Transcript Jewish campers without a camp find a camp without campers Camp Gilboa fundraising training February 6th, 2011 Presented by Julia Riseman, Mentor, Grinspoon

Jewish campers without a camp
find a camp without campers
Camp Gilboa fundraising training February 6th, 2011
Presented by Julia Riseman, Mentor, Grinspoon Institute
Based in part on the work of Doris Feinberg, CFRE
The Prospero Group, LLC. March 4, 2009
Agenda
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Resources
Why people give or don’t give
Basics of Major Gifts
Steps for face-to-face solicitation
Techniques and Tips
Managing Objections
Questions / Discussion
Example
THE ART OF THE “ASK”
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
Anne Frank
Resources
Gilboa
 Case for Support
 Pledge Card
 Letters of Support
 Research on the
power of Jewish
Camp
 List of people to ask
Grinspoon Institute’s
Knowledge Center
http://www.gijp.org/KnowledgeCenter/Fundraising/Capital-Campaigns.aspx
•
Basic Outline of a Solicitation (DOC)
Article
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Exercise to Practice Asking for
Money (DOC)
Article
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How to Ask (PPT)
Presentation
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Solicitation Preparation Sheet (DOC)
Tool
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Herb Tobin's Top Ten Tips for Asking
(PDF)
Article
Recommend Reading
WHY PEOPLE DO GIVE
 Appreciate the camp experience
 To help solve a problem
 Desire to get more involved
 To belong or be recognized
 Sense of community
 Can’t say “no”
 For the person who is asking
 To pay tribute to someone
 Tzedakah
 Tax considerations
WHY PEOPLE DON’T GIVE
 They are not asked!!!!
 They don’t and won’t give to anything
 They don’t feel connected to the cause
 Timing is wrong
THE BEST APPROACH
WRITING
Ask by mail and you can raise $1
CALLING
Ask by phone - you can raise $10
VISITING
Ask in person – you can raise $100
PERSONAL SOLICITATION
 Seems very scary
 Is very effective
 Go in teams
 Name a specific compelling case and ask for a specific amount
 Follow up with grace and persistence
MAJOR GIFTS
The heart of any campaign is major gifts. For most campaigns,
90% of funds are raised by 10% of donors - thus reflecting the
importance of personal solicitations.
The solicitation process can be broken into four parts:
 Identify
 Cultivate
 Solicit
 Steward
MAJOR GIFTS
IDENTIFY
CULTIVATE
SOLICIT
STEWARD
 Association with
your camp
 Create affinity
 Build relationship
 Size of gift usually
correlates with depth
of relationship with
camp and with
solicitor
 Face-to-face
solicitations most
effective means
 Restrict to small
percentage of
prospects with
highest potential
 Consistent
acknowledgement
of donor
 Regular
communication with
donor
 Emphasize impact
of gift on camp
success
 Giving history
 Capacity/giving
potential
 Data mining
 Special areas of
interest
 Other charitable
interests
 Review annual
reports from similar
organizations
THE FACE-TO-FACE SOLICITATION
BEFORE YOU
BEGIN
SECURE AN
APPOINTMENT
FACE-TO-FACE
MEETING
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 Open
 Acknowledge past
support
 Find common bond
 Make the case
 Negotiate
 Manage objections
 Close
•
•
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Make your own gift
Identify and start
with your “best”
prospects
Hone the strategy
Know ask amount
and commit to that
ask
Review the
appropriate
method of giving
and named gift
opportunity to
propose, if
appropriate
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Call or send a letter,
then call
ASK for the
appointment
Invite spouse or
partner, if
appropriate
Assert yourself:
provide 2-3 dates
and locations for the
appointment
Just confirm the
meeting; this is not
the time to solicit!
Avoid further
discussion; end the
call
FOLLOW UP
 Report results to
appropriate people
 Send a short, handwritten note
 Provide additional
materials to donor
(especially if
requested)
 Call donor with an
invitation for an
event, presentation,
or VIP introduction
 Remember: followup is an ongoing
process
What are you asking for?
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Advise?
Contacts?
Volunteer Help?
Introductions to other donors?
Letter of Support?
Gift Amount?
 All of the above?
Write down the specific ask
TECHNIQUES & TIPS
ENGAGING THE DONOR

