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GETTING MAJOR DONORS

Karen HornMajor Gifts OfficerAmerican Red Cross of Northern New Jersey

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The Basic Process of Major Gifts

Prospect

Cultivate

Ask

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Prospecting

Identify a strong possible donor

Research background and create a character profile

Contact Donor

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Finding Prospects Beyond the Usual Means

• The “usual means” is through Board Members, newspapers, leads. Is a great way to start, but in the current economy “cold calling” is necessary.

• Put yourself in contact with the prospective donors• Have Board Members take you to their favorite Country Clubs.

Don’t play have them just play golf, but go to the bar and mingle.• Identify events that CEO’s attend and go• Create events that will target the level of prospects you want.

• Get your MGO’s highlighted events. Better yet, at your own organization’s events.

• Example: We all flock to the honoree of an event, why not have your MGO be an honoree for the amount of money they’ve raised and have prospective donors flock to him/her?

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Identifying a Strong Prospect• Identifying and researching a donor can often be the

same step• Consider the likelihood of giving a donation to any

organization• Consider their capacity to give • Gage the prospect’s level of interest in your organization

• A donor is not always interested in the entire organization. Do not discard a possibility if they display interest in only one program.

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Research a Prospect• The most important aspect of research is creating a

donor’s character profile• Identify events/places where your MGO’s are likely to

meet this donor • Attend these events if possible, put your MGO’s in their path

• If possible, identify the prospect’s phone, email and address.

• Never stop researching! • Set up google alerts for even the most established donors

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Contact = Communication = The Most Important Step• Communication Plans are the foundation of your entire

fundraising program• How often, when, where, how, and why you contact donors should

be defined for a minimum of one year increments• How much does this plan cost your organization?

• Mailings cost money

• Systematically contact every prospect • If the communication is free (phone call, email): do not stop

contacting this prospect until they tell you to stop• If communication costs money (mailings): define how long you will

keep prospects and lapsed donors on the list• Always track all communication attempts. Note which finally works.

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Cultivation

Cultivation

Cultivation

Gift

Cultivation

Gift

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Cultivation: The First Meeting• The first meeting is not the time to ask for a gift, it is your

chance to get to know each other• Inform them about the overall organizational picture• Ask questions!

• What interests the donor about the organization• How often should we contact you• How would you like to be more involved?• Most importantly, when can we meet again

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Individualize Communication• The communications/contact schedule should be

consistent across your organization until a prospect/donor states otherwise• Most major gift donors will ask to be contacted in a specific manner

over a specific period of time. • Adhere strictly to the timeline they define.

• Imposing a timeline on a donor or prospect is a grave mistake!

• Ask regularly if prospects/donors are happy with the amount of communication they are receiving

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Individualize Communication Content• Just because you love every aspect of your organization

does not mean your prospect/donor does• There is a definitive link between the level of donation and the

donor’s interest level.

• Prospects/Donors rarely state they are not interested.• Proactively listen. Do they lean forward when you talk about one

program? Do they ask more questions? Do they only respond to one mailing?• Capitalize on this. If you note they’re clearly more interested in one

aspect over another, then redefine that prospect/donors communication plan to emphasize their program of interest.

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Be Creative• We are all after the same major donor• And we are all following this same process: so stand out

• Create one or two communications/touch points per year that are different and personalized• This does not require grand gestures• Hand deliver cookies at Christmas• Send a $5 gift card to a coffee shop, ask to meet them for a coffee

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Cultivation Meetings• Cultivation meetings must be at the prospect/donor’s

convenience• Do not force the conversation, guide it, but don’t force it.• Remember that the individual is doing this for fun and on

their time off.• This is important!

• You are not a coworker to them, you are a confidant guiding them toward making a better community• Remember this! And treat them accordingly.

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What To Talk About at a Meeting• Feel free to ask a donor what other organizations they are

donating to or meeting with• Be knowledgeable about these organizations• Never disparage another organization

• Ask about their work• Ask about family• Talk about yourself• An update about your organization is a reason to meet

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Cultivation Never Ends• Did you notice I almost always use “prospect/donor”

above? • The only difference is who has already given a gift

• The most important aspect of cultivation is that it never ends

• A gift is not the end, but the last step to that cycle. The next cycle begins with stewardship and moves back to cultivation

• Phone calls, emails, meetings must continue until the prospect/donor requests that they end

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The Primary Goal

The General

PlanIdentify Cultivate Ask

The Primary

GoalIdentify Cultivate Ask

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What You Want From the Donor• The primary goal is exactly what you want from this

specific individual• The goal should be concise, but not precise: We wish donor X to

give $200,000 toward the Youth Program.

• The steps toward attaining the goal is “cultivation”• Throughout the process qualify and requalify the

prospect/donor • Is donor X still interested in the Youth Program to give $200,000

toward it, or is he/she becoming more interested in the Animal Program?• The ask should occur when you can definitively answer “yes”

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The Goal and the Communication Plan

• The Primary Goal should guide the communication plan, but not override it. • Even if a donor is giving $1 million toward the building of a

structure, keep them informed on all aspects of your organization. Just make sure that you send them regular updates on the building.

• Continuing the donor on the communication plan gives you a door to continue talking to them after the gift has been implemented

• Gives donors information on how they’re helping the bigger picture

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Qualifying the Primary Goal• As you qualify the Primary Goal, you will be leading

yourself step by step to the ask.• Don’t be afraid to outright ask a prospect if they’re

interested in supporting a program. • Test your goal with a prospect by asking for small gifts in

areas of possible interest• Always try to gear these gifts toward your primary goal. • If they say no, this is a good indication that they may not be

interested in your plan for them. But qualify this no before you assume they’re not interested

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Test Gift Example• If you are working with a prospect with the capacity for a

$20,000 gift, you may ask for $1,000 toward an event. • If yes, they are becoming invested in your organization.• If no, ask why not, and adjust your communications accordingly

• Example. A donor may not yet feel the organization does enough good. Start discussing more case statements, organization tours of your programs/facility, etc.

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When to Make the Ask• When you absolutely know what a donor is interested in,

and their interest level, you will know when to make the ask• This process is much shorter for an established donor than for a

strong prospect

• Do not try to stick to a predefined schedule. Let this play out naturally.

• Remain flexible: always look for an opportunity to qualify or make a ask, if not “the” ask

• Do not let the relationship lag in the “cultivation” step

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How Do I Know if Cultivation is “Lagging”

• Lagging is when the donor is showing no more or less interest in your organization or program

• If this starts occurring early in the cultivation process, and the individual is still a “prospect”, change your cultivation techniques• If you’re just meeting for dinners, then meet at your office, or at a

program site• Do something that will make the donor “see” your organization in

process• Bring a Board Member/Executive along

• If this starts just before “the” ask, then jump ahead and make the ask. Even if the answer is “no” it will create an opening in the conversation

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“No” is not the end• Do not take a “no” personally• Do not be afraid to discuss the prospect’s answer. • Do not take the answer at face value. • A no will often give you more insight than a yes and can

often be more valuable in growing the relationship• Organizations often make the mistake of ending the discussion

after a yes and then slotting a donor into that area. Ex. “youth program donor, ask for X amount next year”

• No will force you to continue the discussion

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Yes!• “Yes!” Is frankly most organizations’ greatest downfall

• It is exciting, but it’s not the end!

• The day after you receive the check, say thank you, and then go back to slide 10 and begin again

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Stewardship• Stewardship is the first step to renewed cultivation • Say thank you as publicly and as often as the donor

wishes• Ask donors if there is more that your organization can do

to thank them

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Final Overview• Questions?

• Our next meeting will discuss communications