Here’s a glimpse of Spark Point’s July!
Spark Point News
Our team at Spark Point keeps on growing! We’re thrilled to announce that on July 18th we welcomed a new Operations Associate to our team. Please give a warm welcome to our newest staff member – Gagandeep Kaur!
Introducing ACCELERATE!
We’re thrilled to announce our newest service ACCELERATE! This six month program is an affordable and effective solution that prepares small nonprofits to begin building their grants portfolio.
Applications open September 1st!
Fill out our interest form to learn more HERE! And share our newsletter if you know of an organization that would benefit from this initiative.
Ignite Program
The application cycle for the Ignite Program, our first ever pro bono fundraising program, has officially closed. We’re thrilled with the response, as we received 22 applicants. Stay tuned to find out which five organizations we select to receive pro bono services.
Bridge Conference
At the end of July, members of the Spark Point team attended the Bridge Conference held at the Gaylord National Harbor. They attended networking events as well as sessions dedicated to professional and organizational development. There were more than 20 sessions to choose from, and more than 60 events to attend!
Our team learned a lot! We attended sessions on such diverse topics as ethical storytelling, dos and don’ts of engaging with major donors, working with small family foundations, and the importance of corresponding personally with funders and helping them understand an organization’s goals. One of our grant writers, Sera Goruçu, said that the Bridge Conference provided “a great learning experience to engage in institutional discussions with the Spark Point team and other professionals within the field.”
First and third photo: Calvin Koon-Stack, Director of Foundation Strategy, presenting important information about best fundraising practices using storytelling with Sarah Gochenaur, Director of Development, from New Endeavors by Women!
Second photo: Our ACCELERATE! one pagers ready for attendees!
Our very own Director of Foundation Strategy, Calvin Koon-Stack, gave a presentation on how to engage funders using storytelling and communication research! One of the participants wrote that it was a “wonderful workshop” on their feedback form. Our team is looking forward to utilizing all the great lessons learned from the Bridge Conference to provide even more nuanced and robust support to our clients.
Leadership Retreat
Prior to the Bridge conference, our leadership team, Whitney, Calvin, and Bre met in Annapolis, Maryland for a retreat! They had a highly productive week, discussing Spark Point’s vision for 2023 and beyond including the budgeting process for the coming year, plans for staff expansion, and strategic advancements with regards to grant writing and fundraising.
From left to right: Calvin Koon-Stack, Director of Foundation Strategy, Whitney Brimfield, CEO, and Bre Swims, Managing Director.
Center for Nonprofit Advancement Industry Expert
The Center for Nonprofit Advancement has featured Spark Point Fundraising as an Industry Expert with expertise in consulting, grant writing, and training and professional development!
See our full profile here! And please share so we can continue to help organizations and support their missions!
New Clients
Kids In Need of Defense is currently searching for an Office Coordinator in their Operations department to help with expanding their fundraising efforts. Click the link to apply!
If you know anyone that could be a good fit for these positions, help share our newsletter. And if you’re one of our clients, please share your job posting with us and we’d be happy to circulate it within our networks.
Spark Smart
All new #SparkSmart Tips! Take a look at what our grant writer, Briyana Mondesir, learned at the Bridge Conference:
