1. Practical Tips for New and Aspiring major gift fundraisers
+1 Degree of Difference
Practical Tips for New and Aspiring
major gift fundraisers
Todd Jensen
Senior Director of Development
Purdue University, College of Science
Sammie Chergo
Director of Development
Purdue University, Electrical and Computer Engineering

2. Todd – Shaking hands +1 degree off The basic idea is simple…..
At 211 Degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils…
With boiling water comes steam….
and with steam you can power a train
At 33 degrees, water falling from the sky on a Saturday is a rainy day
At 32 degrees, children are building snowmen, riding sleighs and promising their parents that they’re warm enough to stay outside five minutes longer.
Launching a satellite into space makes a difference over the length of the trajectory. Imagine if NASA was one degree off in sending Purdue’s very own Neil Armstrong to the moon?...it would have been disastrous
How many of you remember the feeling you got when I shook hands with you?
One degree really is a big deal – even 1 degree off with a handshake can discredit a workshop leader before the workshop even starts
As we talk today, continue to think about the fundraising process in terms of one degree…..
Introductions:
Todd
Welcome to our session, 1 Degree of Difference– Practical Tips for New and Aspiring Major Gifts Fundraisers
Name ---- History in Fundraising (20 years 10% for a non profit, last 4.5 years at Purdue as Director of Development for Student Life/Sr. DOD College of Science
Sammie
I started in a Fundraising in the College of Liberal Arts and quickly moved to Fundraising the College of Engineering at Purdue
How many of you are new to fundraising or thinking about it? What are other roles people hold?
Though this training is geared to new fundraising or aspiring ones, you can learn a lot from ANY training so please consider that throughout this training and engage as much as possible
HOW CAN YOU AS A FUND RAISER MAKE ONE DEGREE OF DIFFERENCE IN EACH ASPECT OF YOUR ROLE?
With enough effort, the difference of one degree produces exponential results.
Two quick examples:
Clarence – when signing an endowment I took popcorn and root beer, why, because I knew the donor sits down each night with popcorn and when he visited campus, he wanted to go to a local dive called Triple XXX – not what your thinking, we also have a Bar called Harry’s Chocolate Shop
Mr. Shah – what helps another donor go from never giving to Purdue, to making a 10K first gift, a 2.5M second gift with potentially more
Tom Moore
send in error
Left XXX root beer and a note at his office
He responded with thanks and accepting a next visit
50K endowment for Philosophy grad support

3. Session Overview 2 Fundraising scenarios and prospects Identification
Making Contact
Preparation
Visit
Cultivation
Stewardship
Q & A
Sammie
Our time together will be very practical and interactive
We can give you all the suggestions in the world but you will find your own style, tips, and tricks so it’s important you engage in this exercise today.
As a quick overview, the cards we handed out when you walked in describe two different prospects so as we walk through the donor continuum think about your specific person.
Half of you will be focused on a Building Project and the other half a Scholarship - we will tell you which person goes with what project here shortly.
By show of hand, which of the areas listed do you feel you need the most improvement?
How to make contact
Securing the visit
The visit
Again reiterate this session is obviously geared to newcomers, so for those who may have more experience, please bear with us, but we do believe that there will be at least one thought that you can take away from our time together
Remembering all the while – what would make each aspect of what I do +1 degree different than everyone else
2 project we will be focusing on are a building and a scholarship and we will get more into that after this next slide

4. Scenarios Building Scholarship Sammie
Todd is now going to take us right into how we might identify some prospects for a Building and Scholarship project.

5. Identification Check in the Box +1 Degree More
Review Reports, Portfolio Management, Researcher Reliance
Donors
Zillow/Google Maps
Wealthy Zip Codes
Looking at Titles - Partner, EVP, C- level, owner
Lists of their student involvement
Finding alumni who open mass s (imodules)
People who follow department/units Facebook page
Lapsed Donors
Asking for connections in visit/faculty meetings
Todd
As we think about our case studies, the first issue we must contend with is identifying potential prospects for both the building and the scholarships
Throughout our process we will look first at the “check in the box” – we are defining this as what might be common knowledge in each phase of the donor Cycle
Go through Check in the box
I want to now ask you all to shout out other ways +1 degree ways that you have utilized in your roles.
Story of Wealthy Zip codes in CO – Identified an alumni who had never been met with – visited campus for the first time since graduation, current giving $250K planned gift, with potential for more

6. Scenarios Frances Mr. & Mrs. McBurfel Building Female Widow
1962 graduate
Wife of former CEO of Fortune manufacturing company
Technology illiterate (no , answering machine, cell phone)
Agriculture Scholarship
Mr. & Mrs. McBurfel
Married couple
Successful farmers
Mr. McBurfel Business alum
Son currently enrolled as agriculture student, 2 other sons also graduated from School of Agriculture
Sammie
Take out your pieces of paper – You’ve done your research, rankings, etc and determined your top prospect – Now what?
If you have Frances – you are focusing on a Building project – Review Scenario
If you have Mr. and Mrs. McBurfel – you are focusing on a Scholarship – Review Scenario

7. Making Contact Check in the Box +1 Degree More Calling/Email
Mail a Letter
Introduce Self
Use LinkedIn or other Social media to determine best number or to contact
Use personal info to determine best time to call/
Name drop/relevant info
Use a colorful, odd sized envelope, send an invitation, package, picture from yearbook or campus
Share connection of knowing someone, sent by mutual connection
Sammie
How are we going to contact Frances? The McBurfels? What are some ideas?
Why would you try these things first?

