your selection status by January 17, 2025. Please check your junk and spam folders for program-related messages.

If you have a question not answered above, please email tfrsopp@iu.edu. Please allow up to three business days for a response. Please submit questions by November 20, 2024, to ensure you receive a response before the application deadline.