Dive Into the Structure of Solicitation

A great fundraising ask can be delivered in seconds - after days, months, or even years of preparation. Not just time spent building relationships with donors, deeply understanding your own mission and vision, and scripting out your words. But the time that you've spent learning how everything fits together to create a meaningful invitation to invest in shared purpose. And chances are, you've been learning this for so long, you aren't even aware of everything you do at the subconscious level that contributes to your success.

Join us for lunch at noon CT on Tuesday, October 22nd to consciously explore your donor engagement strategies with our new Anatomy of an Ask tool. Kim Caldwell, worksheet creator of note, will be there to probe and reflect with you, spark new ideas, and sing any song lyrics prompted by the discussion. 

Tuesday, October 22nd at 11:00 AM CST

Register here! 🦑

This month, we’re diving into Giving Tuesday.  Love it or hate it, Giving Tuesday is just around the corner (December 3rd, to be exact!). And while the internet is buzzing with advice about viral campaigns and magic bullets, we know the truth: successful Giving Tuesday campaigns rely on tried and true fundraising and storytelling practices.  So, let's dive in early and discuss the real-world tactics and strategies we can put in place to launch campaigns that are both impactful and manageable. 

Join Charli Krause, Director of Nonprofit & Customer Relations at I Live Here I Give Here as we kick off a meaningful conversation about navigating Giving Tuesday with intention and confidence. 

Register here!

Every November, does your board lament "I wish we had time to integrate all of the good ideas I'm having right now into this year's End of Year appeal!"? If we're going to be different in 2024, now is the time to get started.

...and you're thinking "duh - but even though there is the desire to be different, the board doesn't feel the urgency to engage right now." And that makes total sense! For folks who aren't in the day-to-day, it can be really challenging to make brain space for tactics in the future on top of everything happening right now. 

Join our next Lunch and Learn to ideate with the GSG Team and your peers how to engage the board now in ways that align with the urgent and build for the rest of the year. And maybe this November, your board will be slo-mo jumping in the air, pumping a fist and celebrating the investment they secured for your mission!

Tuesday, August 13th 11:00 AM CST

REGISTER TODAY!

Let’s take the plunge together - dive into our Lunch Bunch for a candid fireside chat with real advice from real people.  

Let's Dive Into... how your small nonprofit can ditch the tech overwhelm and harness the power of simple, budget-friendly automation tools. We'll leave the jargon behind and focus on real-world examples and actionable tips to streamline your donor stewardship, simplify grant management, and reclaim precious time for your mission. No coding experience? No worries! This is for everyone. Join us and discover how easy it can be to automate your way to more peaceful day-to-day fundraising. 

This month, we’re harnessing the smarts of our Giant Squid Group team. Join Cat, Madeleine, and Kim to listen to how they use automation day to day with clients, internal operations, and even grocery lists! 

Register here: https://giantsquidgroup.gumroad.com/l/july-lunchbunch

Good grant applications tell a story." What does that mean? And how do you do that? Great questions - let's break down narrative in grantwriting together! This interactive training explores how storytelling works, tapping into shared values with your audiences, and constructing layers of stories that honestly and ethically engage funders in your mission. Spoiler Alert: you're already an expert at telling stories. Together, we'll make your communication as strategic and compelling as your organization's mission and impact!

BONUS: Sign up for a workshop session and get 45 minutes with Kim to talk through your values, context, and narratives 

This webinar will be led by GSG Strategic Consultant Kim Caldwell. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Kim’s not afraid to admit she thought it was normal that her grandparents had burnt orange carpet well into adulthood. Or that she can’t reliably spell “towel” on the first try. More importantly, Kim’s excited to put her 20 years of capacity building experience to work helping mission-driven writers and communicators develop their abilities to build investment in their organizations.

Sign up here!

https://giantsquidgroup.gumroad.com/l/june-webinar

Nonprofit board recruitment and retention is a perennial topic of conversation, but it can be difficult to put into practice, especially for small and start-up nonprofits. The advice that's often given can seem daunting or even impossible to implement. In this session, we'll have a real talk about strategy and tactics that are actually achievable for nonprofits of all sizes. We'll discuss how to assess your current needs, foster a culture of inclusion, and develop a diverse, skilled, and dedicated board that can drive impact and ensure long-term sustainability.

Join us Tuesday, May 14th at 11:00 AM CST

Click below to register!

https://giantsquidgroup.gumroad.com/l/may-lunch-bunch

Join Giant Squid Group for our free monthly Lunch Bunch and pick the brains of some of the best fundraisers we know! This isn’t another one-sided webinar or sales pitch: our Lunch Bunch is a Q&A style learning on some of fundraising’s most challenging topics. That means you can come as you are (hoodies & coffee encouraged) and learn with all of us. 

