FUND RAISING BOOT CAMP

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FUND RAISING BOOT CAMP

• Presented by Santa Fe SCORE, Small Business
  Development Center, Los Alamos National Bank.
  Generous support provided by The Messengers of
  Healing Winds Foundation

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Fund Raising is NOT an Aggressive Act!!!

• Fund Raising can actually be a lot of fun (if you
  have a high tolerance for rejection)
• Fund Raising is NOT about you.so no is not a
  rejection of you. Its about an organization you
  feel strongly about.
• If you have passion, persistence and patience,
  you will succeed!

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Some Tips on Fund Raising in a Tough Climate

• From The Chronicle of Higher EducationYou cant
  sit there and do nothing, said Laura Fredericks,
  a fund raising consultant in NY..the world
  didnt end. And theres plenty of money out
  there.
• Look inward at your largest donors,
  longest-giving donors, largest cumulative donors
  and oldest donors, and thank them for their
  support through the years, tell them how much
  theyve given cumulatively and thank them again
• Be near, dear, and clear. Studies show in tough
  times, donors tend to cut out recipients
  altogether rather than reduce gifts to every
  organization they support. So visit donors, call
  them, tell them what their gifts have done and
  make a clear case for their continued support

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Some More Tips.

• Add value - Challenge gifts can make people feel
  they are getting (and giving) more for their
  money.
• Think long term - the development efforts you put
  in on cultivating donors when times are tough
  will pay off later.
• Be sensitive - This might not be the right time
  to hold a big, fancy gala benefit. Even if your
  donors are in a position to give they may feel
  that a big party seems inappropriate when so many
  people are worried about their economic
  situations.
• Offer to help - A relationship with a donor is
  like a marriage. You are there for them in the
  bad times as well as the good. Meaning you dont
  go away if they are having a hard time
  financially.

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Development Process

• Identify donors
• Qualify donors
• Educate donors
• Cultivate donors
• Ask! Donors
• Thank donors

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Qualifying Your Donors

• Be smart about qualifying your donors
• Identify your universe of donors
• Build a database of suspects, prospects and
  targets
• Utilize your Board, staff, volunteers, contacts

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Qualifying Your Donors

• Identify your donors into suspects, prospects and
  targets

suspects
targets
prospects
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Qualifying Your Donors

• Focus on high dollar/high potential prospects -
  80 of time, energy and money
• Objective is to move names from outer to middle
  to inner circle over time
• Learn why your NPO is the favorite of some donors
  and not others
• Realize that some donors are good prospects for
  program support and others only want to support
  your special event

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Effective Solicitation Techniques

• Preparing for the Ask - Draw on your own
  experience and ask these questions
• Why do people give?
• Does it matter how well the solicitor knows the
  organization?
• Does it matter how enthusiastic the solicitor is?
• What is your greatest fear in asking for money?
• Why are you involved with your organization?
• What aspects of the program are of particular
  interest to you?
• Write your 3 minute elevator speech.

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Prepare for the Ask

• Peer-to-peer solicitation is most effective
• Solicit in teams of two or three, if possible.
  Helpful if the solicitor has made his/her gift.
• Prepare pertinent materials, i.e. case statement,
  organizational budget, project budget (if
  necessary), program information, list of Board of
  Directors/Advisory Board
• Review profile of donor prospect - prior gifts,
  current relationship to organization, other
  philanthropy, etc.

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THE ASK

• When you arrive, notice the surroundings. Break
  the ice by commenting on something that is
  obviously of personal interest to the prospect.
• Thank the prospect for agreeing to see you.
• Open with comment about their knowledge/involvemen
  t with your organization and/or a previous gift
  they have made. Show them youve done your
  homework.

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THE ASK

• Reiterate the case for the importance of securing
  the long-term future of your organization. Use
  the points outlined in the case statement.
• Focus on a limited number of key messages do not
  overwhelm the prospect with too much information.
• Identify the problem (in as large a context as
  possible - national, state, city), why you are
  qualified to address the problem, and the
  benefits to your clients.

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THE ASK

• Avoid generalities. Be specific in your
  description. For example, which sounds better
• We provide education programs for school children
  or
• All eighth grade students studying American
  History visit the museum 6 times a year as part
  of their regular curriculum, not as an occasional
  field trip.

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THE ASK

• Utilize board members, staff and volunteers for
  success stories that have that specificity.
• Sell the dream. Does Revlon sell cosmetics or
  hope? Your pitch should be about not only your
  accomplishments today, but also about your plans
  for the future - with their support.
• BE QUIET AND LISTEN!!! Listen to determine that
  particular aspects of the case is of interest to
  them. Listen to determine the level of knowledge
  and perception of need. This involves the
  prospect in the discussion.

