Transcript FUNDRAISING AROUND THE CAMPFIRE It Does Not Have to be a Scary Story November 14, 2011 Doris Feinberg, CFRE President The Prospero Group, LLC.

FUNDRAISING
AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
It Does Not Have to be a Scary Story
November 14, 2011
Doris Feinberg, CFRE
President
The Prospero Group, LLC
DEVELOPMENT VS. FUNDRAISING
IDENTIFY
FUNDRAISING
SOLICIT
VS.
DEVELOPMENT
Donor Focused
Fundraising
IDENTIFY
CULTIVATE
SOLICIT
FIVE “I”s OF DEVELOPMENT
Investor
INVEST
INVOLVE
Funder
INTEREST
INFORM
IDENTIFY
Prospect
WHY PEOPLE DO GIVE?
WHY PEOPLE DO GIVE?
 Appreciate the experience
 To help solve a problem
 Desire to get more involved
 To belong or be recognized
 Sense of community
 For the person who is asking
 To pay tribute to someone
 Tax considerations
 Tzedakah
WHY PEOPLE DO NOT GIVE?
WHY PEOPLE DON’T GIVE?
 They don’t feel connected to the cause
 The timing is wrong
THEY ARE NOT
ASKED!
MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE
IDENTIFY
CULTIVATE
SOLICIT
STEWARD
MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE
 Association with organization
 Giving history
 Capacity/giving potential
 Data mining
 Special areas of interest
 Other charitable interests
 Relationships with other organizations
IDENTIFY
CULTIVATE
SOLICIT
STEWARD
MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE
 Regular touch points to deepen affinity
 Volunteer involvement
 Ongoing communication
 Prospect education
IDENTIFY
CULTIVATE
SOLICIT
STEWARD
MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE
 Practiced solicitation strategy
 Specific ask amount
 Face-to-face = best results
IDENTIFY
CULTIVATE
SOLICIT
STEWARD
MAJOR GIFTS SEQUENCE
 Consistent acknowledgement
 Regular communication
 Emphasize impact
IDENTIFY
CULTIVATE
SOLICIT
STEWARD
THE ART OF THE ASK
Conducting Face-to-Face Solicitations
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
Anne Frank
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
 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
SECURE THE APPOINTMENT
 Send a letter or short note to let the donor know you will be calling
 Include brochure or other collateral material with letter
 Smile when you pick up the phone
 Only request the appointment – this is not the time to solicit
 Suggest a meeting time and place/provide 2-3 dates and locations for
the appointment
• Possible locations: prospect’s office or home, camp, neutral place
 Invite spouse or partner, if appropriate
 Avoid further discussion and end the call
5 ELEMENTS OF THE
FACE-TO-FACE MEETING
 Engage the donor
 Make the case
 Negotiate
 Manage objections
 Close
ENGAGE THE DONOR
 Acknowledge past support, if appropriate, and/or support of other
organizations
 Find common bond
 Ask open-ended questions: “What particularly touches you about your
children’s camp experience?”
Listen carefully!
Acknowledge understanding of the response
by incorporating the donor’s words into yours.
ARTICULATE THE CASE
 Describe the vision
 Highlight the case for giving
 Link donor’s values to benefits
 Emphasize impact of leadership giving: “Your contributions and those
of others…”
MAKE THE “ASK”
 Invite donor to join with you in making an impact
 Request a specific amount
“I hope that you will join with me and others who deeply care about
camp by considering a gift of $________.”
Be quiet!
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
“I’LL THINK
ABOUT IT…”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
 “I’m glad you will as this is a serious
request.”
“I’LL THINK
ABOUT IT…”
 “What other information might you
need to make a decision?”
 “Why don’t I/we step out of the room
for a few minutes to give you some
time to think about/discuss the
request?”
 “Let’s set a date for (next week) after
you’ve had time to think.”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
“I NEED MORE
TIME…”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
“I NEED MORE
TIME…”
 “If important people like you wait, what
about all the others we have to reach?
Your leadership will help others to
follow.”
 “What information are you missing
that would inspire you to make a
decision now?”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
“I DON’T LIKE
BEING TOLD
HOW MUCH TO
GIVE…”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
“I DON’T LIKE
BEING TOLD
HOW MUCH TO
GIVE…”
 “We have to start somewhere. Now,
let’s talk.”
 “I’m asking you to consider a
meaningful gift.”
 “If community leaders did not lead the
way where would we be today?”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
“YOU’RE
ASKING FOR
TOO MUCH…”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
“YOU’RE
ASKING FOR
TOO MUCH…”
 “There are very few in our camp
community in the fortunate position to
be able to consider such a major gift.”
 “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
of our camp.”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
“NO”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
 “Thank you for considering our
request and for your time.”
“NO”
 (If you’re not clear about the reason)
“It would help us if we had a better
understanding of your reasons.”
 “I’d like to stay in touch to keep you
updated about our project, and hope
that you will consider giving at another
time.”
MANAGE OBJECTIONS
REMEMBER
 Address the objection, don’t fight the person
 Compromise on minor objections to make major goals
 Avoid who is right, stress what is right
 Identify honest objections that are valid
 Convert objections into questions
 Dramatize cost if solicitation fails
 Use the Feel…Felt…Found technique – “I understand how you feel. I
felt that way too until I found out…”
LEVERAGE GIFT
“How would you like to
triple your gift without
spending an extra penny?”
Prospect
Donor
Prospect
Prospect
Solicitor
Donor
Prospect
Prospect
Donor
Prospect
FOLLOW UP
 Report your results to appropriate individual
 Send a short, hand-written note
 Provide additional materials to donor (especially if requested)
 Call donor with an invitation to attend an event or join a committee
 Remember: stewardship is an ongoing process
ONGOING STEWARDSHIP
PURPOSE
 Donors remain connected to their investment
 Ongoing communication encourages ongoing support
IMPACT
 Donors are more likely to share the camp’s story with others
 It costs less to retain current donors than to find new ones
 Losses of current donors can cancel out gains from new donors
WORDS OF WISDOM
 People do not give if they are not asked – losing a gift by not asking is
worse than asking with no result
 Don’t ask anyone to do anything you haven’t done yourself, i.e., make
your own gift first
 Don’t ask people to give until it hurts; ask
them to give until it feels good
 People are not insulted by being asked for
too much
 Talk about the camp’s excellence/value –
people want to give to success and be
associated with winners