I think I know why you're here

Because the funding you counted on is gone. Resources are strapped. And you’re not willing to wait for an event or a grant to save you.

(Good. Neither am I.)

Your donors are still there. Here’s how to reach them.​​​​​​​

The emails hitting my inbox right now are unlike anything I’ve seen in twenty years.

Development directors seeing six-figure grants disappear overnight. Executive directors doing the math on how many weeks of runway they have left. Solo fundraisers holding their organizations together with nothing but determination and a donor list they haven’t fully worked yet.

And in the middle of all of it, one question keeps coming up: where do we turn now?

Here’s what I know. One in three nonprofits has lost some form of government funding this year. Sixty-one percent say they’re at moderate to significant risk of not being able to continue operating.

And yet some organizations aren’t just surviving this. They’re maintaining. They’re even growing.

These aren’t organizations with endowments and big budgets. They’re small to medium shops. Community-based organizations just like yours. The ones who turned to their donors and built a real system around it.

​​​​​​​Ask. Thank. Report back. That system is holding them steady while everything else shifts.

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Yes, I want a Lifeline

And that's exactly why I made this for you

The Lifeline is for you if you want to stop depending on grants, start building real relationships with donors, and create an income stream you can count on — no matter what Washington does next.

Here’s what I’ll tell you:

I’ve been in this sector for nearly thirty years. I’ve raised hundreds of millions of dollars for small nonprofits. Not through big galas or major institutional grants, but through donor-centered fundraising built on one simple foundation. Ask. Thank. Report back. Repeat.

I built Basics & More because I watched brilliant, mission-driven people burn out trying to keep up with grant cycles, reporting requirements, and funding that came with strings attached.

​​​​​​​There is a better way. Individual giving — real relationships with real donors — is the most stable, renewable source of revenue your organization will ever have.

And The Lifeline is the fastest way I know to build that system. In 90 days. With the templates already written for you.

What you can expect when you join me:

You’ll walk away with a working case for support, a donor communications plan for the rest of the year, a monthly giving ask sequence, a major donor conversation guide, and a legacy giving letter, all ready to use.

You’ll know exactly what to do on Monday morning — and every Monday after that for the next 90 days.

You’ll stop starting from zero every January.

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This course protects you

When your funding sources are unpredictable, your donors are your floor. A strong individual giving program — built on the Ask, Thank, Report model — gives you income you can rely on, month after month, year after year. The organizations growing right now are the ones who built this foundation before the crisis hit. You can start building yours this week.

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This program saves you time

You don’t have time to reinvent the wheel right now. That’s why every module in The Lifeline comes with done-for-you templates — a donor appeal letter, a monthly giving email sequence, a major donor conversation guide, a legacy giving letter. You personalize and adapt to your mission. You send. You raise money. It’s as simple as that!

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This program gives you a plan

The hardest part of fundraising isn’t knowing what to do. It’s knowing what to do next. The Lifeline’s 90-day action plan tells you exactly what to do, in what order, from May 4th through early August...and the rest of 2026. No more staring at a blank page. No more wondering where to start.

This program is for you if...

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You’re a development director, executive director, or solo fundraiser at a small or mid-sized nonprofit.
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You’ve lost government funding. Or you’re watching others lose it and you’re not willing to wait.
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You know individual giving is the answer but you don’t have a system, or the one you have isn’t working.
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You want templates you can actually use, not theory you have to translate.
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You don't need more information. You need to know exactly what to do next.
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You’re ready to stop depending on grants or events and start building something that lasts.

This program is NOT for you if...

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You’re looking for a magic shortcut. There isn’t one. This is real work. But it’s the right work.
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You're not willing to show up. The templates are done for you. The plan is laid out. But nobody can do the work for you.
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You’re waiting for the next grant cycle or event to save you. This program is built for fundraisers who are done waiting.​​​​​​​
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You're already running a thriving individual giving program and you just want a tune-up. The Lifeline is a foundation-builder. If your system is already humming, this may not be where you need to be right now.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

What you’ll build in 90 days:​​​​​​​

MODULES WE COVER:

01.

Your Case for Support — Rewritten for Right Now

Your old case for support was written in a different world. Donors are watching the news. They know what’s happening. This module walks you through building a case that speaks directly to this moment — one that makes giving feel urgent, personal, and necessary. Done for you: a fill-in-the-blank case for support template and a donor appeal letter you can adapt and send within 48 hours.
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02.

Your Nonprofit's Story — Told for Right Now

You already know: facts don’t move people, stories do.

