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Registration

Join us for the GoalBusters Mighty Fundraising Road Show!
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Hilton Garden Inn Downtown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

$209 regular price

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Full participation in the GoalBusters Mighty Fundraising Road Show is applicable for 5.5 points in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

Program

 

8-9 am
Registration and Premium Breakfast Buffet
9-10 am
Welcome and Opening Plenary
Cutting Through the Noise – What’s Working NOW to Spur Donor Engagement
Join fundraising master trainer, Chad Barger, ACFRE, ACNP, for a workshop focused on proven ways to capture donor attention. We’ll look at the challenge of cutting through the noise in today’s daily communication onslaught and the importance of donor retention. Attendees will learn simple, actionable steps that they can take to boost donor engagement at their organization. Examples will be shared of creative ways that real life nonprofit organizations identified, cultivated, solicited and stewarded their donors in creative ways (including some that had no budget for doing so).
Chad Barger, ACNP, ACFRE
Productive Fundraising
10-10:15 am
Break
10:15-11:15 am
Morning Breakouts
Getting It Done – Deepening Donor Relationships and Reaching Record-Breaking Goals
In 2018, Julie and Lisa came back to MPM twenty years after their first stints on their development team, just as the museum prepared to launch their largest campaign ever to build their new home. With a failing building and the threat of losing accreditation, a feasibility study gave the team hope that the money could be raised in our community, BUT there was a LOT of work to be done to build and rebuild donor relationships to make the $240M goal a reality. Join us this morning to learn the plan Team MPM put into place to begin to get the largest cultural project in the State off the ground and to success.
Julie Quinlan Brame and Lisa Pieper
Milwaukee Public Museum
Prospect Research Without the Crystal Ball: Practical Tools for Real-World Fundraisers
You don’t need a crystal ball—or a trench coat—to do effective prospect research. In this practical, real-world session, you’ll learn how to find and use the right information to identify, qualify, and prioritize your best donor prospects. Whether you’ve got a full toolkit or just a search bar and good instincts, you’ll leave with tips you can use immediately—no surveillance van required.
Dave Tinker, CFRE, FAFP
Partner4Work
11:15-11:30 am
Break
11:30 am-12 pm
Morning Power Sessions
Major Gifts Without the Mayhem: Portfolio Management for Mere Mortals
You don’t need a 20-person team or a million-dollar CRM to manage a major gifts portfolio—you just need a clear system and a little discipline. This session will help you simplify your approach, set priorities, and spend less time spinning your wheels. Ideal for solo fundraisers or lean teams who want major gift results without major stress.
Robin Kasel, CFRE
Cornerstone Consulting Solutions
The Anti-Fundraising Plan: What to Stop Doing to Succeed
You’re doing too much—and you know it. In a sector obsessed with “more,” it’s time to take a breath and ask what’s actually moving the needle. This session is your permission slip to pause, reflect, and strategically stop. We’ll dig into the busywork, the outdated tactics, and the programs that drain energy without delivering results. You’ll walk away with a practical process to assess your current activities, communicate change to stakeholders, and clear space for the work that actually matters. Because sometimes the most powerful plan is the one that takes things off your plate.
