Learn to Love Fundraising! Jennifer Weinstock Senior Development Officer, Gann Academy

Agenda  Who are we and how did we get here?  Let’s get it all on the table!  Sources for inspiration.  What can we do to help?  What does success look like?  Will I ever really love it??

The Thing I Love Most About Jewish Camp Is?

The Thing I Hate Most About Fundraising Is…..

The Last Gift I Made Was….

The S Word vs The J Word

The Truth About Development “Development embraces, but is not synonymous with, fundraising…Philanthropy is based in values, and development is the process of uncovering shared values…it is a process driven by the importance of providing potential and current funders with opportunities to explore and apply these values on behalf of organizations.” - Beyond Fundraising by Kay Sprinkel Grace

Fundraisers Are The BEST! “I can think of no good reason why we fundraisers should not lead the world in customer service. Dealing with us should be the most uplifting, inspiring and impressive experience. It should be the first satisfying step towards a mutually fulfilling and rewarding lifelong relationship.” - Ken Burnett

The Secret…  So the question is, “How can I succeed in the competition for funds and what’s my organization’s success secret?” We believe the answer is you. Specifically, it’s your ability to communicate your cause in a way that persuades donors and others to take action and offer you support. The competitive edge your organization has, is you. - The Influential Fundraiser by Bernard Ross and Clare Segal

Your Role… o In successful non-profit campaigns o 20-50% of all dollars raised comes from board members and their connections or outreach. o 100% participation is a powerful signal to other donors that the institution has vitality and vigor and the confidence and enthusiasm of its board, who, above all, should know the institution best. o The dedication of board members and other key volunteers is often a primary indicator of success.

Practice Makes Perfect  List of calls to make.  List of prospects.  But I don’t know anyone!

Getting the Meeting Do you call? Leave a message? When do you try to see someone face-to- face? When is it ok to do the solicitation by phone? When is it ok to do the solicitation by ?

Setting The Stage Relax Create a comfortable environment Thank the donor for meeting with you Tell the donor why you are involved with Epstein  Begin with open-ended questions  What is important to you about being a member of the Epstein community?  Why have you been active at Epstein all of these years?  What is important to you when making a decision about your philanthropy?

Strategic Listening  Pay attention to his/her philanthropic goals  Share your excitement  Maintain comfortable eye contact  Paraphrase  Focus  Stay open minded

Making The Ask  The Call to Action - What are you asking for?  Don’t be vague - solicitations with a specific number or range are much more successful  Please join me in making this campaign the top priority in your philanthropic giving by making a leadership gift of _______  Please consider a gift of _________  As a leader of the Epstein community, please consider making a gift of _________  Wait…Don’t fill the silence; let the donor think and respond

Managing Objections “I'll think about it” “I need more time” “We already pay so much tuition” “I did last year but this year my son had a summer”

Rules Of Thumb  Always be thanking  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 organization’s excellence – people want to support success and be associated with winners

Let’s Practice  Group A: An Invitation to Visit Camp  Group B: An Invitation to Meet with the Camp Director  Group C: Scheduling an Appointment  Group D: Solicitation Meeting