Michele R. Berard, MBA, CFRE Executive Director, Butler Hospital Foundation Principal, Ascent Advisors, LLC Rhode Island, The Development Committee Workbook: Managing Your Volunteers to Success

“…it’s just easier to do it myself…”

The Rationale for Volunteer Engagement: “Access and Signaling” (Special Report: Engaging Borard Members in Fundraising, Nonprofit Research Collaborative September 2012) 1.Help the organization reach new prospective donors (ACCESS) 2.Indicate the organization’s value to the community by their own association with the group (SIGNALING)

What is Your Challenge?

The Eternal Case Study… Today’s Presentation is based on many sources: 1.Work Experience 2.Consulting Assignments 3.Student Case Assignments 4.Professional Colleagues 5.Research 5

The Development Committee Workbook Education Exercises Homework Measureable Outcomes Expansion to the Board of Directors Easy – Medium – Hard Comprised of 17 tactics

The Development Committee Workbook ACTIVITYFREQUENCY 1Devise Team PurposeReview annually for relevance 2Education: Fund Development PrimerOne time per year 3Education: Transparency PrimerOne time per year 4Exercise: What organizations do you give to?One time per year 5Exercise – Newsletter/Website review2x per year 6Exercise – External ReviewOne time per year 7Fundraising Database OrientationOne time 8Prospect Identification (rating least 1x per year 9Donor VisitsOngoing 10Complements v. CompetitorsOne time per year 11Social Networking StrategiesOngoing 12Cultivation/Stewardship least 2x per year 13Annual ReportOne time per year 14Book Club Discussion2x per year ) 15Stewardship Calls2x per year 16Solicitation Calls/VisitsOngoing 17Evaluation & Evolution (off/on-boarding)1x per year; upon completion of 12 month cycle

#1 Establish a Charter This defines the purpose of the Development Committee WHAT - To ensure XYZ Organization benefits from a strong, stable and growing revenue stream obtained from philanthropy HOW – by: 1. Developing and fostering a culture of giving of our internal constituencies examples 2. Cultivating and stewarding resources (people, products, time, finances) examples 3. Soliciting financial and in-kind supportexamples 4. Easy

#2 Fund Development Primer/101 Explains what Fund Development IS! Host a facilitated session for either the Development Committee or the entire board on: Donor Bill of Rights Donor Pyramid Review of the AFP Ethical Guidelines What to do and how to act on a donor/prospect visit How your organization uses philanthropy revenue Medium

#3 Transparency Primer What isn’t seen, isn’t real Today’s donors are savvy, be prepared Review the components of a 990 Ask the committee interests them as donors (homework, blind ballot submission) Review XYZ’s 990s to see if those questions are answered by reviewing the documents Address concerns with answers/explanations NOTE: Do this FIRST with organizational leadership Hard

#4 What organization’s do YOU give to? Leverage their inner donor! Take 10 minutes of your meeting to conduct this exercise: What organizations do you donate to? What organizations will you not donate to? Why on both? Are there any resemblances to your organization? Best Practices in Fundraising Promotes the body of knowledge NOTE: Robbe Healey’s major gift session Medium

#5 Website or Newsletter Review How is fundraising revenue used? HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Distribute the latest issue(s) of your newsletter Ask Committee Members to review stories and identify targets of fundraising Discuss at the beginning of your next meeting Can also be done with the website NOTE: conduct every time the newsletter is sent out Easy

#6 External Review Secret Shopper HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Save direct mail appeal letters and event invitations Identify three donor walls that appeal to them (and why) Listen for how people talk about organizations with which they are affiliated What organizations are your FB friends connected to? What tactics are appealing to them (e.g. Hurricane Sandy – Red Cross ) Easy

#7 Database Orientation Garbage in, Garbage out In Meeting Education ( minutes): Outline the data fields collected for the majority of constituents Define key terms (constituent, donor, lapsed donor, appeal, etc.) Explain a basic query (e.g. Fatima Hospital community events) Philanthropy = aligning donor interests with funding needs of the organization “Soft Credit” and “Assigned Solicitor” are tactics to make volunteers look good. NOTE: Alignment is the goal and is achieved by having good data! Medium

