1. Aim for Ideal: Getting to the Best Proposal Possible through Qs & As E. John McKee Executive Director of Gift Planning University of Maryland Philanthropic Services for Institutions Conference June 26, 2014

2.  The Ideal Proposal  What would that look like in our dreams?  How do we get there (today)?  Walking backwards in time from the Ideal Proposal and looking at the actions that lead there  Once we go back to the question-asking stage, we will turn around and return to an Ideal Proposal

3. What’s not ideal about gift proposals now?  Volunteer a real life example of a donor who:  Has been heavily cultivated  You feel you know him or her well  You have already asked for a significant gift, either in person or via a written proposal  They haven’t said yes or no, and it has been a long time…  What is missing by our concept of an Ideal Proposal?

4. The Ideal Proposal (of our dreams)  Appeals more to the donor’s heart than the head  Contains only things that are important to the donor  Not the needs, history, and description of your charity, UNLESS that IS what is most important to the donor  Thus, you obviously have to KNOW what is and isn’t important to the donor  References the (donor’s) past and projects the (donor’s) future  Solves donor “problems”

5. How do we get to this place of deep understanding of the donor?  We create a space where a gift discussion can happen  We ask a lot of questions  We identify what the donor is getting in exchange for his or her assets  We solve one or more problems with the gift proposal

6. Creating a space where a gift discussion can happen  Being open about who we are and what role we play at the charity; honesty  Writing everything from scratch; sincerity  Practicing the Golden Rule; empathy  Fundraise wearing the donor’s shoes  Look at the arc of life: where is the donor? o Privacy o Respect o Control

7. Asking Questions  What are we trying to learn? What’s in it for the donor? o What are the desires? o What are the limitations? What are the fears? o What are the feelings? o What are the problems? o What are the assets, and who is family?  Asking the right (types of) questions  You don’t need to memorize great questions, but…  You do need to know how to make up the right questions on the spot and as you go along  The right types of questions  Open-ended  Probing to uncover desires and “problems”

8. What is in it for the donor?  The Even Exchange  What desires are we fulfilling?  Joining the charity’s mission  Honoring or memorializing  Legacy  What problems are we solving?  Tax  Income  Disposing of property  Not enough disposable assets to complete the desired gift

9. When do we know when to stop asking questions and write an Ideal Proposal?  When you can describe both sides of the Even Exchange… …and price it out!  When you can articulate how the donor’s life will be better as a result of the gift  When you can recommend specific gift strategies that fulfill their desires and solve their problems

10. Example of a proposal formed with this process: o We are honored to be in this discussion with you o This is what you shared with me, and these are what I understand are your goals and challenges o These are your options, and how each might work in your situation o My recommendation would be… o This is how I will follow up with you—I can’t wait! o Thanks again for considering this

11. Questions? Thanks for coming! John McKee Senior Gift Planner Office of Gift Planning University of Maryland 4145 Riggs Alumni Center College Park, MD 20742 (301) 405-0320 jmckee@umd.edu