Patricia H. Clemency, CFRE President and CEO, Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York Fundraising Day in New York June 27, 2014

 We compete with 1.5 million charities for awareness and funding  Annual events account for the largest share of fundraising revenue for most charities  Event donors hardest to convert to other giving  Donor loyalty may be to your event, rather than your organization  Special events have higher cost, lower ROI

Annual Giving Support Group Organizations Special Events and Benefit Events Annual Giving Campaign/Direct Mail/Online Selected Publics All the Public/Everyone in the Area Major Giving Endowment Campaigns Capital and Special Campaigns Major Gifts from Individuals Major Gifts from Corporations And Foundations Estate Or Planned Giving Bequests Planned Gifts Donor ContactDonor GrowthDonor Commitment Investment Involvement Interest Information Identification

$ $1.50 per dollar raised $.50 of gross proceeds $.25 per dollar raised $.20 per dollar raised $.05 - $.15 per dollar raised $.03 - $.075 of the amount of each gift for processing Online Fundraising Major Gifts/ Capital Campaigns/ Planned Gifts Grants Direct Mail – Donor Renewal Special Events Direct Mail – Donor Acquisition

Planning Cycle Night OfPost-Event Budget, Timeline Auction – Silent/LiveThank You’s CommitteeSpeechesPR Theme, InvitesDonations Hope to see you at the next event! Sponsorships, Tickets, Donations Social Media Add guests to list for other initiatives Social Media, PRTGIO!

What do these gifts have in common? $10 million lead gift Largest individual gift to Make-A-Wish worldwide $500,000 gift From 20-year donor $200,000 For endowment $90,000 For wishes

Sustainability Research Linkage Involvement Advocacy Linkage Ability Interest Prospect Donor Repeat Donor Upgraded Donor Special Gift Major Gift Big Gift Planned Gift

FromTo Invite to eventInvite to share/join in mission Mission informationMission investment Selling tables/ticketsPopulating tables with qualified prospects LogisticsStrategy Annual eventMulti-initiative, multi-year commitment

EVENT Connect with Mission PRE-EVENT Screen Prospects Guests, past transactional donors POST-EVENT Long-Term Engagement As advocates, leaders, major donors

Screening Phase Past Event Donors Evergreens for growth One-time supporters – renewal strategies LYBUNTS – other opportunities to make a difference Other Pipelines Those who gave what we ask Those giving us clues Qualifying the Guest List Make it part of the pre-event culture Table Captains

From the point of arrival First impressions Guides Mission Champions Telling Our Story First-person testimonials Future need, not just past results Champions and Recruiters Board’s role President’s Table Connecting Guests

Divide and Conquer Meet and greet assignments “Shadows” Strategic seating Prospect research support Anchors Information gathering Night of Fundraising Connect fundraising to the mission Opportunities for investment

 Potential to move donor from transaction/ transition to transformational relationship  Efficiency and effectiveness are key  21-day rule  Schedule post-event de-brief sessions before the event takes place  De-brief with staff, board, volunteers for clues, strategies and next steps  Create multiple touchpoints – it’s not just a receipt/thank you letter!  Personal calls and visits to major donors/ prospects

 Get in front of as many major donors/ prospects as you can – individual meetings, receptions, etc.  Build on case for support presented at event  Mobilize the board as mission champions  Identify options for future engagement and support and clarify next steps  Guide the individual donor journey – How can they help? Who guides? How do we build on- going involvement and support?

Transaction - Special event donor Welcome to a community of like-minded donors who believe in the mission Transition – Wish Sponsor You have made a difference for a child  Mission Connection  Active Engagement Transformation– Challenge Matches; Lead You have made a difference for the organization by investing in our future.  Value Added Proposition: Inspiring others  Lead gift for 10 in 10

Transaction – Third party event Basketball memorial game Holiday gift to parents of classmate Transition – How can I make a difference now?  Build Advisory Board  Gala Honoree Transformation– How do I make a difference for the future of the mission?  Advisory Board becomes feeder group to board  Lead gift to the endowment - $250,000  Chair of 30 th anniversary  Gift of $500,000 for “10 in 10”

 View events as three equally important parts: pre-event, night-of, post-event  Efficiency and effectiveness are key  Focus on strategy first, logistics second  Demystify process - Prepare, train, de-brief with board/CEO  Eliminate talking heads - use your best storytellers  Build mission connections to create donor loyalty to the organization, not the event  Empower board to make a difference, not just fundraise  Create clear options for post-event engagement  Remember the 21-day rule  Celebrate success!

“We got involved with Make-A-Wish because of a six-year old girl named Micah whose wish it was to be a ballerina. We have remained involved because of the hundreds of other children whose lives have been changed by Make-A-Wish. Make- A-Wish may not have cured their illnesses, but their wish gave them hope and the will to fight.” - From cultivation event guest to $90,000 donor