Your donors aren't reading your annual report. They're reading the news. They're scared for their community. They want to help, but they need to feel it first. That means you need a story that meets them where they are.

More than a decade ago, I created the very first online storytelling class for nonprofit professionals. What I've learned since then, from thousands of small shop fundraisers just like you, is that story isn't a nice-to-have. It's the thing that makes everything else in your fundraising actually work.

This module shows you how to find the story that's already living inside your organization. The story that makes a donor click on a link and donate. You'll learn how to tell it in your appeal letters, your emails, your newsletter, and your conversations with major donors, in a way that feels honest and human rather than manipulative or desperate.

Done for you: a nonprofit story framework and a fill-in-the-blank story template you can adapt for any channel — email, direct mail, or a conversation over coffee.

03.

Your Donor Communications Plan

Your donors don’t leave because they stopped caring. They leave because you stopped talking to them. This module gives you a 12-month communications calendar and the templates to fill it — so every donor hears from you regularly, personally, and in a way that builds real loyalty.
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04.

Monthly Giving

Monthly giving is the closest thing to a salary your fundraising program will ever have. The average monthly donor gives 42 percent more per year than a one-time donor. They stay longer. They lapse less. And when a crisis hits — a grant falls through, an event gets canceled, a check doesn't come — your monthly donors are still there, giving on the first of every month whether you're having a good week or a hard one. This module shows you how to ask for recurring gifts, what to say when someone says no the first time, and how to set the whole thing up whether you're starting from zero or you have a small program that's stalled out and stopped growing.

05. 

Your Major Donor Strategy

You'll identify your top donors and discover what to say to them, and how to make the ask without flinching. Plus you'll get a done-for-you template for a major donor Impact Report that does the quiet work of setting the stage before you ever pick up the phone.

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Planned Giving

Legacy gifts are the largest gifts most donors ever make...and most small nonprofits never ask for them. This module takes the mystery out of planned giving and shows you how to start the conversation in a way that feels natural, warm, and entirely right for your organization.

I would highly recommend this to anyone in fundraising, from development directors to executive directors to associates!"

"Here I am a year and a half later, and our organization has had its most successful fundraising year ever!!

​​​​​​​ Starting the very first month, Pamela laid out in very easy chunks all of the steps I needed to develop and write my first Case for Support. Not only did she give me the steps, she gave me real-time input that was invaluable. I would highly recommend this to anyone in fundraising, from development directors to executive directors to associates!"

L.S., Director of Donor Engagement & Special Events

Because our students' work is personal, we share testimonials by first name only. Every word is from an actual student.

Everything You’ll Getll Get

Bonus 01.

All 6 Modules

Available to you Instantly starting on May 11
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Bonus 02.

Your 90-Day Individual Giving Action Plan

Tailored to your mission, complete with templates and “cheat sheets.”
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Bonus 03.

Hands-On Support

When you enroll in The Lifeline, you'll have the opportunity to schedule a 20 minute “get to know you” session, followed private 45-minute one-on-one call with me. This is where things get personal.

Bring your fundraising plan. Bring your appeal letter. Walk me through your monthly giving process, your donor communications, your thank-you sequence. We'll look at what you have, talk through what's missing, and I'll give you my honest assessment of what to fix first. You'll leave the call knowing exactly where to focus your energy — and what to stop wasting it on.
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Between now and the end of the program, you'll also have email access to me. That means if you get stuck on your case for support, if you're not sure how to word your monthly giving ask, if you send an appeal and want a second set of eyes before it goes out, you can write to me. I'll write back.

This isn't a ticket number. It isn't a chatbot. It's me, reading your work and telling you what I actually think

For a small shop fundraiser working without a team, that kind of direct access can be worth more than the course itself.

Here's what you can expect after the program...

Ninety days is not a long time. But it's long enough to change everything.

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You’ll feel confident making the ask — because you’ll have the words, the framework, and the practice behind you.
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You'll know exactly who your best donors are and what they need to hear from you. No more guessing. No more generic blasts and hoping someone responds.
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You'll have a monthly giving program up and running, providing you with recurring income you can count on.
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You'll have had real conversations with your top major donors. Not someday. This year.
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You'll be able to sit down and write a donor appeal without staring at a blank page.
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You'll trust your instincts again... because they'll be backed by data and strategy, not guesswork.
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You'll move into the rest of the year with a plan that works, not a pile of good intentions.
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DIVE IN NOW

You don't have to stress over fundraising anymore.

You don't have to chase every free webinar or spend your Sunday nights wondering if you're doing it right.

All you have to do is trust the process and work the system.

