2-Day Strategy Intensive
with Julie Ordoñez
December 3-4, 2026
Orange, CA
The room where you trust yourself more, get bolder, and learn from leaders like you
Feedback from Past Attendees
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"Best use of my time and money for sure. (And I'm spread thing and a cheapskate, so that's saying a lot!)"
— Executive Director and CourageLab client
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"It struck me just how much we laughed yesterday. This work can be fun and filled with laughter."
— Executive Director and CourageLab client
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"Connection. Support. Kind truth. A constant drip of insightful comments, information, learning, suggestions, and support from all. An undercurrent of gratitude and coaching to stand tall in the work we get to do."
— Director of Development and CourageLab client
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"I really appreciated the safe space to practice pitches, to get feedback and praise on things we do well. The intensive provided an opportunity to officially meet those in our cohort, but also to learn from their expertise, hear about their experiences, and commiserate with their challenges."
— Director of Development and CourageLab client
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"I love learning through doing and that's what this was all about. The intensive was exceptional."
— Director of Development and CourageLab client
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"This was so energizing and eye-opening. It was so lovely to be together and I learned so much from the leaders in the room and from Julie as always."
— CEO and CourageLab client
Meet Your Speakers
Nuka Hart
Nuka is the CEO of Free Wheelchair Mission and a fundraising savant. She was Julie’s first mentor and taught her major gifts fundraising as a young major gifts officer.
Nuka has extensive experience in nonprofit fund development and operations, corporate giving, and mass-and-major-donor event fundraising. She also has expertise in identifying ways to engage and grow philanthropic giving within affinity groups or donor segment groups.
Nuka previously led major gifts fundraising and development operations for United Way of Greater Los Angeles, focused on finding permanent solutions to poverty-related issues in LA County. She also has previous experience in nonprofit fundraising through The Vision Center of Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and The Luminaires of the Doheny Eye Institute, Pacific Palisades Women’s Club, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Nuka graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in studio art and lives in Southern California with her husband, Michael. She has two young adult children. Because of her Haitian heritage, she felt called to work with an organization that has been making a significant impact in Haiti—providing renewed dignity, independence, and hope through the gift of mobility, at no cost, to wheelchair recipients and their families.
Katherine Powers
Katherine is the President and CEO of Los Angeles Master Chorale and a star student inside CourageLab. She recently joined the Master Chorale from Pacific Opera Project (POP), where she served as Executive Director since 2023. Inside CourageLab, Katherine increased individual giving by 141% and built the reserves from $0 to nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.
At POP, Powers led the company through a period of transformational growth, building its audiences, expanding its education and engagement programming, strengthening its financial position and fundraising capacity, and advancing its reputation for inventive, accessible opera. Under her leadership, POP was named among the Los Angeles Times’ “Best of Classical Music in 2024,” reflecting the company’s growing artistic reach. Before joining POP, Powers was the founding Director of Vocal Arts at California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley, where she built and led a nationally recognized vocal arts program and developed partnerships with organizations including LA Opera, the Music Center, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, MUSE/IQUE, and the Huntington.
Powers holds an Associate's Degree in Theater from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, a B.A. in Music from UCLA, and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Julie Ordoñez
Julie is a master fundraising coach and the founder of CourageLab, where solo EDs and teams of 2 raise 6 figures in 6 6 months without a gala or chasing grants. She and her clients have raised over $102 million for nonprofits. With 18 years of experience in major gifts, nonprofit leadership, and coaching teams, Julie has helped over 650 organizations grow their individual giving revenue.
She is the host of the top-rated Nonprofit CourageLab podcast, which hit #3 on the U.S. nonprofit charts in Sept 2022. She was a top 1% performer at United Way of Greater Los Angeles and at New Story, raising over $2.5M in her first 12 months in the role in 2022. She is on a mission to build a more courageous and generous world one nonprofit executive at a time.
Julie graduated from Texas Christian University with a double major in Communication Studies and Spanish & Latin American Studies.
