Essentials of Development

About

Over 20 years ago, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust taught the first Essentials of Development program to help organizations both articulate their mission and create a development program that will sustain the organization for the long haul.

Launching in 2020, the Idaho Nonprofit Center is proud to partner with the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to bring this important resource to Idaho in support of growing nonprofit organizations.

The program is designed to equip small to mid-sized nonprofits with the knowledge, skills and tools to build a thriving development program by cultivating strong relationships with individual donors and focuses on important strategies such as methods for developing a case statement, special approaches to donors with major gift capacity, role-playing on how to make the “ask,” an overview of the board’s role in the development program, and more.

Registration cost is $700-$850 per organization, which includes three full days of training (starting spring 2026) with the executive director, development director (if applicable) and two board members.

In the form below, please express your interest in this program by January 22, 2026. Once reviewed, accepted organizations will be asked to submit a placement survey and commitment forms for at least two (2) board members.

2026 interest form

Essentials of Development from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust on Vimeo.

Overview and Objectives

The Essentials of Development program received its name from the four essentials of the program, which are directly tied to the program’s outcomes:

Essential #1: The Case Statement
The case statement is an organization’s presentation piece for one-on-one interactions with prospective and continuing donors. Carefully composed to provide a clear overview of the organization, describe how donors can get involved in supporting the mission, and the impact donors make when they partner in the mission.

Objectives:
- Understand the importance of effectively articulating the organization’s work and the requirements to fulfill the mission
- With donor input, identify the key components of the case statement
- Complete a polished case statement to use in donor presentations

Essential #2: The Development Team
An important component of any development strategy is having a core group of leaders (staff and volunteers) actively partnering in donor development.

Objectives:
- Understand the importance and power of having a diverse group of people to advance development work for the organization
- Identify key people to invite to the development team
- Establish the development team, including those who attend the class.

Essential #3: The Segmented Donor List
Segmenting your donor list and having thoughtful, unique strategies for the various segments is a key factor in building strong relationships with supporters. Seminar participants will learn how to divide their roster of individual donors for maximum personalization and effectiveness.

Objectives:
- Understand the importance and power of segmenting donors
- Create a segmented list of individual donors

Essential #4: The Annual Plan
A strong annual plan allows organizations to ensure they are on track to achieve their funding goals through a variety of activities. The plan identifies the activities and communications that are necessary for each segment of the donor list, and, importantly, informs allocation of time and resources throughout the year.

Objectives:
- Understand the importance and value of mapping out an annual plan
- Identify the many activities that comprise successful development work
- Identify tactics and activities for varying levels of donors
- Create a draft annual plan to take forward into implementation

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Expectations

Participants are expected to participate in all three (3) class sessions and all scheduled coaching calls to successfully complete the program. If an absence is anticipated, please give a 72-hour notice to the Idaho Nonprofit Center staff and your assigned coach.

Attendance: The participating organizations must have their entire development team attend. The development team must include: the Executive Director/CEO, a Development Director or equivalent, two (2) board members, and any additional fundraising staff the organization might have.

Virtual Class Sessions: All three (3) class sessions will be full-day sessions which include lectures, activities, breakout sessions, work time, and group sharing. They will be held on Zoom. There will be breaks, but participants must block out the full time.

Participants should join the Zoom meeting in a quiet and private space and should dedicate their attention to the class session. Cameras are encouraged to be on during discussions, and frequent distractions and divided attention will not be tolerated.
Coaching Sessions: Organizations will be paired with an Essentials coach—who works with the organization from the survey prior to the first seminar through the remainder of the training—to assess and build the organization’s development process.

Organizations are responsible for scheduling five (5) calls with their coaches. If an organization cannot attend a coaching session, a 72-hour notice is required to reschedule.

If the organization would like additional coaching other than the hours included in the program, they must work with their coach on an additional hourly rate.
Surveys and Assessment: Prior to acceptance, organizations will be asked to complete the following: Interest Form, Board Commitment Form (to be completed by each participating board member), and Placement Form.

Real-time evaluation and feedback are provided during the Essentials of Development seminars and coaching sessions. Participants will also be asked to complete a feedback survey after each class session and a final Feedback and Assessment Survey on completion of the program.

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Assessment

Prior to acceptance, organizations will be asked to complete the following: Interest Form, Board Commitment Form (to be completed by each participating board member), and Placement Form.

Real-time evaluation and feedback are provided during the Essentials of Development seminars and coaching sessions. Participants will also be asked to complete a feedback survey after each class session and a final Feedback and Assessment Survey on completion of the program.

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Eligibility

Essentials of Development is for mid-sized organizations that:

Need help increasing the contributed income base of their revenue stream
Are willing to exert the concerted effort to implement the four “Essentials of Development” in their fundraising practice.
Desire to focus on increasing their individual donor base, including major donors.
Are committed to including a board member and development personnel in all three training sessions.

Essentials of Development is NOT for organizations that:

Are looking for help mostly in the area of foundations and grants.
Are seeking to get their foot in the door with the Murdock Trust or Idaho Community Foundation grant processes.
Are hoping for a “quick fix” for their contributed revenue need.

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