Fired Up Fundraising: Engage Your Board and Find New Opportunities in a Tough Economy Sioux Falls Community Foundation May 11, 2009
CRISIS Danger + Opportunity
Engage Your Board and Find New . Opportunities in a Tough Economy OUR AGENDA 1. Fire Up Your Board 2. Change Your Board’s MINDSET about Fundraising 3. Tactics for a Tough Economy 4. Easy Fundraising Jobs for your Board that Don’t Involve Soliciting
The HEART Conversation Why DO YOU CARE about Your Organization? “I feel like I’m “talked to” a lot, but I don’t get the chance to talk about why I really care.” -- Board Member from Cincinnati, Ohio
• WHAT you say • HOW you say it • Request for followup The Elevator Speech
Three Parts to the Elevator Speech What you say How you are BEING Request for followup
Great Results! “Gail, I am putting some of your ideas into action…. At our last Trustee meeting, I asked, “ What legacy do you want to leave from serving on this board?” Well, you would have thought I had opened the flood gates . One man told us about his cousin dying in hospice . . . and how we helped his family through that terrible time. This turned out to be the best meeting we've had so far on with this group in the last 3 years! This is a wonderful and satisfying change for the better.” Laurie Taylor, Lower Cape Fear Hospice Foundation
Gail’s Board Story In the beginning….
Nervous Board Members • Fear of the uncertain. • Fear of the process. • Fear of what their friends would think . How embarrassing ! • Fear of having their friends names “floating around.” • Fear of rejection . YUCK!
What Makes a Board Member Want to Give?
What Makes a Board Member Want to Give?
What Do Board Members Want?
What Do Board Members Want?
Six Steps For LIVENING UP YOUR BOARD # 2 What are we raising money for? What could we do if we raised more money?
#3: BRING THE MISSION ALIVE Give Board Members a Direct Personal Experience
Is This Your Board Meeting?
High Level People Doing Low Level Work
#4: LIVEN UP THE BOARD MEETINGS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL Declare a CRISIS.
Liven Up Your Board Meeting 1. Focus the agenda on results. 2. Be creative with the agenda . 3. Focus on problems, challenges, or broad issues. www.gailperry.com 12 WAYS TO LIVEN UP A BOARD MEETING
#5: GIVE THEM SOCIAL TIME How can they do business together if they don’t know each other?
#6 : Focus on Specific Action Items What do they need TO DO in the next three months?
Six Steps For LIVENING UP YOUR BOARD #1: Why do You CARE? #2: What are we raising money for? #3: Mission moments #4: Lively Board Meetings #5: Social Time #6: Specific Action Items
Step Two: Change Your Board Members’ MINDSET about Fundraising Overcome misconceptions. LISTEN Lower the tension. Give them new confidence, tools and skills.
Fundraising = THE “F Word 1. Board Members are not passionate enough about their cause. 2. They think fundraising is asking strangers for money
Change Your Board Members’ Mindset about Fundraising #1 Why Do I Care? #2 Overcome Fear #3 Volunteer Power #4 Abundance not Scarcity #5 Stand high on the hill, not in the swamp # 6 Friendmaking
The Dark Side of Fundraising “How do you REALLY feel when you ASK someone for a contribution?
The Dark Side: Fear on the Table “It never feels appropriate.” “Believe it or not, I’m afraid of being rejected.” -- “It just feels so tacky to ask for money.” “This is what will happen; I’ll ask them for money, and they’ll turn right around and ask me.” “My friends might drop me if I ask them for money!”
The BEAUTIFUL SIDE OF FUNDRAISING How did you feel the last time YOU gave?
• Proud … Joyful … Happy…Powerful … Excited. . . Hopeful • Wish I could do more • Part of something important • Glad to be a partner • Want to make a difference.