She lives in downtown Chicago, IL, with her husband Trey, and they have been happily married for 15 years.
Itinerary
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8:30 AM - Doors Open, Coffee is served
9:00 AM - Session 1
11:00 AM - Session 2
12:30 PM - Lunch (Included)
1:00 PM - Session 3
2:45 PM - Break
3:00 PM - Session 4
4:30 PM - Day One Closing Activity
5:00 PM - Close
6:30 PM - Optional Group Dinner
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8:30 AM - Doors Open, Coffee is served
9:00 AM - Session 5
11:00 AM - Session 6
12:00 PM - Lunch On-site (Included)
12:30 PM - Final Session
2:00 PM - Closing Activity
2:30 PM - Intensive End
What to Expect
Some levels you only reach when you’re in the room. This is that room. For the leader who is hungry for fundraising growth and ready to invest in themselves.
Expect real talk. No “conference face” required. Come as you are.
Live workshops. No stuffy jargon you have no idea what they’re saying.
Feedback and learning. No fluffy theory leaving you overwhelmed.
Friendly and smart leaders. No whiners allowed. Sorry not sorry.
❋ Fireside Chat with Nuka Hart Nuka and Julie share behind-the-scenes on closing the largest gifts of their careers and what it takes to lead a growing organization with a relationship-driven and fearless approach to fundraising. ❋ 6 and 7-Figure Pitch PracticeGet feedback from Julie and your peers. Learn from your peers and watch their pitches. This is often the most popular session of the two days together. ❋ Donor Meeting Role Play Walk into a presentation, conversation, or board meeting with confidence and a message that resonates and gets the audience to take action right away. ❋ Activate Your Board Champions to Fundraising Success Activate your board to finally help with fundraising, inspire them to make introductions, and support you in fundraising.❋ From Scarcity to Courage: How to Build a Culture of GenerosityTransform skeptics and timid leaders into fundraising partners who are on the same page about how to engage donors. Learn the coaching and leadership frameworks that Julie has used to coach hundreds of nonprofits. ❋ $100 Million Dollar Mindset WorkshopOvercome small thinking and develop a major gifts program by design - not by default - to exceed your goals without burning out or compromising your values.
Led by Julie Ordoñez
Fundraising Coach
Hey, I’m Julie.
I’ve personally raised $25,000,000 from individuals and family foundations. My clients have raised $77 million (and counting) - as solo CEOs or teams of 2 - in the last 8 years.
If you’re ready to raise serious money and cut your workload in half, I’m your girl.
Overview
This event is best for high-achieving, friendly, and coachable CEOs, EDs, and Development Directors with a loyal donor base who need to raise bigger gifts in the next 12 months with a drive to be better leaders.
Strategy Intensive Details
December 3-4, 2026
Dates
Orange, California
Location
$699 for 1 person.
$999 for team of 2.
Early Bird Pricing
FAQs
What’s included?
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Full access to both days of the intensive
Light breakfast and coffee
Catered lunch and snacks both days
Optional dinner Thursday night is extra. When you apply, you can opt in or decline the group dinner.
Not included: Transporation and lodging
Where is it?
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Orange, California, at a private event space. Zip code: 92856. Exact location shared once you apply, are approved, and purchase your spot.
Who is this for?
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This event is best for high-achieving, friendly, and coachable CEOs, EDs, and Development Directors with a loyal donor base who need to raise bigger gifts in the next 12 months with a drive to be better leaders.
If you’re looking for a stuffy ballroom conference, this ain’t it.
What is the investment?
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Early Bird Rates: $699 for one person, $999 for two.
Price will increase on 11/15: $899 for one person. $1200 for two.
Can I bring my team?
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Yes, if you are an ED and you’d like your DD to attend, you should both apply. You will recieve a link to complete one payment.
Get in here
“Ready” is a decision.
"This was so refreshing."
"The intensive was exceptional."
"Best use of my time and money. And I'm spread thin."
"This was so refreshing." "The intensive was exceptional." "Best use of my time and money. And I'm spread thin."
