FUNDRAISING AROUND THE CAMPFIRE It Does Not Have to be a Scary Story November 14, 2011 Doris Feinberg, CFRE President The Prospero Group, LLC

DEVELOPMENT VS. FUNDRAISING IDENTIFY SOLICIT FUNDRAISING CULTIVATE IDENTIFY SOLICIT DEVELOPMENT VS. Donor Focused Fundraising

FIVE “I”s OF DEVELOPMENT Prospect Funder Investor

WHY PEOPLE DO GIVE?

 Appreciate the experience  To help solve a problem  Desire to get more involved  To belong or be recognized  Sense of community  For the person who is asking  To pay tribute to someone  Tax considerations  Tzedakah WHY PEOPLE DO GIVE?

WHY PEOPLE DO NOT GIVE?

WHY PEOPLE DON’T GIVE?  They don’t feel connected to the cause  The timing is wrong THEY ARE NOT ASKED!

STEWARDSOLICITCULTIVATEIDENTIFY MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE

 Association with organization  Giving history  Capacity/giving potential  Data mining  Special areas of interest  Other charitable interests  Relationships with other organizations STEWARDSOLICITCULTIVATE IDENTIFY

MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE  Regular touch points to deepen affinity  Volunteer involvement  Ongoing communication  Prospect education STEWARDSOLICIT CULTIVATE IDENTIFY

MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE  Practiced solicitation strategy  Specific ask amount  Face-to-face = best results STEWARD SOLICIT CULTIVATEIDENTIFY

MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE  Consistent acknowledgement  Regular communication  Emphasize impact STEWARD SOLICITCULTIVATEIDENTIFY

THE ART OF THE ASK Conducting Face-to-Face Solicitations “No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anne Frank

BEFORE YOU BEGIN  Make your own gift  Identify and start with your “best” prospects  Hone the strategy  Know ask amount and commit to that ask  Review the appropriate method of giving

SECURE THE APPOINTMENT  Send a letter or short note to let the donor know you will be calling  Include brochure or other collateral material with letter  Smile when you pick up the phone  Only request the appointment – this is not the time to solicit  Suggest a meeting time and place/provide 2-3 dates and locations for the appointment Possible locations: prospect’s office or home, camp, neutral place  Invite spouse or partner, if appropriate  Avoid further discussion and end the call

5 ELEMENTS OF THE FACE-TO-FACE MEETING  Engage the donor  Make the case  Negotiate  Manage objections  Close

ENGAGE THE DONOR  Acknowledge past support, if appropriate, and/or support of other organizations  Find common bond  Ask open-ended questions: “What particularly touches you about your children’s camp experience?” Listen carefully! Acknowledge understanding of the response by incorporating the donor’s words into yours.

ARTICULATE THE CASE  Describe the vision  Highlight the case for giving  Link donor’s values to benefits  Emphasize impact of leadership giving: “Your contributions and those of others…”

MAKE THE “ASK”  Invite donor to join with you in making an impact  Request a specific amount “I hope that you will join with me and others who deeply care about camp by considering a gift of $________.” Be quiet!

MANAGE OBJECTIONS “I’LL THINK ABOUT IT…”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS  “I’m glad you will as this is a serious request.”  “What other information might you need to make a decision?”  “Why don’t I/we step out of the room for a few minutes to give you some time to think about/discuss the request?”  “Let’s set a date for (next week) after you’ve had time to think.” “I’LL THINK ABOUT IT…”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS “I NEED MORE TIME…”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS  “If important people like you wait, what about all the others we have to reach? Your leadership will help others to follow.”  “What information are you missing that would inspire you to make a decision now?” “I NEED MORE TIME…”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS “I DON’T LIKE BEING TOLD HOW MUCH TO GIVE…”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS  “We have to start somewhere. Now, let’s talk.”  “I’m asking you to consider a meaningful gift.”  “If community leaders did not lead the way where would we be today?” “I DON’T LIKE BEING TOLD HOW MUCH TO GIVE…”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS “YOU’RE ASKING FOR TOO MUCH…”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS  “There are very few in our camp community in the fortunate position to be able to consider such a major gift.”  “If, indeed, this gift will impact your lifestyle, please do not agree to this gift level. But, if it will not significantly do so, it will certainly impact the future of our camp.” “YOU’RE ASKING FOR TOO MUCH…”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS “NO”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS  “Thank you for considering our request and for your time.”  (If you’re not clear about the reason) “It would help us if we had a better understanding of your reasons.”  “I’d like to stay in touch to keep you updated about our project, and hope that you will consider giving at another time.” “NO”

MANAGE OBJECTIONS REMEMBER  Address the objection, don’t fight the person  Compromise on minor objections to make major goals  Avoid who is right, stress what is right  Identify honest objections that are valid  Convert objections into questions  Dramatize cost if solicitation fails  Use the Feel…Felt…Found technique – “I understand how you feel. I felt that way too until I found out…”

Solicitor Donor Prospect Donor Prospect Donor Prospect “How would you like to triple your gift without spending an extra penny?” LEVERAGE GIFT

 Report your results to appropriate individual  Send a short, hand-written note  Provide additional materials to donor (especially if requested)  Call donor with an invitation to attend an event or join a committee  Remember: stewardship is an ongoing process FOLLOW UP

ONGOING STEWARDSHIP PURPOSE  Donors remain connected to their investment  Ongoing communication encourages ongoing support IMPACT  Donors are more likely to share the camp’s story with others  It costs less to retain current donors than to find new ones  Losses of current donors can cancel out gains from new donors

WORDS OF WISDOM  People do not give if they are not asked – losing a gift by not asking is worse than asking with no result  Don’t ask anyone to do anything you haven’t done yourself, i.e., make your own gift first  Don’t ask people to give until it hurts; ask them to give until it feels good  People are not insulted by being asked for too much  Talk about the camp’s excellence/value – people want to give to success and be associated with winners