FUNDING YOUR MISSION

Building a Diversified Development Strategy and Strengthening Your Grant Pipeline

Program Description: 

Funding Your Mission is an interactive, full-day, in-person workshop designed to help nonprofits to sharpen their fundraising strategies and enhance their grant readiness. Diversified funding is essential for long-term success. Join us on June 6 for expert insights, practical tools, and actionable steps to secure and sustain the resources your mission needs to thrive.

The morning session, led by Marsha Tait and Suzanne Gendreau, will focus on comprehensive development strategies—building donor relationships, engaging your board, and reviewing current fundraising approaches to expand and stabilize revenue streams. In the afternoon, Maura Harrington will guide attendees through grant readiness and best practices. She’ll walk participants through building the internal infrastructure for successful grant seeking, crafting compelling proposals, building out your pipeline, and the systems to manage grant opportunities as part of a long-term funding strategy.

Your Takeaways:

✅ Proven strategies for building strong relationships with donors, funders, and corporate sponsors

✅ Practical ideas to strengthen your year-end giving and ongoing fundraising success

✅ Tools to diversify your revenue streams and reduce financial risk

✅ Guidance to help you connect your fundraising strategy with your vision for 2026 and beyond

✅ Best practices for grant readiness and essential documents to have on hand

✅ Insights on how to research and prioritize funding opportunities that fit your mission

✅ Opportunities to share, connect, and learn from fellow nonprofit professionals

✅ Actionable tips, inspiring ideas, and next steps to bring back to your organization

Who Should Attend:

We welcome nonprofit staff, board members, and organizational leaders at every stage of fundraising and grant development.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to refine existing strategies, this workshop will provide tools to move your organization forward.

Workshop Details:

Expect an interactive day with with smaller breakout discussions, individual exercises, time for questions, and opportunities to connect with other attendees. 

• Attendees will receive copies of the handouts, worksheets, and presentation materials. 
• Coffee and light breakfast will be available in the morning.
• We will break for an hour lunch around noon. Attendees are encouraged to visit any of the nearby vendors (we will share a list) or to bring a lunch.
• A reminder with directions, parking info, and other helpful information will be shared a few days before the event.
• Our goal is for all our programs and events to be welcoming and accessible. Please note on your registration any specific needs and email info@metrowestnonprofit.org.
• Any questions can be emailed to info@metrowestnonprofit.org

Program Cost:

$165.00 for the first registrant

$35.00 for each additional registrant from the same organization (limit 2)

Organizations are encouraged to attend with with an additional team member or small group to maximize their workshop experience. Please consider registering staff, board, and engaged volunteers (team member discount limited to 2 additional registrants). Please reach out to us to discuss any barriers to attendance.

Our Workshop Instructors

Marsha Tait joined the Franklin Food Pantry as Development Director in 2021 after volunteering with its Fund Development Committee. Marsha brings extensive fund development experience including most recently serving as Executive Director of LITERACYCNY, a community-based adult literacy organization in Central New York that provides instructional services to adults with limited English proficiency and literacy skills. Marsha has over 26 years of experience as a nonprofit executive in staff and Board positions with local, state and national organizations. In 2018 the CNY Business Journal News Network named her the Nonprofit Executive of the Year. She holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Syracuse University.

Suzanne Gendreau is the Board Vice Chair for the Franklin Food Pantry. She is the former owner of The Annarella Cookie Company, Inc. located in Franklin, MA. Previous to that, Suzanne spent over a decade working in the field of higher education endowment development specifically for both Boston University and Brown University. She is a graduate of Boston University (Ed.M.) and Stonehill College, and is a lifelong resident of Franklin. Suzanne is very active in the community, serving as Treasurer for the Franklin High School field hockey program for 3 years, and as a volunteer with the Friends of Franklin and The Relay for Life. She has served on both the Board of Directors and the Board of Incorporators for Franklin Children’s School. Currently, she manages her family farm in Franklin.

Maura Harrington, GPC  Ms. Harrington, MIIM, GPC, is the Owner and CEO of MJH Grants, LLC. A seasoned grant professional with more than 25 years of non-profit development experience, Maura has worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations, nationally and internationally. In the 1990s, she worked overseas in the former Soviet country of Georgia for more than ten years in a variety of non-profit positions before returning to the US in 2006. After returning home, Maura entered the healthcare sector as a Senior Grant Writer at Boston Medical Center. In 2014, Maura moved to become the Director of Grants for Lahey Health Systems before departing to start her own firm in late 2015. 

Maura has a master’s degree in International and Intercultural Management from the SIT Institute and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Boston University. In 2017, Maura obtained her Grant Professional Certification (GPC) from the Grant Professionals Certification Institute. She currently serves as the Chair of the Professional Education Core Committee of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), a national organization dedicated to the advancement of grant professionals. Maura is also a GPA-Approved Trainer and teaches grant writing in the community.