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Asking and Askers

Asking and Askers. With: Kim Klein Sponsored by: Mid-Valley Development Professionals Kim Klein is the author of Fundraising for Social Change and Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times . She has taught fundraising in all 50 states and 21 other countries. Klein and Roth Consulting

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Asking and Askers

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  1. Asking and Askers With: Kim Klein Sponsored by: Mid-Valley Development Professionals Kim Klein is the author of Fundraising for Social Change and Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times. She has taught fundraising in all 50 states and 21 other countries. Klein and Roth Consulting Klein and Roth Consulting helps organizations build strong mission driven fundraising programs. We provide practical, hands-on advice on how to build a broad base of individual donorsand a team of volunteers able to help with fundraising.

  2. Goals for our time together You will expand your knowledge about: • Why you focus on the giver, not the gift • How to identify real prospects • Why the board needs to be involved • How to ask and how to train others to ask • How to build a team of people who like this strategy

  3. Private Sector Giving: 2012 TOTAL GIVING:  $316.23 billion • Individuals:   $228.93      73% • Bequests:          23.41        7% • Foundations     45.74      14% • Corporations    18.15        6% Source: Giving USA

  4. The People Who Give: • Most people: 70% of adults give away $$ • Give to 5-10 organizations each year, most of which are fairly similar • Equal numbers of men and women • 60% of all money given away comes from families with incomes of $90,000 or less • # 1 reason people give: someone asked them • #1 reason people keep giving: someone thanked them www.kleinandroth.com

  5. A Few Reminders • The people most likely to give you a donation have given once • People who give away money have many places to give: over 16,000 nonprofits in Oregon alone! • A systematic retention and upgrade plan is essential for growing your donor income Don’t get into this if you don’t have staying power. www.kleinandroth.com

  6. Stop the Leaky Bucket Method Strong acquisition rate: 1% Strong conversion rate: 40% Strong retention rate: 70% www.kleinandroth.com

  7. Focus on the Donor, not the Donation Invite a legacy gift (bequest): information repeated over time in various ways. Invite the donor to give thoughtfully: (personal calls, visits, personal asking) Invite the donor to give over and over: mail, phone, e-alerts, signature events, personal notes on letters, thank you notes Invite the first gift:(mail, on-line, special events, thank yous) www.kleinandroth.com

  8. The Big Picture Org Needs: Donors provide: Annual Income Capital Assets Endowment Estate

  9. Donors are not:

  10. Above all, they are not prey!

  11. Identifying Prospects Ability: Gives away money Belief: Cares about this cause or something similar Contact: How you know A and B is that you or someone you trust knows the prospect. You have access to this person. www.kleinandroth.com

  12. Where are the best prospects? Current donors Friends and colleagues of current donors, board members and volunteers

  13. Keep donors in motion “This is one of the organizations I support” “I like this organization a lot” “This is one of my top three giving priorities”

  14. Who Should be Asked? Any donor who has: • Given 3-4 times • Given consistently for several years • Given larger than usual gifts ($50-$250) • Given odd amounts ($65.34, $91, $73)

  15. Who should be asked? Donors who: • someone in your organization thinks could give more (based on good evidence) • Have shown interest in a particular program, sometimes by making a larger gift to that appeal • Are major donors to a similar organization

  16. More In-depth Prospecting Best source of information: the prospect Needed: questions that elicit that info Second best: friend of the prospect Needed: ditto Back up: Google Wealth Engine Media Be clear about what you want to know www.kleinandroth.com

  17. Gather Information That Helps You Less Helpful Political party Active in local politics Very low key about giving More helpful: Worked on A310 to increase funding for senior services; Does not believe in giving donors anything for their gifts; turned down being honored at Gala www.kleinandroth.com

  18. Identifying Prospects From People You Know Create a chart of possible prospects: NameRelationshipGives $Cares?Ask for: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. www.kleinandroth.com

  19. Next Steps: Create a chart of possible prospects: NameRelationshipGives $Cares?Ask for: • Max ex-husband never hardly • Mary cousin Yes yes $500 • Tiffany friend Yes lobbyist houseparty • Susan colleague ?? Loves art silent auction • Georgia book club Yes probably not ---- • Milagros neighbor Yes definitely $250 • Fred friend Yes not so much ---- www.kleinandroth.com

  20. Sort Prospects as follows: 1: Lead gift 2: Next size gift 3: Next size gift 4: All other gifts Start with A-1s and work out from there. A—YES, loves us B-- Has questions, but overall positive C—Serious questions D—Don’t know

  21. Example JOE SMITH: Has given $500/year for three years. Comes to events; always friendly. He is an A-3, but what happens if we ask him to double his gift? Does he become a B? Or a C? What do we gain and what do we lose?