Let’s take the plunge together - dive into our Lunch Bunch for a candid fireside chat with real advice from real people.  

🦑 Learn when and how you want:  Join the free Lunch Bunch for a fireside chat and live Q&A, OR tune in later for the audio-only replay.

🦑Build your network with people you like: These are your people. Stick around after the Lunch Bunch to network, build relationships, and exchange ideas. 

🦑 Evolve your fundraising with community-centric principles: We focus on inviting participants who are committed to equity and social justice in their fundraising - and their work as a whole. 

Let’s Dive Into…Great AI Prompts

Odds are, you’ve played with Chat GPT to help your grant writing or fundraising appeals. And if you’re anything like me, you’re left with some copy that…definitely sounds like AI wrote it. So, I asked AI what to say about this Lunch Bunch! And, I was told: 

AI is not about a magic wand that will solve all your problems. It's about specific, actionable, and detailed prompts. The better your prompts, the better the results. Fundraising is no different. If you want AI to help you with your fundraising, you need to learn how to write and adapt prompts that are specific to your needs. This means understanding your audience, your goals, and the type of content you want to create. It also means being able to provide AI with enough information to work with. The more detailed and specific your prompts, the better AI will be able to help you achieve your fundraising goals.

This month, we’ll chat with Kate Farmer, a data scientist, mom, Swiftie, artist, and roller derby player to talk about how to actually talk to Chat GPT and teach it to talk back to you with the mission, vision, tone, and style of your nonprofit. 

Register here!

Every week, we host office hours on Thursdays at 11 am CST. These sessions are for the full group to meet, ask questions, brainstorm, and collaborate on strategy. They're more casual and won't be recorded, so feel free to join as you are! 

Lunch 'n Learn: Crafting Truthful, Nuanced, and Empowering Stories

At Giant Squid Group, we have a deep-rooted belief: Stories are not mere emotion-generating machines. Story consumers are not simply guzzlers of emotion. We hold the conviction that stories should always be constituent first and donor second. Our aspiration? To tell stories that are nothing short of truthful, nuanced, educational, and empowering.

Join us for this Lunch 'n Learn, where we delve into the art of crafting stories that go beyond traditional narratives. We're not here to tell stories for donors or branding alone; we're here to explore how stories shape our humanity and our world.

Let's uncover the true potential of storytelling together, creating narratives that resonate, educate, and drive change. Your story has the power to make a difference - it's time to unlock its full potential. 🌟📖💪

Click here to register!

Every week, we host office hours on Thursdays (this week Wednesday) at 11 am CST. These sessions are for the full group to meet, ask questions, brainstorm, and collaborate on strategy. They're more casual and won't be recorded, so feel free to join as you are! 

Every week, we host office hours on Thursdays at 11 am CST. These sessions are for the full group to meet, ask questions, brainstorm, and collaborate on strategy. They're more casual and won't be recorded, so feel free to join as you are! 

Every week, we host office hours on Thursdays at 11 am CST. These sessions are for the full group to meet, ask questions, brainstorm, and collaborate on strategy. They're more casual and won't be recorded, so feel free to join as you are! 

Every week, we host office hours on Thursdays at 11 am CST. These sessions are for the full group to meet, ask questions, brainstorm, and collaborate on strategy. They're more casual and won't be recorded, so feel free to join as you are! 

Coworking & Office Hours

10:00am - 11:00am CDT

What to expect:

• Office Hours with the Giant Squid Group team so you can bring your burning questions - or just chat!  

• Head-down silent coworking so you can be accountable to your peers & cross some shit off your to-do list.

• Open Conversation with like-minded peers to workshop ideas and challenges or just say hi!  

Register here!

Every week, we host office hours on Thursdays at 11 am CST. These sessions are for the full group to meet, ask questions, brainstorm, and collaborate on strategy. They're more casual and won't be recorded, so feel free to join as you are! 

Welcome to your Squad - and the End of Year Crash Course!

The 2023 Crash Course kicks off on October 10th and we can't wait to (virtually) see you!

What to Expect from The Crash Course

Each week we'll:

• Meet as a cohort for an hour (11am-12pm CST on Mondays)

• Share homework and to do's throughout the week

• Gather for office hours & coworking on Thursdays

• Hold a virtual accountability check-in on Fridays

• ...and offer plenty of resources, and hilarious GIFs along the way!

At the end of the Crash Course, you'll walk away with a winning fundraising strategy and a replicable and adaptable fundraising plan.

