engaging your boardfor fundraising … your board for fundraising success november 12, 2015 angela...

Engaging Your Board for Fundraising Success November 12, 2015

Angela Barraza, Beyond the Mission Consulting 1

CENTER FOR NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE

ENGAGING YOUR BOARD FOR

FUNDRAISING SUCCESS

ANGELA BARRAZA, CFREBEYOND THE MISSION CONSULTING

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

TODAY’S LEARNING OBJECTIVES

� Review the basic principles of effective fundraising

� Gain confidence by hands-on practice and role

play in each fundraising activity

� Walk away with more than two dozen easy,

non-threatening ways that board members can

be involved in fundraising

� Receive a customizable handout to help train

additional board members to fundraise

� Other Goals?



WHERE ARE YOU AND YOUR BOARD TODAY?

� Fundraising Knowledge & Skills

� Willingness

� Enthusiasm

� Action & Follow-through

NONPROFIT BOARD – 3 MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Set Strategic Direction

Ensure Resources

Provide Oversight



BOARD’S MANAGEMENT DUTIES

� Only has TWO management duties:

1. ED/CEO (as a whole)

2. Themselves

BOARD GIVING… A NON-NEGOTIABLE

� Litmus – How are you prepared to lead if you’re

not prepared to invest?

� Commitment – “Do you have 100% board giving?

How much?”

� Karma – It’s easier to raise money if you give it

yourself



FUNDRAISING MISCONCEPTIONS

� “Isn’t that the staff’s job?”

� “I’m giving my time… isn’t that enough?”

� “Let’s just do another event! It’ll be easy.”

� “I don’t know the right people”

� “I’ll do anything but ask for money”

We have to redefine fundraising to engage our Board

WHAT IS FUNDRAISING?

� Critical to accomplishing our mission

� NOT just about asking for money

� It’s about changing the world

� Giving people a chance to become a part

of a cause that you care about

� Building genuine relationships



“Keep in mind that men and women don’t want to give money away.

They want to invest in great causes, in bold and exciting dreams. They want to feel they’re helping change lives...

It’s your job to help them understand their money can make that happen.”

- Jerold Panas

SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FUNDRAISING

� People give to people

� Giving flows through involvement

� Success breeds more success

� Communication is CRITICAL!

� Team effort

� Takes money (and time!) to make money



BENCHMARK COSTS PER $1.00 RAISED

Solicitation Activity Cost

Direct Mail Acquisition $1.25 - $1.50

Activities, Benefits & Special Events $.50 - $1.00

Direct Mail Renewal $.20 - $.25

Corporations $.20

Foundations $.20

Volunteer-led Personal Solicitation $.10 - $.20

Source: Accountability and Budgeting, Assessing Costs, Results, and Outcomes by J.M. Greenfield

2014 CHARITABLE GIVING - $358.38 BILLION

Individuals72%

Foundations15%

Bequests8%

Corporations5%

Source: Giving USA Foundation™ / Giving USA 2015



� Approx. 70% of all households contribute

� The typical household supports 5-10

organizations per year

� The median amount donated per household

is $1,300-$2,000 per year

� Anyone and everyone!

WHO ARE THESE INDIVIDUALS?

� Operating and program support

� Unrestricted and restricted gifts

� Broadens constituency

� Repeatable

� Increases organizational stability

IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL DONORS



� Unrestricted = completely flexible dollars!

� Donor determines

� Donors can restrict to ANYTHING

� If there’s a budget = restricted

� We can restrict gifts by how we ask

UNRESTRICTED VS. RESTRICTED

THE IDEAL DONOR-CENTERED FUNDRAISING CYCLE

Stewardship =

MeaningfulCommunication

Receive Gift!

Stewardship

Stewardship

Stewardship

Solicitation

Identification & Discovery

Cultivation

Solicitation



Stewardship =


Receive Gift!

Stewardship

Stewardship

Stewardship

Solicitation


Cultivation

Solicitation

IDENTIFICATION – WHO WILL GIVE?

WHERE DO WE FIND NEW DONORS?

� Board, donors, volunteers, staff

� Begin close to home – church, work, school

� Special events

� Social Media

� Speaking engagements

� Database

Adapted from: Identifying Potential Donors for Your Organizationby Nicolle Fogleson



YOUR TURN – IDENTIFY TWO PROSPECTS

CA

PA

BIL

ITY

Above $1,000

$250to

$1,000

Below $250

Unaware Interested Involved

READINESS

DISCOVERY VISIT

� Connect! Face-to-face meeting

� Focus is changed from “let me tell you about us”

to “tell me about you”

� Ask Questions and Listen

� Share a LITTLE about program – Vision!

� Materials – keep it simple

� If match, schedule follow-up

TEMPLATE

PROVIDED:

Contact Report Form



YOUR TURN - PRACTICE DISCOVERY

� What are you really passionate about?

� What kinds of causes are you involved with/why?

� What inspires you to get involved with an org?

� What do you look for in an organization when

you are considering becoming more involved?

� What has been your most rewarding experience

with a nonprofit?

YOUR TURN - PRACTICE DISCOVERY

� What do you know about ________?

