A Leadership Annual Giving Forum Jenny Alstad Director, Annual Giving Programs

What is your program like? Do you have an established leadership gift program? Do annual giving staff carry portfolios? Is leadership giving a priority at your institution? Do you have a prospect research team? What does your institution define as a leadership annual gift?

Agenda Why is Leadership Giving Important? CofC's Program Structure Execution & Open Forum

Why is leadership giving important?

Over-Reliance on the Top On average, the top 36 donors contribute 63% of annual fundraising revenue. So, who’s “on deck”? The average gift from biggest donors dropped 22% Higher education is relying on the top of the gift pyramid. A small number of mega-gifts.  Few institutions have a solid pipeline of those "on-deck" Without a cohort of donors rising up the pyramid, institutions will find themselves unable to continue the current climate.  Source: EAB- New Frontiers in Pipeline Development

Over-Reliance on the Top At the same time- participation numbers are GOING DOWN Source: EAB- New Frontiers in Pipeline Development

Enough To Go Around Source: EAB- New Frontiers in Pipeline Development The lack of a pipeline has less to do with a dearth in prospects than with lack of cultivation.  - 80% of high-potential prospects are uncultivated by MGOS! Three ways to get to more prospects:  - Increasing Prospect Covereage - Accelerating Portfolio Churn - Scaling Personalized Cultivation Source: EAB- New Frontiers in Pipeline Development

Wealthy Prospects are Easier to Find than Ever Source: EAB- New Frontiers in Pipeline Development

Annual Leadership Giving at College of Charleston

Evolution of Leadership Annual Giving at CofC 1,000+ March 2014 FY20 120 Began in 2014- Very similar to MGO role- just different type of prospects

Shift in Strategy: Current Structure Executive Director Portfolio: 100 Director Portfolio: 200 Leadership Gift Officers (3) Portfolio 200-300 - AD, Integrated Marketing Strategies Administrative Assistant In 2018 we made a major shift in strategy:  - transitioned 3 programatic employees to leadership gift officers - Expanded portfolios - School-based partnerships - EAB- Direct Mail

FY20 Goals & Metrics Visits Proposals Dollars Raised 1st time visits Face to face and scheduled phone calls 1st time visits Proposals  Proposals submitted and proposals granted Dollars Raised  Goals for total dollars raised and unrestricted

Key Focus Areas Multi-Year Proposals Retention School-Based Partnerships Planned Giving

Annual Leadership Gift Officers- FY18 vs FY19 Comparison Results Annual Leadership Gift Officers- FY18 vs FY19 Comparison   FY18 FY19 Change Percent Change # Proposals Submitted 253 444 191 75.49% Dollars Submitted $833,760 $1,132,385 $298,625 35.82% # Proposals Granted 180 280 100 55.56% Dollars Granted $360,475 $574,896 $214,421 59.48% Visits 243 270 27 11.11%

Growing Pains Staff in the right roles Donor choice Project management Expectations of ALGs vs MGOs

- Hindu Prince Guatama Siddhartha Execution & Open Forum There are two mistakes one can make along the road…not going all the way, and not starting.” - Hindu Prince Guatama Siddhartha

Portfolio Management Technology for organization and prioritization At least 2-3 contacts/quarter Structure the year on travel schedule, alumni events and renewal dates Transparency is key!  How do you meaningfully manage 200+ prospects?

Getting in the door Week 1: Email Week 2: Phone and Email Week 3: Bump-Up Email Key Takeaway: This is hard work! *A 15 % success rate in terms of meeting your objective is above par *Approximately 90% of calls go to voicemail What are your best tips for getting in front of prospects? 

Prospect Strategy Always have a purpose! Planned gift Multi-year commitment Renewal Engagement opportunities Major gift prospect Parent What messaging is resonating with your constituents?

Meeting Agendas: Qualification-Solicitation all at once (15%) Warm up, chit chat, restate why you are there! (65%) Probing Questions (10%) Making the Case (5%) Transition and ASK (5%) Recap and NEXT STEPS *70% of meeting should be prospect speaking! How do you move from qualification to solicitation in just one meeting?

Probing Questions Do you believe your gifts to XXX are making a difference? If so, how? What other organizations do you currently support? Volunteer for? Serve on the board for? When you give, do you give both annually and to capital projects? What works for you?

Meeting Follow-Up The sooner the better! Always bring a simple letter of intent to meetings (consider 2-3 different LOI’s) Touchpoints quarterly throughout the year Engagement opportunities scheduled in advance How do you continue to steward such large portfolios? 

What’s working for you? Questions? Jenny Alstad Director, Annual Giving Programs 843-953-5974 gilsonjm@cofc.edu