Are you part of a small nonprofit team or even doing it all on your own? Do you find yourself managing fundraising on top of everything else with limited time and capacity?
Fundraising is essential for arts organizations, especially now. But how do small teams do it without dedicated fundraising staff? Join Sara Maria Blanton of The Raleigh Music Collective and Maggie Clay Love of Maggie Clay Love Consulting, for this workshop, as they explore practical strategies for building and sustaining fundraising efforts without a dedicated development team. Plenty of time will be provided for Q&A, so that attendees can share and learn from discussing real issues facing small nonprofits.
Topics will include:
fundraising basics and data on the current fundraising landscape,
identifying and prioritizing different revenue streams,
how corporate sponsorship differs from individual giving,
leveraging board and volunteer support to get the most impact, and
ways to build consistent giving
Whether you’re just getting started or simply looking for a bit more structure in your current processes, this session will offer tools, framework and real-world approaches that you can implement right away.
EARLY BIRD PRICING THROUGH June 4, 2026, $10
GENERAL PRICING June 5TH THROUGH June 25TH, 2026, $15
Registration is limited. This virtual session meets on Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 12 - 1:30PM EST. The class meets on Zoom and you will receive login information in your registration email. The session will be recorded. However, we encourage you to join live to ask questions and engage in the conversation. Registrants will have access to an event recording for 30 days after the event. During registration, you’ll be asked a few questions about your organization, and you’ll also have the opportunity to submit 1–2 questions in advance to help the presenters tailor the session.
About The Instructors
Sara Maria Blanton is the Founder and Executive Director of The Raleigh Music Collective, an El Sistema–inspired program providing equitable and accessible music education to youth across Raleigh. A violinist and dedicated teaching artist, Sara Maria has grown the organization from a small pilot of 12 students into a thriving program serving more than 220 students annually with a team of 20+ teaching artists and community partners.
Sara Maria brings a practitioner’s perspective to fundraising in small organizations, having led grassroots development efforts that support sustainable growth without a dedicated development staff. Her experience includes building systems for grant writing and management, individual donor cultivation, and mobilizing community and board members to actively participate in advocacy and fundraising.
A presenter at national conferences, including the American String Teachers Association, and the national Bornoff Workshop, Sara Maria is passionate about equipping small arts organizations with practical tools to expand access, deepen impact, and build long-term sustainability.
Maggie Clay Love has worked in the nonprofit sector in North Carolina for almost 40 years. She spent her first 20+ years actively and successfully involved in resource development and management, including 11 years as Vice President of the American Heart Association, Mid-Atlantic Affiliate, and 5 years as the North Carolina Symphony’s chief development officer.
As an independent consultant, Maggie focuses on key elements of organizational capacity building – working with nonprofit Boards and staff to identify, address and remedy core infrastructure challenges that may impede long-term sustainability. She knows that building a strong fundraising culture is critical to overall organizational stability and success, and that nonprofits are more sustainable when they think and plan strategically, ensuring that they are maximizing their existing resources and opportunities.
Maggie holds a Nonprofit Management Certification from Duke University, is a Certified Authentic Leadership Coach (CALC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and is a BoardSource Certified Nonprofit Board Consultant (CNBC). She frequently works with foundations and grantmakers to support work that strengthens nonprofits.