Major Gift Development Fundraising That Matters: An Introduction to Major Gift Fundraising Presented to Conservation Excellence 2015 March 2015 David Allen | fundraisinghelp@sbcglobal.net | 608-239-5006
Outline for the Session • Introductions • Current Trends in Philanthropy • Why People Give • Decision ‐ Making Dynamics • Frank Talk About Money • Priorities – Using a Top 100 List • Board and Staff Roles in Fundraising • Cultivation Basics • An Outline for Asking for Anything Three Things to Get from Today • “Success comes to those who ask.” To raise money you have to ASK for money. • Asking and Giving dynamics change with how the decision gets made more so than with the denomination of the gift. • 90 percent of fundraising success involves cultivation – building relationships. Thank You! Stephen Covey, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Bill Sturtevant, Institute for Charitable Giving The Nature Conservancy Dan Burke & Laurel Hauser Door County Land Trust Jeff Schreifels & Richard Perry Passionate Giving Blog 1
Housekeeping • Begin at the end • Aha Moments! • Commit to just one or two ideas now, and to a deliberate review in 6 months Circle of Interest/Concern Circle of Influence FREE Executive Summary Dow nload your FREE executive sum m ary of Giving USA 2 0 1 4 at w w w .givingusareports.org 2
Definitions: Annual Gifts Annual and Major (Gifts) describes the decision ‐ making process, not the dollar amount. Annual (periodic) Gifts require little, if any, deliberation by the donor. Definitions: Annual Gifts • Annual expectation (renewal) • General organizational appeal (operations) • Mail or phone solicitation • Quick response • Small(er) gift size • Measure of success = YES Definitions: Major Gifts • Specific need • Unique appeal • Personal ask • Multiple visits • Large(r) gift size • Measure of success = ADVANCE 3
Factors Defining Major Gifts • How do your donors perceive the organization? – What does your Board give? – What is your largest gift? – Do your donors know? • How do your donors perceive themselves as donors? • How much do you need? (As a generalization, donors are unlikely to give more than 40% of the need under the best of circumstances.) Ultimate (Planned) Gifts • 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 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. 4
Frames of Reference • Fundraising is about building relationships; only 10% is about “asking” • All Board Members fundraise • You have to give yourself to be effective as a fundraiser • $1,000 is not as much money as it used to be Frank Talk About Money • It is difficult to do much for less than $20 • Many people take $100 at a time from ATMs • Time is NOT the same as money • “I don’t have enough” time/money really means “I choose to spend my time/money elsewhere” So…. • Regularly asking for $100 is OK • Almost everyone could give $1,000 if they really wanted to • Many people could give $10,000 if they could spread payments out over time 5
So…. • If our belief that a donor cannot afford a $1,000 prevents us from asking, that says more about us than about them. • Don’t say NO for people by not asking. 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 Board Campaign Mechanics www.DevelopmentForConservation.com /about ‐ us/resources 6
Fifty-Three Ways for Board Members to Raise $1000 by Kim Klein All Donors Donors you Most Important have access Donors to = Top 100 Donors Donors who have who love money you Top100 List • These are your organization’s most important donors • Could be less than 100; should not be more than 100 without multiple staff dedicated to Major Donor fundraising • Add new people onto the list and rotate people off the list once a year • Keep an “Under Consideration” List 7
Top 100 List • Board members should be familiar enough with the people on the Top 100 list that they would recognize one at the grocery store. Prospects – Top100 List • Members who make $250+ gifts • Members who give $500+ in a single year • Members who give $5,000+ to other organizations • Members who have given in each of the last six years • Known Planned Gift Donors • Membership Screening Results Top100 List • For each donor on the list: – Assign a Shepherd (Board Member?) – Assign an ask amount • Determine the next step, by whom, and by when 8
Introduce Interest Involve Invest Inform Getting Started • Make your own gift • Pair up with a member of the Development Committee • Screen your entire donor list • Select five prospects to start and eventually settle on just three • Research each one • Call each one • Draft a Status Paragraph for each one Getting Started • Is this a person you can work with? • Does this person have cultivatable interest? • (If not, then, you’ll need to “adopt” another prospect.) 9
Getting Started • What’s the next cultivation step? • Who’s going to do it? • By when? Top 100 List • Do we have pictures? • Relationship with the organization should be documented in the Donor Files • Field Trips, Organizational Events, and Soirées should be evaluated, in part, based on Top 100 List participation Basic Principles • Facetime is KING • Redundancy • Prospects selected based on giving capacity • Three-year cultivation plans • Relationship is recorded in the files 10
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 A Word About Donor Files • You need them • Include essential contact info • Copies of everything that comes from THEM – including email and checks • Strategy and cultivation planning Axiom • Investments in the best photography and great food will always pay off. 11
General rule for getting major gifts • Ask Board Roles • Contribute • Understand, endorse, and oversee planning • Help identify and evaluate Top 100 Prospects • Make introductions to Top 100 Prospects • Share in the cultivation of Top 100 Prospects • Accompany others in asking • Ask Staff Roles • Handle all the membership work • Handle the administrative duties • Handle all the record ‐ keeping • Otherwise make it as easy as possible for Board members to do their work 12
Ask For...... • Information • Advice • Involvement • Annual Gift • Capital Gift Things to Bring to a Donor Visit • 1 ‐ 2 Page Organizational or Project Description • One ‐ page customized fund raising plan • Photo album/video/slideshow • Courage Asking • Preliminaries • Introductions • Establish Common Ground • Make the case • Envisioned role for the prospect • ASK • Pause • Close 13
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. Three Things to Get from Today • “Success comes to those who ask.” To raise money you have to ASK for money. • Asking and Giving dynamics change with how the decision gets made more so than with the denomination of the gift. • 90 percent of fundraising success involves cultivation – building relationships. Services Call me for: Strategic Planning Board Development Development Audit Capital Campaigns Board Training Major Gift Training Fundraising Coaching fundraisinghelp@sbcglobal.net 608/239 ‐ 5006 14
FTM – Supplemental Materials Acknowledgements Stephen Covey, Author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Bill Sturtevant, Institute for Charitable Giving, Author of The Artful Journey Jerald Panas, Institute for Charitable Giving, Author of MegaGifts The Nature Conservancy Dan Burke & Laurel Hauser Door County Land Trust Blogs The Agitator (Direct Mail Fundraising), www.theagitator.net Beth’s Blog (Social Networking) www.bethkantor.org Jeff Brooks (Non-Profit Marketing) http://www.futurefundraisingnow.com Jeff Schreifels & Richard Perry (Major Gift Fundraising) www.veritusgroup.wordpress.com 15
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