Alice Ferris, CFRE, ACFRE
GoalBusters Consulting
12-1:15 pm
Lunch Buffet and Keynote
The Power of Persistence: How Failure Leads to Success
Join Mark Hayward as he derives important lessons from the successes and failures of his career spanning twenty five years, to help your organization become a better, more positive and successful place to work.
This speech, once featured as a TED Talk, underscores the importance of perseverance, determination, and a positive environment. It is designed to help you build the tools to turn failure into success.
Mark Hayward
Yo-Yoer, Juggler, Cool Guy
1:15-1:45 pm
Afternoon Power Sessions
How to Get Your Board to Fundraise
Equip and motivate your board members to be great fundraisers! You’ll learn how to help them get over their fear of fundraising and develop the fundraising habit. The session includes tools and samples that you can use to start building a fundraising culture within your board.
Chad Barger, ACNP, ACFRE
I Am Not a Bot
Everyone’s talking about AI tools, but what practically can you use to make your fundraising more effective? Let’s explore how emerging technology can enhance fundraising practices and how you can be effective as the human in the mix.
Alice Ferris, CFRE, ACFRE
GoalBusters Consulting
1:45-2 pm
Break
2-3 pm
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Mission Retainable: Data-Backed Strategies to Keep Donors Coming Back Year After Year
Struggling to retain donors year after year? You’re not alone— Mission: Retainable found that 30% of nonprofits report donor fatigue as a major challenge, and 87% of donors stopped or reduced their gift because of financial strain. Donor retention challenges are real!Join us for a data-backed session where we’ll share insights from Bloomerang’s Mission Retainable Report. To help you close the retention gap, we surveyed 380+ fundraisers and 1,000+ donors in November 2024. Join us for a deep dive into some of the report’s findings to unlock the potential of donor loyalty and propel your mission to new heights. This session is packed with actionable tips and real-world success stories. It will give you the tools to build lasting donor relationships and make a bigger impact.
Josh Meyer
Bloomerang
Crisis Communications in the 21st Century
Today’s chaotic world is filled with angry activists, trolls, and bad actors. How do you deal with all that? Join Jim Anderson as he guides you through essential crisis communication strategies for today’s fast-paced digital world. Learn how to build a strong crisis communication plan, respond effectively in real time, and manage online trolls with confidence.
Jim Anderson, CFRE
GoalBusters Consulting
3-4:30 pm
Wrap up Refreshments and Closing Plenary
A Fundraiser’s Survival Guide: The Unofficial Manual for Nonprofit Chaos
Fundraising today can feel like trying to follow a rulebook that’s being rewritten in real time—by committee. Expectations are shifting, resources are tight, and yet you’re still expected to meet your goals, keep everyone happy, and stay true to your values. In this candid session, Alice Ferris and Jim Anderson tackle the mess head-on. You’ll learn how to tell the difference between problems you can solve and conditions you have to work around, how to use concepts from nonviolent communication to manage donor and internal relationships, and how to keep doing the work with integrity—even when the ground keeps moving. You’ll leave with renewed focus and a reminder that you’re not the only one navigating the chaos.So grab a snack, a beverage, and wrap up the day with us!
Alice Ferris, CFRE, ACFRE
Jim Anderson, CFRE
GoalBusters Consulting