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THE ASK

• Reinforce and expand on their points of interest.
  Play them back.
• Describe the various options for making an
  investment in the future. In the case of a major
  capital gift, remember to emphasize the ability
  to pay over a period of years.

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THE ASK

• ASK FOR THE MONEY!! A specific amount. You set
  the level of expectation.
• If you dont ask, you wont get. If you dont
  ask, someone else will.
• Heres some language Frankly, I hope you will
  consider a gift of 1,000. Would that be
  possible?
• Or, I have made my personal gift of 1,000.
  Wont you join me and others with a similar
  gift?

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THE ASK

• Stress the importance of what the gift will
  accomplish, not the dollars themselves. You are
  not asking for yourself, but for your
  organization.
• Thank the prospect for their time and tell them
  you look forward to hearing from them.
• Always follow up with a personal letter of
  thanks. Reiterate any points of interest they
  mentioned and any verbal commitments that were
  made during the visit.

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THE ASK

• Make all prospects feel important, special and
  good about making a gift.
• Be clear, concise and compelling. Be a
  passionate storyteller - your enthusiasm will be
  contagious.
• Follow up,follow up and follow up.

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DEALING WITH NO

• What are some of the objections you have
  encountered or anticipate having?
• If you can anticipate objections in advance, you
  can address them head on and possibly defuse an
  embarrassing situation.
• Try to overcome objections with positive
  information about your organization. Emphasize
  the programs strengths track record, clients
  helped, etc.
• EVERYONE is having a bad year this year and next
  so get used to hearing it.

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DEALING WITH NO

• Never argue, apologize or become defensive with a
  prospect, but persist with sensitivity. No
  today often does not men no tomorrow.
• In fact, treat no as your first hello.
  Initial rejection often forces you to refine your
  pitch and/or develop the relationship further and
  often produces positive results on subsequent
  attempts.

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DEALING WITH NO

• Never be disappointed in the size of a gift, even
  if smaller than anticipated. In this
  environment, be glad you got anything and just
  say thank you.
• A campaign never fails because there are too few
  gifts, but because there are too few asks. Good
  rule of thumb Ask for 3 to 4 times the amount
  of money you need to raise.

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HOW TO THANK DONORS EFFECTIVELY

• Thank your donors seven times during the year.
• Write a thank you note from the staff, from the
  Board member who solicited the gift,and from
  other Board members when appropriate.
• Most donors like to know that the Board of an
  organization knows about and appreciates their
  gift.

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HOW TO THANK DONORS EFFECTIVELY

• Make the thank you notes as personal as possible.
  Donors can smell a boiler plate thank you letter
  a mile away.
• Establish a thank you committee whose job it is
  to thank donors at various times during the year.
  Place personal calls to new and renewing donors
  one month after the gift is received (when they
  are least expecting it) just to say thank you
  again.

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HOW TO THANK DONORS EFFECTIVELY

• Send holiday, birthday greetings to donors and
  thank them again.
• For especially large gifts, invite the donor to
  make a presentation of the check at the next
  Board meeting.
• Hold an annual thank you event for donors and
  volunteers at which you thank them again and
  recognize their contributions of time and money.

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HOW TO THANK DONORS EFFECTIVELY

• Send a personalized good news letter six months
  into your fiscal year describing the progress to
  date, what their dollars have enabled you to do
  and thank them again. This is NOT a
  solicitation.
• Always acknowledge a prior gift or volunteer
  activities in a new solicitation.

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ROLE PLAYING

• Scenario 1- Foundation Executive
• You have an appointment with a Foundation
  executive. This Foundation has made grants in
  your field in the past and to your organization.
  You are planning to expand one of your core
  programs and need funding over 2 years for the
  expansion. Given the current economic climate
• How do you present your case?
• How much do you ask for?

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ROLE PLAYING

• Scenario 2 - Local Santa Fe Bank
• You have an appointment with the Executive VP of
  the bank where your organization has an account.
  The bank has the reputation for generosity in the
  community, but so far has not given to your
  organization. There is some evidence that they
  fund causes similar to yours.
• How do you present your case?
• What recognition can you offer?

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ROLE PLAYING

• Scenario 3 Mr. and Mrs. Big Bucks
• This couple has been generous supporters to your
  organization in the past. Now, however, they
  have one adult child who has been laid off from
  her job and they are helping her. And their
  retirement savings is down about 30-40.
• How do you present your case?
• What do you ask for?

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FINAL EXERCISE

• Write your 3 minute elevator speech again.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

• SCORE - 988-6302
• www.santafescore.org
• Judith Nix - jknix_at_cybermesa.com
• Mary Ellen Degnan - med_at_cybermesa.com