Successful Fundraising for Heritage Managers: Strategies and Best Practices
Date:
16, 18, 19 March 2026
Location:
Online Training Program
Application Deadline:
27 February 2026 for 2026
APPLY NOW
Fundraising
Vacancies for the workshops are limited, so please apply early.
Instructor:
Susan Madon,
MBA, CFRE is the CEO and founder of Minerva Nonprofit Management Consulting, a generalist firm which helps small to mid-sized nonprofits gain the resources, they need to ensure stability. She focuses on arts, cultural and educational organizations all around the world. Key clients include American Friends of M+ Museum in Hong Kong, The Sheen Center for Arts and Culture, Cezanne 2026 (City of Aix-en-Provence) and Social Creatives (Singapore).
From 2009-2016, Susan lived in Hong Kong where she served as Executive Director of the Hong Kong and South China Office of Global Strategic and Global Initiatives of the University of Southern California during the university’s record setting $6B capital campaign.
Prior to forming Minerva, she was Vice President of External Relations at the French Institute-Alliance Française in New York, where she led member outreach for a 6,000-member base. Earlier, she served as Director of Educational Development, for the Archdiocese of New York where she was chief advancement consultant to primary and secondary schools spanning 10 regions. She was also Director of Marketing, Public Relations, and Membership at The Berkshire Museum and a Regional Director for the American Heart Association.
Susan holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University, a B.A. in Theatre from Jacksonville University and maintains the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation. She has just begun the master’s program in Museum Studies at Harvard University. She is a member of the board of The Association of Fundraising Professionals, NYC Chapter where she is the co-chair of the Committee on Directorship and serves on The Government Relations and Ethics Committee and as a mentor. She is also on the board of Champions for Quality Education. She is the author of a suspense novel on fundraising best practices entitled, “The Disappearing Donor” and serves on the faculty of Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy where she teaches Principles and Techniques of Fundraising and Donor Stewardship.
This three-day intensive course equips heritage managers with the essential knowledge and tools needed to build sustainable fundraising programs. Participants will explore best practices in ethical fundraising, learn strategies for securing foundation and grant support, and develop effective approaches to engage individual donors. Through interactive discussions and case studies, the course also emphasizes the importance of thoughtful stewardship—cultivating lasting relationships that ensure continued support for heritage organizations.
HERITΛGE provides scholarships to most participants in its training programmes. These scholarships can cover up to 90% of the cost of attendance, depending on the circumstances of the participants and the availability of funding. Read more on Fees & Scholarships.
For details on the application procedures, see the official announcement of the workshop here.
On successfully completing the workshop students will be able to:
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- ● Demonstrate an understanding of fundraising fundamentals and best practices.
- ● Think ethically and solve relevant ethical dilemmas.
- ● Develop team building and presenting skills in support of a cause, non-profit or project.
- ● Work with executive and voluntary leadership.
- ● Create and articulate a compelling case for support.
- ● Research potential prospects using online tools.
- ● Create a well-targeted prospect list 8. match projects with identified prospects.
- ● Cultivate and solicit prospects 10. personally ask for a contribution.
- ● Acknowledge donors.
- ● Write proposals for foundation and corporate grants.
- ● Write a letter of inquiry to a potential funder.
- ● Create a development plan.
