When? Thursday, 13th June, 2pm-3pm (BST) / 9am-10am (EDT)
Where? Webinar link will be sent upon registration
Who should attend? Any charitable organisation in Arts, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Heritage, International development, etc., based outside the US, working with a 501(c)(3), or thinking about doing so.
How much? £60 + VAT
About the webinar
If your organisation is serious about fundraising, chances are you’ve looked at engaging donors in the US. With private contributions to the charitable sector amounting to $410 billion p.a., the potential is huge, and Americans are famously philanthropic.
To make it easier for US-taxpayers to contribute, your supporters may have set up a dedicated 501(c)(3) – a “Friends” group – which has been up and running for a while. Or they may be making donations to other 501(c)(3) organisations that support a range of non-US charities.
But it turns out the streets aren’t quite paved with gold after all. Working with the Friends group has been more challenging than expected. Its independence has led to a complex collaboration, and relationships with your prospects have not progressed much. Compliance requirements and recent GDPR rules are a constant worry. And so US fundraising can come at a higher cost than imagined.
No wonder. Building a fundraising operation thousands of miles away and growing an effective relationship with a Friends group can be hugely rewarding; but it requires expertise and discipline. How can you create strong links with a legally independent group and maintain control of your fundraising operations? What role should the board members play? How do you choose and engage them carefully? Which are the common pitfalls of the regulatory landscape of Friends groups and how can you avoid them? Can data be shared between the Friends group and its home institution? Overall, what expectations should the Friends group and home institution have of each other?
During our decades of work with clients in the UK and across the globe, we have helped many organisations to navigate the regulations and their relationship with associated 501(c)(3)s, to realise US fundraising potential.
On Thursday 13th of June, 2pm-3pm (BST), join our webinar and learn about the specific steps you can take to address these most common and pressing challenges when raising funds in the US.
The Programme
Three expert More partners will present major aspects of effective fundraising in the US:
Joanna Storrar on relationships: understanding the US context and keys to growing a healthy relationship with your supporters and the 501(c)(3) groups you work with.
Ken Hoffman on structure and regulation: ensuring regulatory compliance and fitness for purpose in American Friends groups.
Adrian Beney on data protection: sharing and using data lawfully outside the UK/EU in the GDPR era.
There will also be time for a Q&A session, so we can cover in more detail issues of particular concern to you.
The Speakers
More partners offer a unique blend of expertise across all areas of fundraising. Our panel of speakers for this webinar has worked internationally and brings expert knowledge and experience in US relationship fundraising, US charitable law and regulations, and UK/EU data protection.
Joanna Storrar is based in Princeton, USA, working for multiple international organisations wishing to strengthen their ties with, and gain support from, their US based communities. She has been a fundraiser for the past 30 years and is particularly talented in developing philanthropy across continents and building and mentoring fundraising teams. She joined More in 2017 and is a frequent speaker at and previous track chair at CASE Europe. Some of her recent clients include: The University of Glasgow, The National Galleries of Scotland, and The University of Stellenbosch (South Africa).
Ken Hoffman has helped organisations raise funds from US sources for the past 40 years. A US lawyer in charitable law and a fundraiser, he ensures his clients have the right legal and administrative structures in place to be successful. Ken works across sectors and borders with charities big and small, recently with The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, UCL, Welthungerhilfe, and Westminster Abbey.
Adrian Beney has been a fundraiser for nearly 35 years. For most of that time, he has been involved with the interpretation of data protection in the context of fundraising. He was involved in early discussions with the regulator about the implementation of the 1998 Data Protection Act, commented extensively on the introduction of GDPR and the ICO’s regulatory action against a number of charities, and is now delivering training and expert advice on GDPR in the UK and internationally. He is More's lead partner on regulatory affairs. Current clients include the British Heart Foundation, Practical Action, the Universities of Oxford, Leeds and Newcastle, and UCL.