asking and askers

With: Kim KleinSponsored 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 donors and a team of volunteers able to help with fundraising.

Asking and Askers

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

Goals for our time together

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

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

The People Who Give:

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 incomeDon’t get into this if you don’t have staying

power.


Stop the Leaky Bucket MethodStrong acquisition rate: 1%Strong conversion rate: 40%Strong retention rate: 70%



Focus on the Donor, not the Donation

Invite the first gift: (mail, on-line, special events, thank yous)

Invite the donor to give over and over: mail, phone, e-alerts, signature events, personal notes on letters, thank you notes

Invite the donor to give thoughtfully: (personal calls, visits, personal asking)

Invite a legacy gift (bequest): information repeated over time in various ways.

Org Needs: Donors provide:

Annual IncomeCapital AssetsEndowment Estate

The Big Picture

Donors are not:

Above all, they are not prey!

Ability: Gives away moneyBelief: Cares about this cause or something similarContact: How you know A and B is that you or someone you trust knows the prospect. You have access to this person.


Identifying Prospects

Where are the best prospects? Current donors

Friends and colleagues of current donors, board members and volunteers

“This is one of the organizations I support” “I like this organization a lot”

“This is one of my top three giving priorities”

Keep donors in motion

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)

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

Who should be asked?

Best source of information: the prospect Needed: questions that elicit that infoSecond best: friend of the prospect Needed: dittoBack up: Google Wealth Engine Media Be clear about what you want to know


More In-depth Prospecting

Less HelpfulPolitical partyActive in local politics

Very low key about giving

More helpful:Worked on A310to increase funding for senior services;Does not believe in giving donors anything for their gifts; turned down being honored at Gala


Gather Information That Helps You

Create a chart of possible prospects:

Name Relationship Gives $ Cares? Ask for:

1.2.3.4.5. 6.7.


Identifying Prospects From People You Know

Create a chart of possible prospects: Name Relationship Gives $ Cares? Ask for:1. Max ex-husband never hardly 2. Mary cousin Yes yes $5003. Tiffany friend Yes lobbyist

houseparty4. Susan colleague ?? Loves art silent

auction5. Georgia book club Yes probably not ----6. Milagros neighbor Yes definitely $250

7. Fred friend Yes not so much ---- www.kleinandroth.com

Next Steps:

A—YES, loves usB-- Has questions, but overall positiveC—Serious questionsD—Don’t know

1: Lead gift2: Next size gift3: Next size gift4: All other gifts

Start with A-1s and work out from there.

Sort Prospects as follows:

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?

Example

Fundraising is led by the board (ideally)

Fees/Products

Major Donors

Sources/Strategies

Board and Volunteers

In-Kind Foundations

Online House parties

Religious

The job of the “personal solicitation” team: Focus on moving current donors to more

engagement:

Making larger gifts Volunteering Finding other donors

Who Should Be Asking?

Clear expectationsMeaningful workAccountabilityHonest discussionTime off for good behavior

What Makes Good Fundraisers?

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

Look outside the board

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

What to Tell Team Members

Create donor portfoliosCreate 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


Make Those Personal Notes Personal!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.


Some examples:

Donor: Jessica MichaelmasGiving History: $500 2002-2005 1,000 2006-2011 $ 2,500 2011-2013Personal 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 night3/17: 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

Sample Portfolio Page

How well is your board doing?


The most successful strategy, time in for money back, is face to face solicitation.

Approaching Donors In Person

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 get together. Best,Susanna

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 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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 “Notnow.”

Follow up calls are key

Preparing for the Phone CallHave ready: Opening sentence Message for VM Most exciting thing

about the project Where are you toward

the goal? How much do you

want?


For requests over $1,000, it is best to meet in person, if possible.

Some people you will want to meet:

Prepare for the MeetingHave 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

organizationYOUR JOB: Appreciate what the

donor has done; Invite him or her to

stretch and do more

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?

Don’t do all the talking…

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

Focus on what is important

ImportantLive here

Not importantNot here

Urgent Not urgent


Magazine and e-newsletterGrassroots Fundraising Journalwww.grassrootsfundraising.orgBooks by Kim KleinReliable Fundraising in Unreliable TimesFundraising for Social Change Other recommended books: Working Across Generations by Robby Rodriquez,

Frances Kunreuther and Helen KimAccidental Fundraiser by Stephanie Roth and Mimi

HoOrder from www.josseybass.com or your local bookstore

Helpful Resources from Kim Klein

http://www.grassrootsfundraising.org/

http://www.josseybass.com/

asking and askers

Documents