#8 Prospect Identification – Rating Session Are the Right People on Your Committee? During Committee/Board Meeting least 1x/year) Individual Corporations/Businesses Foundations (great for family foundations/board lists) Organizational culture is the biggest challenge Follow-through is also a challenge NOTE: Have a process for following up on results Medium

#9 Donor Visits Meet the donors Outside of Meetings – organized by the Development Office 1:1 or 2:1 follow up visits Small events at the organization (give volunteers a list of questions) Community Fundraisers or Events (Chamber, Rotary) Communicate information back to Development Office (to enter into database) WIN-WIN-WIN NOTE: The volunteer and the donor share a bond as donors – leverage that! Medium

#10 Complements vs. Competitors Increase awareness of the environment SWOT Analysis In-Meeting Exercise (SEE NEXT SLIDE) HOMEWORK: With what organizations and/or entities does your organization have a symbiotic relationship? Explore and understand. What organizations are competing for services/donors with your organization? Why would either prefer yours? Hard

#10 Complements vs. Competitors Situation or SWOT Analysis StrengthsOpportunities WeaknessesStrengths

#11 Social Networking Strategies Introduce at a Development Committee meeting and then assign homework: Create Facebook and LinkedIn accounts Affiliate with your organization on these sites Ask your “friends” to like your organization on FB Share pages/news of your organization frequently On LinkedIn Profile – include volunteer position and “donates to” on profile Issue a Challenge: 30 posts in 30 days Easy

#12 Host a Cultivation Event A Best Practice of Volunteer Engagement Always have nametags (for easy conversation, data collection) Organization should provide a budget (pay for expenses) Development Office to assist with logistics Provide direction/event agenda Provide volunteers with “conversation starters” Debrief immediately after (to collect data) Take pictures Leveraging volunteer credibility Hard

#13 Annual Report on Fundraising The Development Committee should understand: 1.Where the revenue came from, 2.What it supported, 3.How it can be leveraged Spend a Development Committee Meeting discussing and when committee has a good understand... Present to Board of Directors Introduce goal(s) for next year Volunteers who understand how money is used will feel more comfortable in recruiting it! Hard

#14 Book Club The objectivity of a book can infuse instant affirmation in your organization’s program and courage of the volunteer Pick two books at the beginning of the year Really, buy them for your volunteers Assign a specific chapter(s) to read and assign a question/topic to be discusses at the next meeting During the discussion, try to have volunteers apply to your organization Jerry Panas has some very easy to read books: “Asking”, “Fundraising Habits of Supremely Successful Boards” Easy

#15 Thank You calls Proper stewardship strengthens the relationship between the donor and the organization. One way to do that is to immediately mitigate “buyer’s remorse”. HOMEWORK: Each committee member is given a list of names, phone numbers, and a script You are calling (1) as a volunteer and (2) to say thank you This is also an opportunity to find out the connection the donor has to the organization The most impactful activity that yields high donor satisfaction and high volunteer satisfaction Easy

#16 Solicitation Visits ADVANCED TACTIC Organizational culture and volunteer comfort may not allow this to happen in your organization, however, work toward it as you’ll realize great benefit Previous involvement in the process Great example of “signaling” Review meeting agenda Role play Discuss objections Hard

#17 Evaluation & Evolution Compare to the Development Committee Charter established 12 months prior Self Assessment (CDO to develop) Discuss what worked; what didn’t Do we have the right people on the committee? Develop criteria of “ideal committee member” Use list for recruitment; recruitment period Allow volunteers to resign; orient new member appropriately How far have we come, where are we going Getting the right people in the right seats on the bus is the most important tactic Medium

How to Apply to YOUR Organization… Work the Calendar… Your organization’s development calendar will enable you to implement the tactics in this session. E.g. make stewardship calls X# weeks after your fall appeal drops.

How to Apply to YOUR Organization… Right Size It!

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