Ask open-ended questions
“What particularly touches you about your camp experience/our camp?”
 Listen carefully! Acknowledge
understanding of the response by
incorporating the donor’s words into
yours
TECHNIQUES & TIPS
MAKING THE CASE
Describe the vision
Highlight the case for making a gift
Link donor’s values to benefits
“Your contributions and those of others”
TECHNIQUES & TIPS
NEGOTIATIONS
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Present the gift table, if appropriate

Request a specific amount, and propose a naming opportunity, if
appropriate
“I hope that you will join with other leadership donors in
demonstrating your commitment to this project by pledging
$________.”
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Be quiet!
MANAGING OBJECTIONS
“I’LL THINK ABOUT IT…”
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Thank the donor enthusiastically
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Say: “I’m glad you will as this is a serious request.”
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Ask: “What other information might you need to make a decision?”
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Secure a date to follow up
MANAGING OBJECTIONS
“I NEED MORE TIME…”
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Say: “If important people like you wait,
what about all the others we have to
reach? Your leadership will help set the
pace for this campaign.”
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Say: “What information are you missing
that would inspire you to make a
decision now?”
MANAGING OBJECTIONS
“I DON’T LIKE BEING TOLD HOW MUCH TO GIVE…”
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Say: “We have to start somewhere. Now, let’s talk.”
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Say: “My gift is in the same range and I am hoping that you will join
with me.”
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Say: “I’m asking you to join me in setting the leadership pace for this
campaign.”
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Say: “If Jewish people did not have chutzpah, where would we be
today?”
MANAGING OBJECTIONS
“YOU’RE ASKING FOR TOO MUCH…”
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Say: “There are very few in our
community in the fortunate position to
be able to consider such a major gift.”
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Say: “If, indeed, this gift will impact
your lifestyle, please do not agree to
this gift level. But, if it will not
significantly do so, it will certainly
impact the future success of our
camp.”
MANAGING OBJECTIONS
IF THEY JUST SAY “NO…”
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Say: “Thank you for considering our request and for your time.”
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(If you’re not clear about the reason, say:) “It would help us if we had a
better understanding of your reasons.”
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For the “asset-strapped” and “tapped out” prospect, leave the door
open for future asks
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Offer to keep them informed about the project and hope that they will
consider the importance of giving to the project at another time
When you hear “no,” think “Why?”
Remember these four simple questions:
- Is it the camp?
- Is it the particular project?
- Is it the timing?
- Is it the amount?
MANAGING OBJECTIONS
REMEMBER
 Fight the objection, not the person
 Compromise on minor objections to make major solicitation goals
 Avoid who is right, stress what is right
 Identify honest objections that are valid
 Convert objections into questions
 Dramatize cost if solicitation fails
 Feel…Felt…Found technique
Feel, Felt, Found
Technique
 First empathize with them, telling them that you understand how they feel.
 Then tell them about somebody who felt the same way.
 Then tell them how that other person found that things were not so bad and that when they
did what you want the donor to do they found that it was actually a very good thing to do.
Example: I understand you feel about that. Many others have felt the same way, and raised
that concern. And what they have found is that....(while they didn’t know Camp Gilboa, they are
concerned about Jewish children, and our exited to support our work).
How it works
By empathizing with how they feel, you are building harmony with them to create rapport. When
you talk about how somebody else felt, you move the focus to a more objective place which
they are likely to trust more. This also makes them a part of a group such that they do not feel
alone. When they are attached to that group, then you move the whole group by telling how the
person in the group changed their mind. The buyer, being attached to the group, should
change their mind at the same time.
RULES OF THUMB
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Always be thanking
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Always be closing
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Don’t ask anyone to do anything you haven’t done yourself, i.e., make
your own gift first
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Don’t ask people to give until it hurts; ask them to give until it feels
good
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People are not insulted by being asked for too much
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Talk about the organization’s excellence – people want to give to
success and be associated with winners
Last Thoughts
 Be yourself, have fun, enthusiastic and positive
 People remember what they say more than what you say. Let them
do most of the talking and you ask guiding questions and listen
 Use the sense of urgency to help with “closing” every conversation
 Committee = Community: Support each other, check in often,
celebrate successes, support next steps, ask for help
Yes!
Questions?
Try it!