People who feel passionate about their nonprofit work rarely feel passionate about fundraising, says fundraising master trainer Chad Barger.

“They have very little time to raise money because they have to do program work,” he says. “That’s why they got into the business in the first place because there are people who need their help. But somewhere along the way, they learn that they have to fundraise, even though that’s not where their heart is and is not where their knowledge is.”

To help nonprofits sharpen their fundraising tactics and even make it fun, Barger will present a virtual program, “Achieving the Fundraising Success Trifecta: Effective, Efficient & Enjoyable,” for The Library on November 15. The program is free and open to anyone.

The brand-new program, making its debut, will present actionable fundraising strategies that small, community-based nonprofits can use immediately to raise money. Attendees will have free access to document samples and templates. Barger is a sought-after trainer and coach, and participants will have time to pick his brain for solutions to their unique challenges.

“It’s teaching a smarter way to fundraise,” says Barger.

The program is part of The Library’s Morton Spector Nonprofit Workshop Series. The series honors the memory of community leader, businessman, and Library board member Morton Spector.

When the McCormick Riverfront Library-Haldeman Haly House renovations are done, The Library will have space to expand the series. Just as Morton Spector did in his lifetime, it will continue weaving the supportive tapestry of nonprofits serving the region’s human services and cultural needs.

In the event of another pandemic-sized disruption, strengthening nonprofits and assuring their sustainability prepares the community to “weather the storm,” said Barger.

“I view the nonprofit community as the threads that hold a lot of pieces of the community together, sometimes in the background,” he said. “Those support pieces allow many of us to live full, healthy, enriching lives.”

However, few nonprofits get the message that there are smarter, more effective ways to fundraise, and The Library, with its accessibility, is ideal for sharing that message. The new seminar builds on sessions that Barger has presented previously in partnership with The Library.

“The Library is recognized as the holder of the knowledge,” he says. “It’s a safe space that most people have been going to since they were kids. These sessions always get a great audience that’s very diverse. They’re well-attended, they’re a lot of fun, and they can open this knowledge to everybody, not just those organizations that have the training budget or the capacity-building grant to fund it.”    

Register here for “Achieving the Fundraising Success Trifecta: Effective, Efficient & Enjoyable,” November 15 at 1 p.m. on Zoom.