And in the process, we invite you - you fabulous nonprofiteer -  to raise your hand, ask questions, share nuggets of wisdom, and generally bring your whole bad-ass self to the table.

What's Next

If you haven't already, hop on over to Mighty Networks and make sure you can access your cohort. This will be our "hub" for all things, and while we won't start posting (too much) until October 10th, we welcome your introductions, cat memes, and wisdom!

Then mark your calendar for Mondays at 11am for our weekly cohort sessions (first week starts Tuesday, October 10th in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day) and keep an eye out for a calendar invite!

In this Lunch 'n Learn, we'll dive even deeper into the world of AI, focusing on a topic that's close to every nonprofit's heart: grant writing. Grant narratives can be a real challenge, but with the power of AI, we're about to change the game.

What's in Store:

📜 Refining Your Boilerplate: Discover how AI can help you craft a compelling, evergreen grant narrative boilerplate that saves you time and effort.

🚀 Boosting Efficiency: Learn how AI-driven tools can analyze and optimize your grant applications, ensuring you're putting your best foot forward with funders.

💡 Practical Tips: Get hands-on with practical tips and real-world examples of how AI can elevate your grant writing strategy.

🤓 Q&A and Networking: Engage in lively discussions, ask burning questions, and connect with fellow nonprofit professionals who share your passion for leveraging AI in grant writing.

Sign up here!

Welcome to your Squad - and the End of Year Crash Course!

The 2023 Crash Course kicks off on October 10th and we can't wait to (virtually) see you!

What to Expect from The Crash Course

Each week we'll:

• Meet as a cohort for an hour (11am-12pm CST on Mondays)

• Share homework and to do's throughout the week

• Gather for office hours & coworking on Thursdays

• Hold a virtual accountability check-in on Fridays

• ...and offer plenty of resources, and hilarious GIFs along the way!

At the end of the Crash Course, you'll walk away with a winning fundraising strategy and a replicable and adaptable fundraising plan.

And in the process, we invite you - you fabulous nonprofiteer -  to raise your hand, ask questions, share nuggets of wisdom, and generally bring your whole bad-ass self to the table.

What's Next

If you haven't already, hop on over to Mighty Networks and make sure you can access your cohort. This will be our "hub" for all things, and while we won't start posting (too much) until October 10th, we welcome your introductions, cat memes, and wisdom!

Then mark your calendar for Mondays at 11am for our weekly cohort sessions (first week starts Tuesday, October 10th in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day) and keep an eye out for a calendar invite!

Welcome to your Squad - and the End of Year Crash Course!

The 2023 Crash Course kicks off on October 10th and we can't wait to (virtually) see you!

What to Expect from The Crash Course

Each week we'll:

• Meet as a cohort for an hour (11am-12pm CST on Mondays)

• Share homework and to do's throughout the week

• Gather for office hours & coworking on Thursdays

• Hold a virtual accountability check-in on Fridays

• ...and offer plenty of resources, and hilarious GIFs along the way!

At the end of the Crash Course, you'll walk away with a winning fundraising strategy and a replicable and adaptable fundraising plan.

And in the process, we invite you - you fabulous nonprofiteer -  to raise your hand, ask questions, share nuggets of wisdom, and generally bring your whole bad-ass self to the table.

What's Next

If you haven't already, hop on over to Mighty Networks and make sure you can access your cohort. This will be our "hub" for all things, and while we won't start posting (too much) until October 10th, we welcome your introductions, cat memes, and wisdom!

Then mark your calendar for Mondays at 11am for our weekly cohort sessions (first week starts Tuesday, October 10th in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day) and keep an eye out for a calendar invite!

What to expect!

• Office Hours with the Giant Squid Group team so you can bring your burning questions - or just chat!  

• Head-down silent coworking so you can be accountable to your peers & cross some shit off your to-do list.

• Open Conversation with like-minded peers to workshop ideas and challenges or just say hi!  

Want to join? Click here to register!

Join Giant Squid Group for a free Lunch’n Learn and pick the brains of some of the best fundraisers we know! This isn’t another one-sided webinar or sales pitch: our Lunch ‘n Learns are Q&A style learning on some of fundraising’s most challenging topics. That means you can come as you are (hoodies & coffee encouraged) and learn with all of us. We can’t wait to see you there!

June's Lunch Bunch is all about AI. Join us for an informal session where we'll explore the world of nonprofit tech and AI tools. Our aim is to simplify your daily responsibilities by equipping you with innovative and user-friendly solutions.

In this free conversation, we will:

• Discover how these tech solutions can streamline your organization's everyday tasks and boost efficiency.

• Share firsthand experiences and insights, offering a comprehensive overview of the tools we utilize ourselves.