  22. Fundraising is led by the board (ideally) Sources/Strategies Online Religious Major Donors In-Kind House parties Fees/Products Foundations Board and Volunteers

  23. Who Should Be Asking? The job of the “personal solicitation” team: Focus on moving current donors to more engagement: • Making larger gifts • Volunteering • Finding other donors

  24. What Makes Good Fundraisers? Clear expectations Meaningful work Accountability Honest discussion Time off for good behavior

  25. Look outside the board • Former board and staff • Long time volunteers • People who have recently upgraded their own gift • Recently retired professionals • People who want a time limited job

  26. What to Tell Team Members All team members: • Make their own gift • Personally ask others to give: Specifically, each team member asks ## people a week for (## weeks) Some people are also asked to: • provide names of prospects • help create the message for donors • help thank donors

  27. Create donor portfolios Create Donor Portfolios for Board Members Board member’s job: • solicits • thanks • contacts at least two other times during the year, for example: • email discusses a new program initiative, • forward recent media coverage • Adds a personal note to newsletter, annual report, • Personalizes invitations to events • Calls to ask for input www.kleinandroth.com

  28. Make Those Personal Notes Personal! Some examples: More helpful: • I understand that you served on the founding board and helped get this important organization off the ground. I’d love to hear more about this and know where you got the idea and what were the first things you did. • I saw your letter to the editor about using speed bumps to slow traffic. I agree with you! Less Helpful: • I know you’ve been a supporter for many years. I want to thank you for that, and look forward to having a chance to speak with you soon. • Thanks again for all you do. Now we are starting our Spring Campaign and hope you can help us again. www.kleinandroth.com

  29. Sample Portfolio Page Donor: Jessica Michaelmas Giving History: $500 2002-2005 1,000 2006-2011 $ 2,500 2011-2013 Personal information: mid 80’s, decent health, husband died in 1995. No children. Active in League of Women Voters and Library Foundation. Has a beautiful garden. 2014 Record of Contact: 1/12 called to invite to film screening. Doesn’t like to go out a night 3/17: Offered to bring to Appreciation Picnic. Said yes, but got sick and cancelled. I stopped by 3/22 with program book. Had a nice chat at the door. 3/30: Sent $250 donation. Not clear what prompted that. 4/02: Called to thank. Left a message. NEXT STEP: INVITE ON LAND TOUR. STRESS WILDFLOWERS

  30. How well is your board doing? www.kleinandroth.com

  31. Approaching Donors In Person The most successful strategy, time in for money back, is face to face solicitation.

  32. Dear Fran and Ellery, Hope all is well …. Last time I saw you, I was going to a meeting of the Literacy Council and you said you were donors to us! I am writing today for two reasons: one—it is because of people like you that we have expanded our work from schools to community centers which is attracting a lot more people. Two, we need to do more. Bottom line: we need to raise an extra $50,000 over the summer. As a member of the board, I have given an extra $1,000 to the organization, and have committed myself to raise $5,000. Would you two be open to talking about increasing your gift this year? I’d like to talk with you about what the money would be used for, as well as more personally ask you to become a bigger part of our organization. I will call you in a few days to see when we can gettogether. Best, Susanna

  33. Dear Ms. Peters, You have been a generous donor to our work here at the Literacy Council for the past several years. Let me say again how much we appreciate your commitment. As you may know from reading our newsletter, we are embarking on an ambitious campaign to expand our work. I’d like to make a time to talk with you to discuss whether you might be able to increase your donation this year to help us with that expansion. I would very much enjoy meeting you, if you have time. I’ll call you in the next few days to see if we can find a time to talk. If it is more convenient, feel free to call my cell: 899-999-8765, or reply to this e-mail. Becky Morrison, Board member becky@email.org

  34. Follow up calls are key Donors have a lot going on in their lives, and they put down your letter or they delete your e-mail. REMEMBER: Forgetting about your organization is not “no.” NO is short for “Not now.”

  35. Preparing for the Phone Call Have ready: • Opening sentence • Message for VM • Most exciting thing about the project • Where are you toward the goal? • How much do you want? www.kleinandroth.com

  36. Some people you will want to meet: For requests over $1,000, it is best to meet in person, if possible.

  37. Prepare for the Meeting Have ready: • Stories • Statistics, including comparisons • Philosophical reasons why this is important • Responses to common questions • Fundraising success so far Keep in mind: • The donor/s agreed to see you • They already like your organization YOUR JOB: • Appreciate what the donor has done; • Invite him or her to stretch and do more

  38. Don’t do all the talking… Ask different types of questions: How did you first hear about us ? How long have you lived here? How is that donut shop that just opened? What is most compelling about this issue to you?

  39. Use a “Double close: ” Start with what you want and return to that at the end

  40. www.kleinandroth.com

  41. Focus on what is important www.kleinandroth.com

  42. Helpful Resources from Kim Klein Magazine and e-newsletter Grassroots Fundraising Journal www.grassrootsfundraising.org Books by Kim Klein Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times Fundraising for Social Change Other recommended books: Working Across Generations by Robby Rodriquez, Frances Kunreuther and Helen Kim Accidental Fundraiser by Stephanie Roth and Mimi Ho Order from www.josseybass.com or your local bookstore

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