Elevator Speech

Introduce yourself, in relation to the agency

Hint: Let your passion show

Relate to the mission

Hint: Think big. Make an impact.

Illustrate the agency’s work

Hint: Use a story, a visual element

Identify the NEED

Hint: What would happen if your work wasn’t done?

Explain the support you rely on

Hint: Talk about money and time

Involve – What they can do to help?

Hint: Ask a question!

Case for Support

Why does the organization exist?

History; Mission

Need

Distinctiveness

Vision

What does success look like?

Goals & Objectives

What will you achieve and how?

Finances

Secured and unsecured

Leadership

Who leads the work to be done?

[Organization Name]: Individual Giving Fundraising Plan FY 09

Mission:             ________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Agency Goals: [To provide food for ____ people this year]

1. [Provide _____ children with meals]
2. [Enroll _____ families in Food Stamps]

1. [Train _____ local agencies to serve food]
2. Other _____________[space, vehicles…]

Fundraising Goals:             To raise [$Total] in contribute income this year (of the $organizational budget)

• Mission:             $_________
• Program A:            $_________

• Program B:       $_________
• Capital:       $_________

Individual Giving Goals:

Mail Appeals 101

ü  Case for Support

ü  Mailing List

• Identify prospects to receive the package
• Consider both renewal (past supporters) and acquisition (new supporters)
• Create one version of the letter, or customized versions for two or more segments

ü  The Package

• Appeal Letter

v Compelling. Focus on the cause (not the organization).

v Who will sign? Hand sign? Add note?

v Include a quote, call out, graphic, formatting, etc. (Some people will not read the letter, but might scan it)

v Include a “P.S.” (Some people will only read a P.S.)

• Reply Device (separate piece to mail back with donation)

v Should you ask for a specific dollar amount?

v Include vital logistics (Who should the check be made out to? Do you accept credit cards? Online Donations? Who to call for information?)

v Code the reply device in order to measure response/effectiveness

• Inner Reply Envelopes (for donor to mail back with donation and reply slip)

v Pre-address to your organization

v Consider applying postage (and the implications of including postage)

• Outer Envelope (to mail the package)

v Will you print names and addresses onto the envelope? Do you need labels?

v Will you use standard letterhead/envelope? Should you add a graphic or “teaser” to increase the open rate?

ü  Mail Date

• Print, stuff, and mail the packages. Note: this is the day your printer will break.
• Consider bidding large print jobs. (Find at least three quotes)

ü  Follow Up

• Informal

v Who knows the prospect and can follow up with a phone call, note, email?

v Utilize existing relationships with staff members, board member, volunteers

• Formal

v Consider a second mailing to non-responders

v Include a variation of the original package (same elements, new code)

ü  Tracking and Evaluation

• Track mail recipients through codes in a database or excel spreadsheet
• Measure response rate % (# people replied / # people mailed) and Average gift
• Measure the total amount raised
• Measure the total net revenue (revenue – expenses = net revenue)

Email Appeals 101

ü  Case for Support

ü  Email ‘Mailing’ List

• Renewal and acquisition
• Brainstorm all potential segments (event attendees; advocates; volunteers)

ü  The Package & Technology

• Initial Email

v High readability

v Content: Use bullets, graphics, and stories

v Links: Embed 3 links to the same landing page/donation form within the text of the email, in addition to a donate now button

v Subject Line: Match to a clear call to action

v Layout: What will show in a preview pane, or on a Blackberry?

v Logistics: links for donated online, who checks should be made out to, mailing address, phone number for information

v Testing: Consider testing one element of your email (10/10/80 split)

• Landing Page/Donation Page

v Your email motivated the reader to click through. Does the landing page motivate them to give?

v Link results to dollars (Example: $50 feeds 60 people for one day)

• Thank You Webpage
• Thank You Email and/or Autoresponder

ü  Deploy Emails

• Strategically pick a day and date
• Watch unsubscribe rates after sending the email

ü  Follow Up (similar to mail)