Show up. Do the work. Follow the steps.
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Your results will follow. 

GUARANTEE / REFUND POLICY

 I want you to feel good about this decision. That's why The Lifeline comes with a 30-day guarantee.

Do the work. Complete the assignments. Show me your homework. If you've gone through the modules, done the exercises, and you don't feel like you've gotten real value — write to me within 30 days of the course delivery date and I will refund your investment in full.

No runaround. No fine print. Just send me what you've done and we'll make it right.
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The one condition: you have to actually do the work. This guarantee is for the fundraiser who shows up and tries. It's not for someone who signs up and never opens the course. Fair enough?​​​​​​​ 
 I want you to feel good about this decision. That's why The Lifeline comes with a 30-day guarantee.

Do the work. Complete the assignments. Show me your homework. If you've gone through the modules, done the exercises, and you don't feel like you've gotten real value — write to me within 30 days of the course delivery date and I will refund your investment in full.

No runaround. No fine print. Just send me what you've done and we'll make it right.
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The one condition: you have to actually do the work. This guarantee is for the fundraiser who shows up and tries. It's not for someone who signs up and never opens the course. Fair enough?​​​​​​​ 

So, what'll it be?

The Lifeline

Done-for-you templates for every strategy in the course.
A 90-day action plan so you know exactly what to do each week.
And one private 45-minute call with Pamela — just you, your work, and someone who has spent twenty years helping fundraisers just like you find the words, make the ask, and keep their organizations alive.
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The Lifeline $497

The Lifeline + Coaching

 Everything in The Lifeline, plus four private 45-minute calls with Pamela.

You bring your real challenge. Your case for support, your donor communications, your monthly giving appeal, your board relationship. We work through it together.

Between calls, Pamela reviews your materials. You're not writing in a vacuum and hoping for the best. You have someone in your corner who's seen what actually performs and will tell you the truth.
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Four sessions at $250 each is $1,000 in coaching alone. Add the course and the value is clear.
This is for the fundraiser who's done trying to figure it out alone. 
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The Lifeline + Coaching  $1,297

Here's why else you'll love this program:

You don't have to figure this out alone. Every template, every framework, every word — it's already built for you. All you have to do is implement.

You can work at your own pace. Life doesn't stop because you're in a program. The Lifeline fits around your reality, not the other way around.

You'll have Pamela in your corner. Not a chatbot. Not a forum. Her — with twenty years of knowing what works and what doesn't.

And when the 90 days are up? You'll have something most fundraisers never build: a system. Not a to-do list. A real, working system for raising money from the people who care most about your mission.
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That's what changes everything.

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DIVE IN NOW

Why work with Pam?

For more than twenty years, she's done one thing: helped nonprofits raise money from the people who care most about their work — their donors.

Along the way, she's raised hundreds of millions through her consultancy and her Basics & More online training. 
Civil Society magazine named her one of the 50 Most Influential Fundraisers. She's been recognized as one of America's Top 25 Fundraising Experts.

​​​​​​But you won't find her on the conference circuit. She's too busy working with the people actually in the trenches.
But what she's most proud of is this: the one-person shops, the scrappy executive directors, the development directors wearing six hats at once — the people who took what she taught them and used it to keep their organizations alive and their communities whole.
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The Lifeline was built for them. And for you.

You're in good company

'“I always recommend Pamela Grow’s Basics and More for non-profits that want realistic and actionable advice on how to fundraise.”

'“I always recommend Pamela Grow’s Basics and More for non-profits that want realistic and actionable advice on how to fundraise. Pamela and team understand what it’s like to work in a nonprofit when you have multiple responsibilities and need to get stuff done in the easiest, most resourceful way. I like these programs so much I give them as gifts to friends and colleagues in the non-profit space. (And trust me, it’s a good gift!)”

- Julie LaCouter

LOVED it. It was SOLID information in a great, easy-to-understand format

"I went through your Simple Development Systems a few years ago and LOVED it. It was SOLID information in a great, easy-to-understand format — and I owe you a great deal. I really mean that. I've been blessed to raise over $6 million in capital campaigns in my years as a Fund Development Director, in addition to starting a Monthly Sustainers club (much thanks to you for that) and a solid annual giving program."

R.J., Director of Fund Development

“I am so thrilled to say we are having an INCREDIBLE year.”

“I am so thrilled to say we are having an INCREDIBLE year. Typically, the first 6 months of our fiscal year are…tight (to say the least). However, we’re already about 60% of the way toward our total income goal for the fiscal year.

Thank you for all that you do. As I have navigated the vastly complex world of fundraising, you have been a steady, strong, and thoughtful guiding force. You’re my go-to guru!”

