McDonough School of Business
Business for Impact
Business for Impact

New Strategies Rising

About New Strategies Rising

Launched in 2023, New Strategies Rising is an invitation-only financial leadership and donor networking program. It was born out of the highly-rated New Strategies program and responds to the unique experiences of nonprofit leaders and smaller organizations proximate to and actively serving resource-constrained communities – those with operating budgets of $1.5 million or less.

Like New Strategies, companies, foundations, and grantmakers send their grantees to the four-day, on-campus Rising program focused exclusively on how nonprofits can bolster, diversify, and manage revenue for growth and success. Instructors, presenters, and small-group facilitators are  Georgetown faculty and nationally recognized experts in revenue-generating fields.

New Strategies Rising features structured touchpoints at 30-, 60-, and 90-days following completion of the on-campus portion of the program and connects  participating nonprofits with an expanded funder community through the Network Marketplace.

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New Strategies Rising’s Approach

New Strategies Rising is customized to address the highest-priority business needs of small, yet highly impactful nonprofits with demonstrated demand for their services and proven potential for growth. It provides a platform to become visible to a broader network and to build resources for nonprofits often unknown or unseen by funders beyond their immediate communities.

The program is capped at 30 nonprofit executives, allowing for personalized assistance and in-person networking opportunities with peers from across the country. Following topical plenary sessions, participants engage in curated small-group facilitation sessions where they can collaboratively explore how to integrate revenue concepts into their own operating plans. The curriculum, developed through a series of in-depth surveys, focus groups, and trainings TBD to address the highest-priority business needs of the attendees, was refined through an intensive pilot program launch.

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About the Network Marketplace

A pioneering component of New Strategies Rising is the Network Marketplace that provides benefits for Rising’s nonprofit leaders, as well as participating funders and donor allies.

Through the marketplace, nonprofit leaders connect one-on-one with a new landscape of philanthropic professionals and corporate partners – providing them the opportunity to learn, connect with, and build an expanded potential fundraising network. Through these connections, funders and donor allies gain access to a vetted pipeline of organizations proximate to and actively serving resource-constrained communities – providing them the opportunity for deeper learning on issues and trends impacting national communities and for potential organizations to forge new collaborations.

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Representative Topics

Who Should Participate

Selected nonprofits are encouraged to enroll CEOs, executive directors, or other executive-level individuals responsible for generating and/or managing revenue. Program participants are expected to be able to enact new and evolving strategies within their organizations. Over 75% of all New Strategies Rising participants are the CEO or executive director of their organization. Others included directors of development (or equivalent) and project or program directors with financial responsibilities.

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