1. Board Champions by David Allen Presented to the Texas Land Trust Council 26 February2014

2. David Allen Development for Conservation 30 years raising money by asking – 13 with TNC Chapters in OR, TX, and WI – 10 with Sand County Foundation Membership Systems to $18MM Capital Campaign FT Consulting since March 2009

3. AGENDA Introductions Theoretical Structural Operational Your Plans and Next Steps

4. But That’s Not All Organizational Pairings – TLC – Guadalupe Blanco – Connemara – Pines and Prairies – Valley Land Fund – Hill Country Land Trust Three conference calls with each group One conference call with everyone TBD in September

5. INTRODUCTIONS

6. Seven Ideas Conduct a Campaign for Your Board Screen your Membership Institutionalize Short Practice Activities Use Events to Meet and Cultivate Donors Keep Good Records Talk Openly About Fear (but don’t let it stop you) Roleplay Asking (and Getting Appts, and Meeting People You Don’t Know, and so on)

7. FREE Executive Summary Download your FREE executive summary of Giving USA 2013 at www.givingusareports.org

8. Definitions: Annual expectation (renewal) General organizational appeal (operations) Mail or phone solicitation Quick response Small(er) gift size Measure of success = YES Annual Gifts

9. Definitions: Specific need Unique appeal Personal ask Multiple visits Large(r) gift size Measure of success = ADVANCE Major Gifts

10. Ultimate (Planned) Gifts Bequest gifts – gifts left in the will Long-term relationship with organization Organization is one of donor’s only charities Desire to leave a legacy Perhaps self-conscious about ability to give during lifetime

11. Sustainability Robust, resilient, sustainable organizations work with their donors on annual gift, major gift, and planned gift programs, all three, at the same time with systematic board member engagement and adequate staff support.

12. Why do People Give? 1.What’s being done is worth doing Belief in the Mission 2.The organization involved can get it done Fiscal stability Regard for staff leadership Respect for the organization locally Regard for volunteer leadership

13. Job Responsibilities of a Board Director Governance Management Fundraising Celebration

14. Fundraising is about building relationships

15. “Access” means that if I call you and leave a message or email you, you will call me or email me back.

16. Getting Started Access? Regular, Systematic Cultivation Ready to Start “The Conversation” Ready to be Asked Major Gift Potential

17. Getting Started What’s the next cultivation step? Who’s going to do it? By when?

18. LEGACY

19. Exercise Consider your last day on the job. Looking back on your tenure with the organization, what would you like to say that you accomplished? List at most three things.

20. Five Basic Principles Prospects selected based on giving capacity Three-year cultivation plans Facetime is KING Redundancy Relationship is recorded in the files

21. Five Types of Easy Cultivation Annual Renewal Solicitation and Acknowledgement Introductions to other org leaders Invitations to YOUR events “Chance” meetings at their events Share news and stories

22. BARRIERS

23. Cultural Change Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail John P. Kotter Harvard Business Review Reprint # 95204

24. Tools for Success Strategic Plan Create Urgency Why are we doing this? Frank discussion can lead to consensus Vision trumps planning – Talk about the vision ALL the time

25. Tools for Success Change Champions Leadership is Critical Critical Mass is…….critical Three-year rule

26. Tools for Success New Systems Expectations Activities Accountability

27. Tools for Success Practice Lead by Example

28. Tools for Success Accountability Create short-term wins

29. Structural Changes Recruit new Board Members from your existing donors Consider skills and background, gender balance, diversity, access – but work from a list that is three-five years long Consider marrying the board recruitment with the Development Committee

30. Rethink the Orientation

31. Re-Think Re-Think in terms of showing new board members what you want them to know. Re-Think in terms of practice. Re-Think in terms of the story they will tell others.

32. Checklist Items Sit in on one meeting of each board committee, Serve for a year on the Finance Committee, Visit a project site, Develop and practice an “elevator speech,” Call a donor to say thank you, Get to know a set of donor prospects, Attend an organizational event.

33. Checklist Items – Chair Serve on each committee for at least one year Serve as Vice-Chair for at least one year Demonstrated leadership in donor relations

34. LUNCH

35. DC Dir Donors

36. So What? TALK about DONORS at meetings – Figure out ways to MEET them. – Review their files. – Plug them into organizational events. – Introduce them to organizational leaders. Let the organization of events happen outside DC meetings.

37. So What? Leave meetings with each person having something tangible to do with a deadline. The list of “somethings” is all the minutes you need. DC Members report in next meeting, not only on their tasks and donors, but also on their “partners’” tasks and donors. Always ask “What’s the next step?”

38. ALSO Create space at DC meetings and at Board meetings to tell stories. Roleplay when people have trouble. – Re-inact phone calls using chairs back to back. – Don’t expect to have all the answers. Seek group support, ideas, and afterthoughts. Keep good notes, and keep good files.

39. ELEVATOR SPEECH

40. Exercise I support my organization financially because……

41. Seven Ideas Conduct a Campaign for Your Board Screen your Membership Institutionalize Short Practice Activities Use Events to Meet and Cultivate Donors Keep Good Records Talk Openly About Fear Roleplay Asking (and Getting Appts, and Meeting People You Don’t Know, and so on)

42. Board Campaign Board Chair, FR Chair, ED set Board goal Chair sets the tone, makes his/her gift first Chair solicits other Board members First Quarter Activity Pledges OK

43. Screening List of all current donors Circle each one you know & have access to Star each one who is capable of making a $10,000 giving decision

44. Practice Thank You Calls Elevator Exercise Roleplays

45. Events Pre-event Briefing Post-event Debriefing Creating Next Steps

46. Donor Files You need them Include essential contact info Copies of everything that comes from THEM – including email and checks Strategy and cultivation planning

47. FEAR

48. Exercise Imagine asking someone for $1,000. Where is your fear? What do you think will happen? What will the person think of you? What will you think of yourself?

49. Asking Preliminaries Introductions Establish Common Ground Make the case for the gift; go from big picture to specific project; haul out maps and the photo book; focus/concentrate on the prospect NOT on what you want to say next

50. Asking Describe the envisioned role for the prospect; haul out fundraising plan ASK; "Would you consider a proposal for $10,000 to help ______?" Pause Close

51. Three Points About Closing Closing means that you know: What’s supposed to happen next, Who’s supposed to do it, and By when. Closing means that you have agreed with the prospect on the above, and that you have communicated the detail to the office. Closing means that you know what you are going to do if it doesn’t happen.

52. Asking Preliminaries Introductions Establish Common Ground Make the case Envisioned role for the prospect ASK Pause Close

53. ROLEPLAY

54. Metrics

55. CONCLUSIONS

57. Services Assessment, Planning, Training, Coaching You can raise more money for your organization – I can help. fundraisinghelp@sbcglobal.net 608/239-5006