2026 Virginia Fund Raising Institute: Full Schedule

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3:15pm EDT

Everything is a Gift: Strengthening Donor Discovery Through Curiosity

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm EDT

Great donor discovery isn’t about asking the perfect question – it’s about listening for what matters most. This interactive session helps fundraisers sharpen their listening skills, recognize donor cues, and respond with curiosity instead of rushing toward the ask. Participants will explore practical ways to follow a donor’s lead, ask better follow-up questions, and build trust through responsive conversation. Attendees will leave with tools they can immediately use in discovery, stewardship, and solicitation conversations.

Speakers

James Wasilewski

Executive Director of Leadership and Primary Giving Development, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

With 20 years of experience in higher education, James has served in various fundraising, constituent engagement, and student recruitment roles. He is currently the Executive Director of Leadership and Primary Giving Development on the Primary Giving team within VCU’s Development... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
GrantFlow Room

Workshop, Workshop Session I

Audience All
Area Individual Giving

4:30pm EDT

How to Make Donors Obsessed with You (In a Totally Healthy Way)

Wednesday July 22, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

GrantFlow Room

Businesses hold on to customers like glue. Nonprofits? We let donors slip like sand through our fingers. The average business says, “See you next time!” and 3 out of 4 customers return. But in our world, 4 out of 5 first-time donors never give again. Fundraising without stewardship is just acquisition on repeat. Here’s the truth: acquiring donors is expensive, exhausting, and unsustainable unless you keep them. Retaining a donor costs 20 cents on the dollar. Acquiring a new one? $1.50. Ill-informed leaders can treat stewardship as fluff, luxury or an afterthought but donors decide to stay – or stray – in the downtime between your appeals. Retention hinges on how you communicate when you’re not asking. Ready to swipe right on donor love? Discover which stewardship strategies are the most effective and the simple metrics to measure it: retention and average gift value.

Speakers

Rachel Muir

CFRE, Speaker, trainer and nationally recognized non profit founder and thought leader, League of Extraordinary Fundraisers

Meet Rachel Muir, whose passion for fundraising is so intense she’s been certified as an alternative energy source.
Rachel has worked every side of the Rubik’s cube that is the nonprofit sector. When she was just 26 years old, she launched Girlstart, a non-profit organization to empower girls in math, science, engineering and technology in the living room of her apartment with $500 and a credit... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
GrantFlow Room

Workshop, Workshop Session II

Audience All
Area Individual Giving

2026 Virginia Fund Raising Institute

3:15pm EDT

James Wasilewski

4:30pm EDT

Rachel Muir

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