S.P., Development Coordinator

“...we went from running a deficit to having an additional $40,000 in our investment account!”

"I signed up for the whole year of Basics & More classes after joining the board of a national nonprofit. Over two and a half years, we went from running a deficit to having an additional $40,000 in our investment account. We established hand-written thank-you policies, segmented our donor database, created a planned giving campaign, and transformed our fundraising letters to be donor-centric using storytelling. This was a lot to learn — and every bit of it worked."

B.P., Board Member

FAQ

I've answered the most common questions below; for any others, please get in touch.

1. How is The Lifeline delivered?
The program is delivered in full on Monday, May 11. Each module contains  recorded webinars, a downloadable PDF, “cheat sheets,” and an assignment (or two) for the topic. Additionally, The Lifeline comes with a 20 minute one-on-one call, one 45-minute coaching call, and full email access.
How long do I have access to the materials?
Forever. Once you’ve accessed the course, everything’s yours to keep. To re-use with a new team member or volunteer. There’s no expiration date, no subscription to maintain. Come back to them whenever you need them.
Can I share the materials with other members of my team?
In keeping with the Basics & More motto that fundraising is everyone’s job, The Lifeline is yours to share with all team members.
 I’m a consultant to nonprofits. Is this a good fit for me?
Yes, with one caveat. The Lifeline is built for the fundraiser inside an organization, so the exercises and templates are written from that perspective. But if you work closely with nonprofits and want a framework you can bring to your clients, you’ll find a lot here that translates.
I’m fairly new to fundraising. Will I be able to keep up?
This is actually one of the best times to take The Lifeline. You haven’t had years of bad habits to unlearn. The five pillars we cover — case for support, donor communications, monthly giving, major donors, and legacy giving — are the foundation of everything. Start here and you’ll be miles ahead.
How is The Lifeline different from your other Basics & More courses?
I’ve been teaching fundraising for over 15 years. I’ve built courses on newsletters, major donors, legacy giving, board development, year-end appeals. Good courses. Courses that got real results.

But here’s what I kept seeing: people would take one course, get a win, and then…nothing. The newsletter would stop when the development person left. The major donor strategy would stall when things got busy. The momentum would fade.

They weren’t missing skills. They were missing a system.

The Lifeline is the course I wish I’d built first. It gives you the five strategies that matter the most to your bottom line. They work together and when you run them consistently, you’ll stop feeling the drudgery of fundraising and start growing real relationships. A case for support that tells your story. A communications plan that keeps you showing up. Monthly giving. Major donors. Legacy gifts. Not one piece. The whole picture.

Five strategies. One system that holds.
What if I fall behind? Can I work at my own pace?
Absolutely. The 90-day plan is a guide, not a deadline. Life happens — especially in a small shop. Work through the modules at whatever pace makes sense for you. The materials aren’t going anywhere.
What happens after the 90 days are up?
You’ll have built something real. A case for support. A communications plan. A monthly giving ask. A major donor strategy. A legacy giving foundation. Those don’t disappear when the program ends. They become the systems you run your fundraising on.
I’m interested in the coaching tier but I have a few questions first. Can I talk to someone?
Of course. Just hit reply to any email from me and I’ll get back to you personally. No sales pitch. Just a real conversation.

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DIVE IN NOW

“To see this all this year when others have declining donations, has been nothing short of amazing to me.”

You have said that you like to hear feedback from your students, so I have been thinking of you all through the day today and finally stopped to write to you. I am sending you so much gratitude.

​​​​​​​In September 2023, the results were: 169 donors for a total of $14,001.
In September 2024, the results were:  396 donors for a total of $79,553 (this included a $25,000 donation for a match)

Our 3rd Quarter stats were:
2023 – 459 gifts for a total of $ 97,710
2024 – 764 gifts for a total of $121,657

Thanks to you, I have a calendar that maps out my fundraising deadlines and detailed plan of action. Our December newsletter is at the printers now to be mailed the day after election day.

- Dawn

Because our students' work is personal, we share testimonials by first name only. Every word is from an actual student.

I’m Pamela

I know what you might be thinking right now. That your situation is too hard. Too underfunded. Too stretched.

I've heard that before. And then I've watched those same people — running tiny and mid-sized shops alike, doing this work mostly alone — build something that lasted.

Not because they had more money or more staff.

Because they had a system. And they worked it.

I've seen this happen over and over again, with nonprofits just like yours. Real stakes. And real results.
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You can do this. I promise you, you can.

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Basics & More Fundraising
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