One of the Country’s Most Generous Philanthropists, T. Denny Sanford, Empowers Nonprofits Through New Book
San Diego, Calif. (PRWEB) September 30, 2015 -- Marking its first year anniversary, the National University-based Sanford Education Center announces the launch of a new textbook aimed at helping nonprofit organizations maximize their fundraising potential through the application of proven business and sales principles. The book - Cause Selling The Sanford Way - is based on the vision of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford and serves as the foundation of a series of educational programs being offered through the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University, the second largest private nonprofit university in California.
“Through his own personal experiences as a generous and strategic donor, Mr. Sanford brings a remarkable perspective toward donor relationships and nonprofit leadership,” said Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, Chancellor of the National University System and President of National University. “Thanks to Mr. Sanford’s vision, we believe the lessons and strategies outlined in this book and the Institute’s education programs will provide clear, tangible benefits to the nonprofit community and elevate the art of fundraising and nonprofit leadership.”
Mr. Sanford is widely considered one of the most generous donors in the country, and his experience interacting with hundreds of fundraisers has given him valuable insight into successful donor relations. The book was written by Dr. David J. Lill, an educator, professional salesperson and author of the widely acclaimed textbook Selling: The Profession, and his daughter Jennifer, an accomplished author and professional salesperson, is co-author.
The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy is one of three nationally-focused education and nonprofit projects administered through the Sanford Education Center, which was created at National University in 2014 through initial funding provided by Mr. Sanford. The first-year-anniversary celebration Sept. 30 is being held to recognize program milestones, including that of the other two initiatives, Sanford Harmony and Inspire.
Since its creation, the Institute has extended its reach nationally. It has developed a suite of specialized curriculum offerings, including seminars, a certificate program and a master’s program with an emphasis in cause leadership through the University’s School of Business and Management and Division of Extended Learning. The “turnkey” curriculum already been incorporated into education and training programs of local and national nonprofit foundations, and collaborations with other education institutions are underway to make the program even more accessible to the nonprofit community.
The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University emphasizes best-practice skills in fundraising, relationship building and nonprofit leadership, which are part of the Cause Sales approach detailed in the book. With public charities generating more than $1.6 trillion in total revenues, charitable giving makes a huge impact on America, and the mission of the Institute is to help these groups do even more for the communities and people they serve.
“I founded the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy to focus not on teaching nonprofit management, leadership and administration, for which several good programs already exist, but to help train people who ask philanthropists for money to do a better job of it and therefore enable nonprofit organizations to operate more effectively and sustainably,” said Mr. Sanford.
Based on Mr. Sanford’s vision, the Cause Sales approach detailed in the book and programs emphasizes skills that can help fundraisers and nonprofit leaders attract more donors and donations, and manage their nonprofit organizations more effectively. The approach emphasizes the application of communication skills, psychology, interaction and relationship building techniques, as well as research, strategy and data analysis.
Recent external collaborations with the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University include one with the National School Foundation Association , which is the recognized leader of the Pre K-12 education foundation movement in the United States. Through this alignment, the NSFA launched a specialized certification program in education foundation leadership that incorporates elements of the curriculum developed by National University and the Institute. Under a similar arrangement, a specialized curriculum has also been developed in conjunction with The San Diego Foundation.
About the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University
The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy is dedicated to increasing the positive impact of nonprofits and cause organizations through specialized training and educational offerings with a focus on successful fundraising skills. The Institute offers a unique Cause Sales approach to fundraising, based on proven sales and business principles as applied to collaborative donor relationship building. This approach is integrated throughout the Institute’s offerings, which includes seminars, certificates and a master’s degree program developed by the University’s School of Business and Management and Division of Extended Learning. The Institute also collaborates with external organizations and education institutions to offer access to its unique curriculum. The Institute was established at National University in 2014 through a generous gift by renowned philanthropist and businessman T. Denny Sanford. For more information: http://sanfordeducationcenter.org/instituteofphilanthropy.cfm
About National University
Founded in 1971, National University is the second-largest private, nonprofit institution of higher education in California. With 30,000 students and more than 140,000 alumni, National University is the flagship institution of the National University System. National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students. Five schools and one college – the College of Letters and Sciences; the School of Business and Management; the School of Education; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health and Human Services; and the School of Professional Studies – offer more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degrees and 23 teacher credentials. Programs are offered at more than locations throughout California and across the nation, and are also available online. National University is headquartered in La Jolla, California. To learn more, visit http://www.nu.edu
Anna Cearley, National University, http://www.nu.edu/, +1 (858) 642-8163, [email protected]
Share this article