8. Preparation Check in the Box +1 Degree More Prepare for the trip
Bring some general unit information
Read prior contact reports
Prepare for individuals
Prep a packet for each individual and have it ready to pull out if the conversation fits; Faculty letter, Picture of them as student, items from student activities
Reach out to people who wrote previous contact reports and others mentioned in report
Todd
We have identified our two prospects of Frances and the McBurfel’s, we have made contact with them and even secured our visit. Of course we can’t just go see them only, we have metrics to meet, so they are one of nine alumni you will see over the course of a 3 day visit.
So we probably need to prepare
The check in the box might mean?
But what would +1 Degree more look like?
For Frances – what would it look like?
For the McBurfel’s – what would it look like?
Housing folder – photos of them from yearbook or composites of their student activities

9. Visit Check in the Box +1 Degree More
Travel to them and pick a place to meet/chain
Meet on campus/tour campus via guide
Figure out their giving interest
Let them show off their area – a local favorite of theirs
Create an experience – something they could not do without being cultivated/engaged as a donor
Ask questions that tell you the reason for their passion
Make note of personal and family favorites
Invite family to attend upcoming event, not just prospect
Sammie
Okay we have identified, contacted, and prepared for our trip so what are we going to do at the visit?
First of all where are we going to meet them?
What can we do for them to get in the same mind set they had years ago?
Listen to the why. Involve the family (which does include pets!).
Great first visit – let’s go back to Todd for further Cultivation.

10. Cultivation Check in the Box +1 Degree More
Inform them of the goings on in the unit they wish to support
Continued visits
Keep updated of building progress
Involve them with the unit
Bring them to campus and engage with students
Involve Dean/Dept. Head in visits/asks
See impact of what a gift could do before giving (scholarship dinner)
Bring students to them
Seek advice and report during facilities meetings, give inside information not yet available to public
Hard hat tour
Video during building phases
Todd
We have had our visit with our prospects and of course you had a wonderful time - they seemed interested in the projects which you talked about. You decided not to ask on the first visit, but to spend a bit more time in the next phase – Cultivation.
Your check in the box might include
What might your +1 degree of difference be:
Frances- as the building prospect – What would +1 Degree look like?
McBurfels- as the scholarship prospects – What would +1 Degree look like?
Purdue does not have a music major, but our bands fall under our Student Life Division – there are nearly 1,000 students in our band program – with some great alumni
Inviting them to football games
Handwritten notes from students
The chance to hit the big drum
Leading Hail Purdue!
Inviting them to join Alumni Band
Anniversary Events
Personal Visits
Band Advancement Committee
Advisory Board

11. Stewardship Check in the Box +1 Degree More
Celebrate gift at the time it’s given
Thank you notes in the mail
College branded items
Celebrate anniversaries, milestones
Selfie student videos
Special notes from important people
Text/ of pictures of campus/interest
Personal gift showing you listened (marshmallows!)
Just checking in for no reason
Make a reason
Sammie
Stewardship is fun and important.
Stewarding to the next gift
The time to show that you were listening and that their gift is and always will be important
Mary Finding–1M cash–Invited to a football game in the suite and met dean. Invited me to Florida to stay with them and play golf and watch a MBB game. Sent marshmallows and a fishing wagon sticker. Text about MBB
Just committed to a new 2M planned gift.
Little things make a BIG difference!
They make a difference in Identifying prospects, making contact, preparing, visiting people, cultivating potential donors and stewarding gifts.

12. What are some of your take away items?
“…as fundraisers we are brokers of love. There is no other way to put it. We are the bridge that brings together the world’s greatest needs with a donor’s desire and passion to change the world. You and I get to help donors give away money earned from their labor to make the world a better place."
~Jeff Schreifels
Todd
1. Take some time to write down something that stood out to you that you could implement right now:
If time, ask people to shout them out
2. Final Quote:
A great statement on why I do what I do from the article 'I Never Wanted to be a Fundraiser' by Jeff Schreifels: "Because as fundraisers we are brokers of love. There is no other way to put it. We are the bridge that brings together the world’s greatest needs with a donor’s desire and passion to change the world. You and I get to help donors give away money earned from their labor to make the world a better place."
3. Questions
What are some of your take away items?
What can you go back and implement?

13. CASE After Hours this evening to further network with attendees.
Don’t forget to attend
CASE After Hours this evening to further network with attendees.