• Gain a clear understanding of their applications and learn how to integrate them into your work.

Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving landscape of nonprofit management.

About Squid Squads

Giant Squid Group's Squid Squad is an inclusive online community empowering individuals like you to engage in informed anti-racist and intersectional feminist and liberatory work. We've transformed our structure to provide a secure space for members to unite and collaborate across all sectors in the pursuit of equity, justice, and positive change.

We offer our monthly Lunch Bunch for free so that we can harness the collective wisdom, energy, and inquiry of our entire sector. Learn more and join the Squad here.

The words we use matter. The stories we tell have an impact. Yet, our grants are often full of old, recycled language and buzzword descriptors that are more than just boring — they’re harmful. Grant writers play a critical role in branding the organization and crafting the ways in which it is presented to funders, and thus they are critical in integrating social justice into fundraising programs - and the overall culture and work of their organization. 

Use Your Grants as A Tool of Change

Giant Squid Group’s Grant Writing Glow Up is an immersive, two-hour workshop that explores how grant writers at all stages of their careers can ground their grant writing practices in race, equity, and social justice.  Participants will explore the ways in which we talk, teach, and practice nonprofit work can uphold harmful systems of oppression - or use their writing to further anti-racist, community-centric principles. From word choices to storytelling, we’ll delve into how to deconstruct grant writing and identify alternatives that writers can start using right away.

The Grant Writing Glow Up Workshop Includes:

• A deep dive into YOUR grant proposals. Submit a grant (or section of a grant) before the workshop and get real-time, one-on-one coaching during breakout sessions with our team, then learn  as your neighbors take their turn in the “hot seat.”

• Essential resource sharing.  The workshop wraps up with a feedback session and an opportunity for you to ask questions like “what is the best grant tracking software?” or “how do I handle burnout?” We’ll create a resource roundup plus takeaways and next steps just for you

• A network of support. Registration includes an invitation to join a Facebook community of nonprofit professionals, coaches, and peers all working to make the world a better place!

• Tips for avoiding stereotypes. and promoting empowering stories about participants, and using clear language when discussing DEI initiatives and fundraising programs.

Only 20 Seats Available - Register Today!

The Grant Writing Glow Up is valued at $159 but like all of our programs, you can choose your registration price.

While not all nonprofits have the same resources, we want them to have access to fundraising practices that help them build stronger communities, center marginalized voices, and work towards transformative change. Our Pay What You Can fee structure ensures we can offer quality programs and invest in our team, while also committing to economic justice. 

Struggling to engage your board members in fundraising activities? Don't worry, you're not alone. The Build a Superhero Board: Intro to Board Engagement workshop is here to help you learn proven strategies to build relationships and drive fundraising results. In this workshop, you'll discover key fundraising topics, practical tips, and tools to engage your board members, build stronger relationships with them, and drive measurable results. Take your nonprofit's fundraising efforts to the next level and register now to secure your spot!

This training is part of a six-part series on creating a fundraising plan designed to give you clarity + focus while having the flexibility to be responsive to industry change.

Are you tired of hosting fundraising events that don't generate the revenue you need? Do you want to learn how to plan and execute events that make an impact? Join our Impactful Events that Actually Raise Money workshop to learn the strategies and best practices for hosting successful fundraising events. You'll learn how to create a compelling event concept, engage donors and sponsors, and maximize revenue streams to support your mission.

This training is part of a six-part series on creating a fundraising plan designed to give you clarity + focus while having the flexibility to be responsive to industry change.

Are you struggling to secure grants for your nonprofit? Do you find the grant writing process overwhelming and confusing? Join our Grant Writing 101 workshop to learn the essential skills you need to turn your grant proposals from mediocre to successful. Our workshop will cover everything from prospect research to crafting a compelling proposal. You'll learn the key components of a successful proposal, how to identify potential funders, and tips for making your proposal stand out from the competition.

This training is part of a six-part series on creating a fundraising plan designed to give you clarity + focus while having the flexibility to be responsive to industry change.

Are you tired of feeling like you're always behind when it comes to individual fundraising? The You & Me: Individual Fundraising Moves Management workshop is here to help.

In this one-day intensive, you'll learn how to create a personalized fundraising plan that is tailored to your donors. You'll learn how to build and maintain relationships with individual donors, and how to manage those relationships to maximize fundraising efforts.

This training is part of a six-part series on creating a fundraising plan designed to give you clarity + focus while having the flexibility to be responsive to industry change.

Join us for the part two DEEP DIVE of our individual fundraising workshop. Missed week one? Don't worry - we'll send you a video recap so you can be ready to build a fundraising plan that works.