The Beautiful Side of Fundraising This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. - G. Bernard Shaw
The Disconnect DONORS VOLUNTEERS Helping others Asking for $
#2 It’s Not Begging: Overcome the Tin Cup Attitude It’s all about MONEY NOT about changing the world
#3 The Power of Volunteers: Why are Board Members Important in Fundraising? If our true believers won’t help us, who will? Albert Camus
#4 Good Volunteers Believe in ABUNDANCE • Abundance = plenty for all • Scarcity = competition • Ban hand wringing
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Harold Thurman Williams
Are you high on the mountain talking about vision? Or down in the swamp talking about MONEY?
#5 The Power of VISION Gail’s GOLDEN Questions • “I have A DREAM. . . • “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if. . . • “What are YOUR impressions?
#6 FRIENDMAKING Make Your Donors into your FRIENDS
Fundraising IS… A Process Plenty of Activities for Board Members THANK THANK IDENTIFY PROSPECTS THANK AGAIN ASK FOR CULTIVATE AND SUPPORT INVOLVE
#7 They Don’t Have to Solicit Fundraising is a PROCESS: Plenty of Activities for Board Members identify thank involve ask
Redefine Fundraising Plenty of Activities for Board Members Outside of Soliciting identify thank involve followup ask warm up
A ROLE FOR EVERY BOARD MEMBER • There is so much more to do than “ASK” • Board members can serve at all levels • Don’t have to be the solicitor • Define clear jobs for everyone • High intention but low pressure
10 Tactics for Fundraising in a TOUGH Economy #1 Focus on your core supporters. #2 LOVE them a lot.
Messaging in a TOUGH Economy #3 Be honest and transparent • Urgency • Forthrightness • This is happening, and this, and this #4 What are we doing to help ourselves?
#5 Attitude: “Yes We Can”
TOUGH Economy Make sure your donors know who you are what you do AND WHY YOU NEED $$! #6 OVER- Cultivate!
#7 OVER – Communicate: “Tell donors what you are doing with their $ . . consistently, compassionately, creatively and continuously, - Robbe Healy
#8: Use social networking: Spread the Idea Virus If ideas are like viruses, then be a “sneezer.”
Fundraising in a TOUGH Economy #9 Tell your story in multiple ways in multiple media
Successful Fundraising in a Tough Economy #10 “Persistence is key especially when budgets are tight” -NC Congressman Bob Etheridge upon giving one of my clients a check for $1 million
Easy Fundraising Jobs for Board Members
#1: SNEEZE wherever you go!
Easy Fundraising Jobs For Board Members #2 VIP Prospect List Who are the 50 most important people who could catapult your organization?
Easy Fundraising Jobs For Board Members #3 Advice Visits • If you want money , ask for advice. • If you want advice, ask for money.
#3 Advice Visits “I've been having a great time contacting various business leaders asking for their coaching/opinion on making the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Red Cross a success. I briefly outline the reasons I serve on the board, what the Red Cross does in our community, and ask what successful practices they have seen on other charitable boards. The response is great . They are interested in the Red Cross and want to have on-going dialogue! It's about relationships...... Thanks again, Gail Karen Mildenhall, Chair-Elect Phoenix Red Cross
Fundraising Jobs For Board Members #4 Host Tours • Board members invite their FRIENDS • Board member does the welcome • Call the next day: – “What were your impressions?”
#5 Small Socials and Gatherings • Board members host • No solicitations! • Plan your followup – or don’t do it!
Thank You Calls to Donors Will Directly Impact the Bottom Line • One out of every ten gifts, board members called to thank the donor within 24 hours of receiving the gift. • The next time they were solicited, those called gave 39% more than the other donors. • After 14 months, those called were giving 42% more than the other donors who did not receive phone calls. Donor Centered Fundraising, Penelope Burk
Next Webinar: June 17 What’s Working NOW for Nonprofits: Five High-Impact Ways Board Members Can Help Your Organization Beat the Recession The Seven New Rules of Fundraising in A Tough Economy www.gailperry.com Newsletter . . . Articles. . . . Resources Join me on LinkedIn and Facebook! gp@gailperry.com
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