April 27 th, 2010 Show and Tell: Successful Camp Visits for Donors and Prospects Natasha Dresner Mentor GIJP

A) Grab Tab – Click double-arrows to open/close Control Panel. Click square to toggle Viewer Window between full screen/window mode. Click mic icon to mute/unmute your audio B) Audio Pane – Select audio format. Click Audio Setup to verify Speakers & Microphone. C) Questions Pane – Attendees can submit questions and review answers. D) Type your question and click Send to submit it to the organizer. A  B  C  D 

Who are the visits for? Major donors Major Prospects Groups Individuals

Why are visits important? Cultivation Solicitation/Ask Stewardship

Roles and Responsibilities

Organizing –Development professional –E.D./Camp Director –Fundraising committee/tour team Participating and following up –Team of lay & professional leaders Supporting –Board (Advisory Council) –Other: staff, volunteers, counselors, campers, parents, alumni

Process Three Phases: –Before –During –After

“Before” Phase – Where do we start? Fundraising plan List of people to be invited Personalized Strategy

“Before” Phase – Strategy Donor/prospect history and profile Visit goals Who should invite & to what exactly? What should the visit look like? Roles of “tour guides” Next steps See GIJP Tour Worksheet

“Before” Phase - Invitation Personalize Reason you’re inviting them Specific event Invite the significant other and the family Make them feel special/elite Make it easy and attractive Send early and follow-up See sample Invitation Letters and Phone Follow-up

“Before” Phase – Telling Your Story Tell it well and incorporate it into your tour Mission and Vision Develop your own story Help others develop theirs (collect stories in general) Script and Tour Presentations Case for support and Elevator speech See What’s Your Story? Natasha’s conference handout; 10 Rules of Storytelling; Create Your Story worksheet

“Before” Phase – Telling Your Story “Numbers numb, jargon jars, and nobody ever marched on Washington because of a pie chart. If you want to connect with your audience, tell them a story.”

“Before” Phase – Camp Package Facts sheet Camp Brochure Case for Support Tchotchkes Other info specific to the tour/visit

“Before” Phase – Practice Makes Perfect Do a test run Practice your steps, but be ready to follow their lead Put things in writing

“During” Phase – Tour/Visit Arrive early Stick to the script Build in flexibility Ask them questions Listen Thank Them See sample Tour Agendas

“After” Phase – Don’t Forget: Track the results/next steps Thank and follow-up Evaluate Steward See sample Thank you and Follow-up Letter

Tips for Successful Visits: Plan early Know your donor/prospect Know your case and goals Know your story/motivations/commitments Be authentic – be yourself, only better Listen Humor Conclude the visit with a “commitment”

Who Did We Invite? Prospective donors Past donors Current cultivations Groups Amy Glazer Camp Ramah in the Berkshires

Suggestions Have firm schedule Arrange for some time with children/grandchildren Don’t do ask unless you have met several times before… better for cultivation Always have a follow-up plan Have “thank you for visiting gift” Take photo to send later Amy Glazer Camp Ramah in the Berkshires

Other Ideas for this Summer Special Shabbot Invite to “signature” camp events Include in camp programming Amy Glazer Camp Ramah in the Berkshires

Case Study: Tour Setup –Make them feel at home –Personalize the experience Roles –Staff training - stories Lessons Learned –Follow-up is key Corey Cutler URJ Eisner & Crane Lake

Questions?

Conclusion & Resources JUST DO IT! Please find all materials from this session (including a recording of the presentation) on our Webinar page at Natasha’s supporting article at

May 25th, 2010 – 1 PM EDT Pyramids & Pipelines: Building Annual Giving Programs that Last Dan Kirsch Mentor GIJP Julia Riseman Mentor GIJP