How to Raise Money: What past participants have to say.

Scroll to check out what folks have said about their experience working with Aspiration on strategic fundraising.

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This program, has shifted my thinking on how to be most effective in my work in a number of truly powerful ways. I appreciate the care that was put into acknowledging the problematic nature of intergenerational wealth/theft of wealth, and how our work in fundraising is always in this context. This acknowledgement, for me, helped take my guard down as Geoffrey and colleagues went into explaining how wealth works to increase the legibility of structures we might be navigating. I am left feeling empowered as to how this transformative education will position the organizations I work with.

Laura June Albert, Development & Community Initiatives Manager, Indian Summer Arts Society

I sat, staring at the blank page for a few minutes trying to imagine a less trite way of starting this testimonial. But I really can't - I am not exaggerating when I say that taking Geoffrey’s course has transformed the way I understand power, philanthropy and fundraising. I now have the tools and the fundamentals to enter philanthropic spaces with my eyes wide open. I feel powerful in those spaces- powerful because of how Geoffrey has helped me frame and own my power and powerful because I know what I am looking for, when to listen, when to ask and when to speak.

Karen Andrade,

Geoffrey’s coaching has been tremendously helpful in both providing structure, clarity and purpose to my approach to fundraising and added a much-needed layer of strategic thinking to my fundraising approach. It’s been an incredible learning experience so far and the regular coaching sessions have been extremely helpful in thinking through some of the challenges you encounter in building something from scratch.

Nani Jansen Reventlow, Founding Director, Digital Freedom Fund, Founder, Systemic Justice

HtRM has been invaluable to our early stage nonprofit. Geoffrey covered every aspect of fundraising and donor development, gave us opportunities to practice what we learned and receive detailed feedback, and provided materials and tools we’ve already used and will probably be using for years to come.

Alex Moss, Founder, Public Interest Patent Law Institute

During the course, I made genuine connections, received honest feedback and gathered valuable knowledge that will help me further the mission of the non-profit. Fundraising is intimidating and can be a daunting task but HtRM coursework addresses not just the technical but also the human aspects, which is why, I highly recommend anyone wanting to learn more about non-profit fundraising to take this course.

Kavya Pearlman, Founder & CEO - XRSI

Geoffrey encouraged me to build from my experience to grow authentic partnerships. He identifies powerful patterns and helps you learn how to apply them—from establishing a pipeline, to an introduction email, an important meeting, a written proposal, all the way to landing a grant and opening the door for more support. Geoffrey is an excellent teacher who approaches fundraising as an art form, and it is clear that he’s committed to demystifying the practice so that more people, especially emerging leaders who may not have ready access to these resources, can land the partnerships they need.

Michelle Thorne, Sustainable Internet Lead, Mozilla

Each session was engaging and the workshop, taken as a whole, presents a complete framework: tools, tactics, and overarching strategy. No matter where an organization is in their fundraising journey, I can imagine this HtRM being beneficial.

Dean Jansen, Executive Director, Participatory Culture Foundation

Geoffrey’s coaching style is extremely dynamic and intuitive, leading to significant transfer of skills and advancement in less experienced charity leaders. The benefit of working directly with Geoffrey is his emotional intelligence and adaptation to the individual being coached.

Daniel McCarthy, VP, Finance and Operations, VoteAmerica

Fundraising is strategy—Geoffrey will help you focus and structure your approach to fundraising, but you’ll find you’re actually focusing and structuring your approach to creating impact. So you won’t just walk away with the 101 of grants, gifts, and partnerships—and the steps to standing up an effective fundraising practice—you’ll get an entirely new outlook on non-profit management.

Benjamin Moskowitz, Director, Digital Lab, Consumer Reports

Geoffrey has been able to guide me in thinking about the partnership of philanthropy in a new way. He has talked me through communication structures and storytelling to help me recenter human experience as the core of work that can very quickly become mired in scientific and technical details and helped me to reconnect to my circles of colleagues through a process that has left me feeling supported, inspired, and hopeful about achieving the difficult things I’ve set out to do.

Shannon Dosemagen, Founder, Open Environmental Data Project & Shuttleworth Fellow

As someone who is newer to fundraising, Geoffrey’s coaching has been invaluable to me and my professional growth as a fundraiser. He has encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and given me helpful tools to help develop meaningful relationships with donors that go beyond a transaction. He has been instrumental in helping my team focus on the bigger picture.

Emma Kraus, Manager of Donor Experience, VoteAmerica

Fundraising can be a daunting task, with many so-called experts hawking their own fundraising consulting services to nonprofits--with mixed results. Geoffrey is the real deal. Every coaching session, I leave with concrete steps for improving the Tor Project's fundraising program and transforming the limiting assumptions I have about money, power, and people.

Al Smith, Fundraising Director, The Tor Project

I have been frustrated by all other fundraising seminars that I've tried over the years. I never left feeling competent in the skills needed or as if I had a theoretical foundation. How To Raise Money by Aspiration Tech has changed all that. Geoffrey balances the practical and theoretical perfectly in our cohort discussions and really hammered home the usefulness of each session in our one-on-one coaching calls.

Tim Haydock, Chief Development & Communications Officer, Youth Leadership Institute

Geoffrey has been an invaluable partner as our team has launched a new not-for-profit. As Geoffrey quickly (and helpfully) diagnosed in our first meeting, our team spans the pendulum swing from having experience in organizations with extremely mature, fully built programs to members who have for-profit/ tech start-up experience, but less with philanthropy. The act of distinguishing this state immediately helped us address issues of language, expectations, planning and how to sit with donors.

Mikel Ellcessor, Check My Ads

My monthly sessions with him have been a space for me to learn from one of the best fundraising leaders in the sector and openly share my challenges and receive targeted and specialised advice (plus hands-on help) on tackling them. Geoffrey constantly challenges me to get out of my comfort zone and has shifted my mindset from being a recipient to that of building strategic and mutually beneficial funding relationships.

Angela Oduor Lungati, Executive Director, Ushahidi

There were three things that I loved about the workshops. First, it was clearly built from lived experience. Secondly, it's designed with clarity and purpose, which makes it well-suited for busy people. And finally, the philosophy behind it is empowering: donors need you as much as you need them. That's the starting point for every move, and it is a welcome shift from a lot of common thinking about fundraising.

Roderick Schrock, Executive Director, Eyebeam

How to Enroll in HtRM

Just reach out for a chat! The first step is to learn more about each other so we can make sure the workshop will be a meaningful and productive experience. During our conversation, we will answer any questions you may have, explore potential start times, and discuss the fee (if any). Use the button below to get started, or email Geoffrey at [email protected].

Get after it!

How to Raise Money (HtRM)