Effective Fundraising Techniques
1. Be Kind.
2. Be Courteous and Compassionate.
3. Listen to the Donor!
When asking people for large amounts of money, it’s crucial to follow proper fundraising etiquette. As development professionals, we must have a great deal of poise, polish, and tact. We have very personal discussions with prospects about very significant investments in our organizations. Much of our success relies upon impressing the prospect with our professionalism and forging a true friendship between them and the organization. The best way to do this is to listen intensely and actively, ensuring you make them aware of your desire to know more. Ask them, “Can you tell me a little more about this?” or “Can you explain why that is so meaningful to you?” while shaking and nodding your head. When you feel certain you know what they want to make happen, you must weave that into your proposal when you ask for a very specific amount of money to make it happen.
On the other side of the coin, we also need to be persistent, bold, and aggressive as we advance the strategic vision of our group. Raising money is our primary responsibility and the standard by which we are judged. Knowing that you have received the greatest gift possible from that donor, under their current circumstances, is when you truly succeed. Yet, the long-term measure of success and the lifetime value of this donor or investor is going to be determined by whether they feel a sense of excitement, fulfillment, or exhilaration because of the investment you have encouraged them to make.
Finding the balance between such tact and boldness can be difficult. Sometimes we have to push the edge of the envelope in order to know that we have done all we can. Here are some tips on proper fundraising etiquette from our knowledgeable CDS staff.
We Have a Real Opportunity
We need to be the leaders of the process and to drive a constructive conversation. Yet, if we have truly listened to our donor, we have the chance to weave a quilt which will meet our organizational needs. More importantly, we will inspire one of our largest donors to make the gift and get further involved to serve as the kindling to light a hot fire that draws other donors into our project.
Potential Complications
Lots of things can complicate the solicitation process with a particular prospect. Perhaps the prospect is an extremely busy CEO, and the very same leadership skills that make them so busy also make them attractive as a prospect. Maybe they’re retired and spend a lot of time traveling. This flexibility makes them a great potential volunteer, but difficult to catch in the first place. Perhaps they have many gatekeepers working to keep fundraisers at arm’s length.
We cannot let these factors deter us. Maybe the busy CEO will agree to meet us for coffee early in the morning, or dinner in the evening. Unfortunately, our own schedules must be the first casualties of our desire to succeed!
If they travel all the time, should we travel to meet them? Flying to Chicago to conduct a $250,000 solicitation should not be out of the question. As long as it is relatively inexpensive and the only reasonable way to make it happen, we should consider every potential solution. As for gatekeepers, we simply have to work around them. You might call the prospect at home in the evening. Or, ask a particularly prominent board member to call—someone whose stature assures they will reach the lender. If you believe that your cause is an important one, and that this prospect shares your passion, then these extra steps will not seem extreme.
Striking a Balance
There are a couple of ways to strike a balance in your fundraising etiquette between tact and boldness. The first way is to effectively communicate the importance of this project. Everyone that we contact should understand that this is an extraordinary endeavor. Sometimes, if you build a genuine and loving relationship, even the efficient gatekeeper can be persuaded to help you make contact.
Other times, it is as simple as refusing to take “no” for an answer, and extending your flexibility as far as you can to accommodate the prospect. This is best handled by the volunteer who will be joining you in the solicitation. Their status as a volunteer provides them a little more leeway in how far they can push. They might convince the donor that their participation is critical and urgently needed.
Don’t Forget to Follow Up
We want to maintain control over the scheduling of any appointments concerning this gift. If the prospect says that they will get back to you, tell them that the next request hinges on their decision. Create a sense of urgency. Ask if you can please schedule a follow-up visit for one week from now. Major gifts are closed in sequence, meaning that we wait for one decision before asking the next person, and their commitment will greatly influence others. By giving the prospect control over when we meet to close their gift, we effectively give them control over the entire timeline of the campaign.
A very specific situation is if someone has to postpone a solicitation or follow-up meeting for something other than a death or family emergency. Then, reschedule the meeting for the next available time—while the prospect is on the phone. This is crucial and will often save weeks of phone tag time.
If we have done our homework properly, and the prospect agrees with our case for support, then we need not worry about pushing for the appointment. Oftentimes, getting the appointment is harder than getting the gift.
It is one thing to say that we had a good solicitation and the prospect declined. We cannot make them say yes. However, if we fail to get the appointment then we have let someone else set the agenda for our fundraising. That is not a recipe for success, since no one knows as well as we do how the campaign is structured and where each prospect fits into the larger process. For proper fundraising etiquette, make sure you are being kind, caring, and tactful or gracious. But always push to steer the prospect toward what you know is the best possible outcome in the most timely manner.