• Informal

v Who knows the prospect and can follow up with a phone call, note, email?

v Utilize existing relationships with staff members, board member, volunteers

• Formal

v Could consider a re-send of the original email to non-openers. Remember that some emails register as not opened, although they may have been read in a preview pane or on a Blackberry.

v Consider a second email (new version) to non-responders

v Use a variation of the original email

ü  Tracking and Evaluation

• Open Rates: # Opened / # Delivered
• Adjusted Click Through Rates (Action Rate): # Click Throughs / # Opened
• Adjusted Response Rate: # Actions / # Click Throughs

Note: At the Greater Chicago Food Depository, we use a 20/20/20 rule for fundraising emails: 20% open rate, 20% Adjusted CTR, 20% Adjusted response

In-Person Solicitation 101

ü  Case for Support

ü  Timeline

ü  Goal: Set a goal to ask ______ people for support by__________

ü  Solicitation Teams

• Primary Relationship-Builder

v Who will be the person primarily working one-on-one with the prospect?

v Consider fundraising staff, program staff, management, board, volunteers

v This person may or may not be the person who asks for money

• Coordinator

v Who will keep track of all the prospects? Where each prospect in the cultivation stage? Who has been solicited?

v This person is usually a staff member or 300% dedicated volunteer

• Solicitor (may be primary relationship builder; may be another person)

v The best solicitor may be a volunteer

v The best solicitor may be the Primary Relationship Builder

v The best solicitor may be a staff member, board member, or other volunteer (working with the Primary Relationship Manager)

v The solicitor must have made a personal gift

• Other roles: researchers, volunteer leaders, organizational leadership (e.g. Board chair or executive director); administrative support

ü  Leadership Giving: Set high expectations!

ü  Prospects

• Identify a list of  people/organizations who have interest in your mission, have affinity with your cause, or have capacity to give
• Qualify each prospect. The qualified prospects are your working “prospect list” and are those you are cultivating. Qualify prospects through research, phone calls, or future cultivation attempts.

NOTE: Work with a manageable number of prospects. Too many is overwhelming; not enough will limit the amount raised.

• Assign each prospect a primary relationship-builder
• Personalize a strategy for each prospect. Outline a cultivation plan with specific relationship-building steps (timeline, activities, who does what) and a solicitation goal (date, amount). This strategy will be a living document and change as the relationship develops.

In-Person Solicitation 101 (cont)

ü  Cultivation

• Overall Goals are to

v Involve the donor with your mission, and/or learn why they are involved

v Identify a solicitation amount, and what to ask for

v Assign a solicitor

v Know when to disqualify a prospect

• Strategies/Stewardship Plan

v Make a list of cultivation strategies. Assign a set of strategies to each prospect. Each strategy should be a step towards solicitation.

v Say thank you and talk about your mission

v Ask constituents why they are involved

v Make phone calls. Send emails. Write notes. Invite to events.

v Set meetings. Ask each person you meet with “Who else should I talk to about supporting this work?” and set meetings with these people. Ask for the new person’s phone number and email, saying “Can I use your name?”

ü  Solicitation

• Assign a solicitor and determine who else should be present for solicitation
• Train the solicitor to ask for a gift

v Review the case for support

v Write solicitation scripts

v Practice by role-playing

v Consider attending a training

• Set a meeting. Ask for a gift. Stop talking. When asked, answer questions. Thank.

ü  Create a tracking system.

• Track each step, potential to give (capacity), and any other important information learned in relationship building. Create a spreadsheet with columns such as:

v Biographical Info

v Business Info

v Philanthropic Info

v Giving History (last gift & date; largest gift & date; cumulative giving amount)

v Areas of Interest (mission-related)

v Primary Relationship Builder

v Solicitor (if different)

v Gift Request Amount

v Solicitation Date

v Program to Solicit

v Status

v Last Contact

v Date of Last Contact

v Next Step

v Date of Next Step

v Comments/ Notes

ü  Stewardship: Send thank you letters and develop a stewardship plan for your donor.