Double Your Dollars: Using Matching Grants The presentation will begin shortly. To hear the audio portion of this webinar, you must dial in: Access Code: For technical support with audio or web: or support.readytalk.com

Updates: Nonprofit Registration You will be able to register for Arizona Gives Day beginning the first week in January Watch your and Alliance website Deadline is February 28 Will involve 2 steps:  Online form with the Alliance  Claiming your Razoo profile

Why Matching Grants? Mentioning matching gifts in fundraising appeals results in a 71% increase in the response rate and a 51% increase in the average donation amount (and that's prior to receiving matching gift funds). Source: Tech Soup: Which Fundraising Strategies Work?

Benefits for your nonprofit Sets a clear goal Opportunity to publically recognize special donor Draw extra attention to your nonprofit on Arizona Gives Day Offers a simple marketing message for you and your supporters to publicize

Benefits for Your Matching Donor Inspire others to give Know that their gift goes further (not only doubled, also gets you closer to incentives) Highlight a specific program or project

Benefits for Your Matching Donor Opportunity for a business to partner with a loved and respected brand (YOU) Memorializing a loved one Being a part of a social change movement – Arizona Gives Day

Benefits for Your Arizona Gives Day Donors Act of giving is immediate – give your donors a reason to act now Matching grants offer a further sense of urgency in giving on April 9

Where to look Board members Staff Major donors Corporations Local businesses you work with Plan ahead for 2015 grant proposals

5/17/2015 “The Battle for Hearts & Minds Starts with the Hearts.” Andy Goodman

5/17/2015 Engage Cultivate Solicit Recognize Steward 5-Point Cycle of Philanthropy

The System: Solicit Ask for what you need!

How to ask 3 Parts of an Ask Pre-ask Ask Post-ask

Pre-Ask Think it through. Create a checklist.  What are you asking for? And when do you need it?  Who will ask and how will it be done?  What makes you think this is a good person to ask? What clues have they given you?  What are most afraid of in this ask?  Why would they say, “yes”? What do they get back?  How will they want to be recognized?  Do you need to do a “trial ask”?

Trial Ask A trial ask is asking if they might be willing to consider a gift at a future time. Share opportunities and gauge their interest. Example: We are going to be bringing nonprofits together for our annual meeting in the summer. It is an opportunity for networking as well as hearing form a top-notch speaker. We will be looking for sponsorship. Is this something you would consider supporting? Example: Our summer program that provides field trips for the children costs between $500 and $2500 each field trip. Would you be willing to consider a proposal to sponsor a trip at the highest level?

Ask Write out the script.  An “ask” should not take long. It is in 4 stages:  Warm-up or engagement  The Ask  Donor response  Thank you. Practice, Practice, Practice! Already have responses to all the possible answers. Practice some more!

Sample Script Thank you so much for all the support you have given our work this past year(s)! The ________ we serve have benefited from your generosity. Last week, I saw ______ happen, and I was reminded that it takes all of us to reach this level of success. Thank you! I wanted to talk to you today, because we have a really great opportunity coming up in April with Arizona Gives Day. Arizona Gives Day is a day when people all over Arizona go on line to make donations to the nonprofits. Last year, over 800 nonprofit organizations raised just over $1 million. Our organization raised _____, and frankly, it was so new, that we did not do that much to get ready.

Sample Script (cont’d) This year, we have set a goal of doubling our gifts on that day, and we are working to create reasons and incentives for our supporters to give, as well as send our information to people that they know and ask them to make gifts. There are significant prizes throughout the day for organizations that have the most donors or raise the most in donations. We want to make sure that we are really positioned well this time. One of the ways that we hope to get people excited about giving on that day is through a matching gift. We are putting together a group of individuals who will pledge ahead of time to match donations that day, up to ______ amount. I thought of you, as I know how much you love this work and want to see us be able to do more.

Sample Script (cont’d) We have the opportunity to raise the money to provide _____ services, just on that one day, if we meet our goal. Will you make a gift of $_____ that will match other donations given that day? (If part of a pool, say “that will combine with others to match donations given that day?) STOP TALKING and BE QUIET at this point. (Count to 10)

Sample Script (cont’d) If they said, “yes” – Thank you so much for this! Your gift will double the impact we will be able to have with this resource. How would you like to be recognized? What would you like us to say in order to encourage others to give? If they said, “not now” – Thank you so much for thinking about it. Your support is so appreciated in our work. We will let you know how the day goes.

Post Ask Say thank you! Go back to your office right away and hand write a thank you note. Put the information into your database. Record the match information into Razoo. Write a plan to engage the donor in preparation for the event, reporting on the results, and inviting them to be further involved in your work.

Make Sure to Enter Your Matching Grant In Your Razoo Profile:

Tips for Using the Razoo Feature Matching grant feature is a visual tool only Responsibility of the nonprofit to secure the matching grant funds – can be inside or outside of Razoo Matching grant itself does not count toward incentive prizes – but the money you raise does Can only have one matching grant entered in Razoo at a time – but you are welcome to combine gifts

Additional Benefits Donors can use matching grants as a search filter Your organization’s thumbnail will have an icon on it on Arizona Gives Day that draws the donor’s attention

Preston McMurry Founded largest communications firm in southwest and foundation Theresa’s Fund Over $40 million to combat domestic violence and child abuse in Arizona Expert in boards, fundraising, corporate values, and mission statements 2002 Philanthropist of the Year

Join Us Next Time Using Photos and Videos to Tell Your Story January 31 at 10:00 am