Established in 1975, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The Murdock Trust provides grants to help organizations organize educational, cultural, spiritual, and social programs and projects in the region. The Murdock Trust facilitates an enrichment training called the Essentials of Development Seminar.
Started nearly 25 years ago, the Essentials of Development Seminar aims to teach nonprofit startup organizations how to build a sustainable development structure. The seminar is divided into two schedules in December and May.
The seminar names four essential elements that serve as the foundation of a sustainable development structure: a case statement, annual plan, segmented donor list, and the development team. The case statement describes the mission of the organization and the benefits that donors receive. The annual plan is a written strategy for how the organization carries out its mission through a list of programs, budgets, and funding goals. The segmented donor list shows the individualized engagement approach for different categories of donors. Lastly, the development team consists of the organization leaders with defined responsibilities on how to cultivate and solicit donors.
During the seminar, the organizers and featured speakers provide real-time evaluation and feedback to the participants. Visit https://murdocktrust.org/ to learn more about the seminar.