Speakers

Jim Anderson, CFRE, GoalBusters Consulting
Jim has more than 30 years of sales, fundraising, and training experience and specializes in marketing and branding strategy, multimedia production, sales and sponsorship training, board and organizational training, and executive coaching. Jim also frequently supports public media on-air fundraising with passionate, entertaining, and compelling on-air appeals coast to coast. Jim achieved his Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2013. Jim speaks Spanish, is an avid photographer, and has more than 122 million views of his 360°photos on Google Maps. He also married his cousin, but it didn’t last.
Chad Barger, ACNP, ACFRE, Productive Fundraising
Chad Barger helps nonprofit professionals fundraise more efficiently and effectively. He is the chief strategist and owner of Productive Fundraising, which focuses on bringing actionable, research-based fundraising tactics to small and mid-sized non-profits. He is a top-rated conference speaker and webinar presenter, as well as a master trainer of nonprofit boards that “don’t want to fundraise.” He teaches fundraising at both Temple University and Messiah University and is one of only 117 fundraisers in the world who have achieved the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE) credential. Chad is also a strategic advisor and coach to many non-profit fundraisers, executive directors, and board members.
Alice Ferris, CFRE, ACFRE, GoalBusters Consulting
Alice L. Ferris, MBA, CFRE, ACFRE, Partner, is the founder of GoalBusters, providing comprehensive leadership for small nonprofit teams. With 30+ years of fundraising experience in areas like public media, rural healthcare, education, and science, Alice excels in finding creative solutions, working with dedicated leaders, and teaching practical tactics. As an Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE) and recipient of the AFP Founders’ Medallion, she is a sought-after consultant, mentor, and speaker. Alice also serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Denver. When not working, she hosts epic Chinese New Year parties, is a slow runner, and is a retired competition ballroom dancer (from the University of Wisconsin-Madison).
Mark Hayward
Mark Hayward is a World Yo-yo Champion, a member of a World Champion Juggling Team, and a Spin-top Champion. Using humorous yet highly applicable anecdotes from his 25-year career as a world-class act, Mark is a critically acclaimed motivational speaker on how to bounce back from failure. Mark knows all about turning failure into success. On his first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Mark botched a routine trick – yet he describes this day as the best of his career. Through his stories and some cool tricks, he’ll share that it’s ok, and necessary, to fail.
Robin A. Kasel, CFRE, GoalBusters Consulting
Robin has over 20 years of experience in sales, project and account management, and professional fundraising. She has extensive, practical experience in annual fund management, strategy and fund development, capital campaigns, board management, event planning, and major gift fundraising. Robin has been a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) since 2014 and received her Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2020. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of East Central Wisconsin and chairs their Gala committee, and the Canary Fund of Green Bay, which focuses on granting change-makers in Northeast Wisconsin who work to address unmet needs in our communities. She also recently joined the Development Committee of the Women’s Fund of the Fox Valley.
Josh Meyer, MBA, Bloomerang
Joshua Meyer is a passionate advocate for nonprofits. He has over 20 years of experience in fundraising, volunteer management, software, and marketing. As VP of Market Engagement at Bloomerang, Josh helps nonprofits acquire and retain donors through innovative marketing and fundraising strategies. He is committed to helping nonprofits make a difference in the world.
Lisa Pieper, Milwaukee Public Museum
Director of Individual Giving
Lisa is thrilled to work on the incredible Milwaukee Public Museum fundraising team, led by Julie, to partner with our generous donors to build our Future Museum home. As a professional fundraiser with over 30 years of experience, Lisa has enjoyed representing arts and education non-profits, large and small, to help make meaningful experiences and opportunities possible for our community. In addition to MPM, she is most proud of her work with Alverno College, Milwaukee Chamber Theater, and UWM. In the fall of 2024, Lisa was humbled and deeply grateful to follow in the footsteps of many of her fundraising mentors to be named the Scott M. Cutlip Professional Fundraiser of the year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Southeastern Wisconsin.
Julie Quinlan Brame, Milwaukee Public Museum
Senior Vice President of Development
Julie Quinlan Brame is thrilled to lead efforts to connect community members to ways they can help the Museum thrive. She is excited to return to MPM in this role after beginning her development career at MPM. Prior to returning to the Museum, Quinlan Brame was the Vice President of Advancement at Alverno College, where she led the development, marketing, and alumnae relations teams. Under her leadership, Alverno’s fundraising team increased annual giving from $2.5 million to $12 million and succeeded in a $32 million capital campaign, the largest in the College’s history. Julie also served as the Vice President of Development for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and worked on the marketing team of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She did her master’s degree studies in vocal performance at New England Conservatory of Music and holds a bachelor’s degree of music from UW-Madison. She has been honored with the Scott M. Cutlip Professional Fundraiser Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals—Southeastern Wisconsin and was named a 40 Under 40 honoree by The Business Journal Milwaukee.
Dave Tinker, CFRE, FAFP, Partner4Work
Chief Development Officer
Dave is a seasoned fundraising and nonprofit management professional with over 30 years of experience. He has worked with education, health, workforce, and disability nonprofits across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. A Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) since 2001, Dave was honored in 2017 as part of the inaugural class of Distinguished Fellows of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (FAFP). He was among the first 20 graduates of Indiana University’s Master of Public Administration program with a concentration in nonprofit management—now part of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. He also earned a Master of Information Strategy, Systems, and Technology from Muskingum University. He also is a Special Projects Consultant for GoalBusters.