The most meaningful fundraising opportunity may already be sitting quietly within your nonprofit’s community.

In this episode, Julianne Buck, CEO of the Community Foundation of Grundy County, Illinois, for more than 23 years, shares practical insights on cultivating planned giving as a sustainable fundraising strategy beyond events and galas.

Julianne walks us through the four S’s of storytelling and explains how thoughtful communication can help donors see themselves as part of an organization’s long term impact. The fourth S is definitely our favorite.

Your presence matters more than you may realize, and Julianne shows how meaningful relationships today can create a lasting legacy for years to come.

---

Data or deception:

1. *Data* More than 70% of employees say they don't have mastery of the skills needed to do their job, yet fewer than 1 in 3 have access to formal training from their employer.
2. Articles document a significant skills confidence gap alongside limited employer-provided training access, time and availability to focus on learning being a top barrier to accessing formal training
3. LinkedIn Learning Workplace Report 2023: https://learning.linkedin.com/resources/workplace-learning-report-2023#chapter-01
4. Gallup poll data: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/692642/addressing-barriers-blocking-employee-development.aspx
5. *Deceptive* Adults are primarily motivated to learn by career advancement; salary increases and promotions rank above personal interest and problem-solving as reasons to pursue new skills.
6. A more accurate statement would be “career relevance is usually the top motivator, but adults are not only chasing promotions. Immediate usefulness and personal goals matter too. Relevance beats résumé. Adults don't learn because they should they learn because something in front of them demands it. That's the lever worth pulling.
7. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/03/22/almost-two-thirds-of-employed-adults-pursue-job-related-learning/
8. The top reason for mature adult learners to continue their education is personal growth and enrichment (23%)
9. https://upcea.edu/upcea-mindedge-study-finds-mature-adult-learners-have-complex-views-about-education/
10. *Data* One of the top reasons adults abandon online courses is not the difficulty of the content, it's the absence of community and an accountability partner.
11. The Community College Research Center says online learning expands access for groups including adult learners, but it also creates challenges because students must manage more of their own learning. It notes that online learning can be isolating and may affect students’ sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and course completion.
12. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/easyblog/online-courses-aren-t-going-away-two-new-reports-show-how-self-directed-learning-skills-can-improve-student-success.html

Contact:

Richard: Areacodeaudio.com

LinkedIn Richard

Julianne: Community Foundation of Grundy County (IL) cfgrundycounty.com

Heather: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwitschau/

The Executive Geek: TheExecutiveGeek.com