� What (if any) have been your experiences with

________?

� What questions (if any) do you have about

________?



I CAN IDENTIFY & DISCOVER

� Open doors - introduce people you know to staff

� Get comfortable talking about your org

� Keep an eye out for prospects

� In the paper, on the news, at other events

� Schedule/Host a Discovery Visit - lunch, coffee

� Review list of Lapsed Donors

� What else?

NEXT STEP… Cultivation

Stewardship =


Receive Gift!

Stewardship

Stewardship

Stewardship

Solicitation


Cultivation

Solicitation

CULTIVATION - HOW DO WE INTEREST THEM?



DONOR-CENTERED CULTIVATION

� Advances prospects and donors from:

� Goal is a genuine relationship

� Achieve this by actions that connect & engage

� Allow time for commitment (3-10 times)

� Investment can grow over time

Awareness Interest Involvement Commitment Investment

I CAN CULTIVATE

� Tour your organization with a prospect

� Email / social media

� See your “mission in action”

� Host a coffee/lunch/meeting

� Invite a friend to an event

� Ask professional advice

� What else? NEXT STEP… Solicitation



Stewardship =


Receive Gift!

Stewardship

Stewardship

Stewardship

Solicitation


Cultivation

Solicitation

SOLICITATION – HOW DO WE ASK?

“Don’t be nervous… Relax…

He puts his pants on one leg at a time,

just like you do…

Of course, his pants are tailor made

and cost $600 a pair…”



DONOR-CENTERED SOLICITATION – “THE ASK”

� Be certain the prospect is ready

� When setting up the meeting, be direct about purpose

� Enthusiasm and honesty inspire giving - more important than technique

� Ask for a gift in a particular range

� Ask for enough

YOUR TURN – ROLE PLAYING THE ASK

� I personally give to ____ because …

� Would you consider a gift of $x to _____?

THEN WAIT

� If Yes, thank and let your excitement show!

� If Maybe, understand, thank, and schedule follow-up

� If No, understand and probe for concerns: Is it the organization? The project? The amount? The timing?



I CAN SOLICIT

� Lead by example – make a personal stretch gift

� Schedule the meeting

� Be a part of the team that asks for a gift

� Set up the case for support

� Make the ask

� Schedule the follow-up

� What else? NEXT STEP… Stewardship

Stewardship =


Receive Gift!

Stewardship

Stewardship

Stewardship

Solicitation


Cultivation

Solicitation

STEWARDSHIP – HOW DO WE KEEP THEM?



DONOR-CENTERED STEWARDSHIP

� BEGINS with gift acknowledgement

� Personal, Sincere Engagement

� Meaningful communication – what their gift has accomplished (program and financial info)

� A deepening of the relationship

� CONTINUES for long-term

THE MOST IMPORTANT BOARD “TO DO”

� Within 24 hours of a donation, a Board Member calls the donor to simply say “Thank You!”

� Average of 45 seconds

� More than 80% of donors will give again

� 40% will give MORE

Penelope Burk, Donor-Centered Fundraising: How to Hold on to Your Donors and Raise Much More Money, 2003



BOARD THANK YOU CALLS – THE SCRIPT

� Hello! My name is _______ and I am on the Board of Directors for _________.

� Our Executive Director just shared with me that you just made a generous gift.

� I am just calling to say “Thank You!”

� We are thrilled to have you as a part of the ________ family.

� We couldn’t fulfill our mission without your support and we truly appreciate you.

PIECES OF THE STEWARDSHIP PUZZLE

Photo / Success Story

Facility Tour Ask Advice

VIP Friends

Briefings

RecognitionPersonal

Meeting/Call

Volunteer

“Mission”

Announcement

Articles



I CAN STEWARD

� Call a donor to thank them

� Write a personal thank you note (or email)

� Phone donors with important information about your org

� Thank, thank, thank…every time you see them

� Share how THEY are making a difference!

� What else?

WHAT’S NEXT?



BOARD TRAINING AND ACTION

� Share what you’ve learned here today

� Train them – series of board meetings or retreat

� Have each member….

� Identify & schedule one discovery visit

� Thank one recent or ongoing donor

� Success breeds confidence!

TEMPLATE

PROVIDED:

CustomizableHandout

1. Identify a sparkplug – empower them to lead

2. Create the expectation that everyone gives and

everyone fundraises… and follows-through

3. At each board meeting, everyone self-reports

“This is what I did since the last board meeting to

support fundraising”

4. Include line in budget for board fundraising

ENCOURAGING BOARD FOLLOW-THROUGH

Adapted from: “They Said They Would Raise Money… Now What?” Grassroots Fundraising Journal, July/August 2008.



5. Provide regular fundraising training for your board

6. Invite donors to talk about why they give

7. Challenge based on board behavior (# visits)

8. Make it competitive – individual or teams

9. Offer incentives – prizes or symbolic rewards

10. Bring in new blood

ENCOURAGING BOARD FOLLOW-THROUGH

Adapted from: “They Said They Would Raise Money… Now What?” Grassroots Fundraising Journal, July/August 2008.

“We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing.

Action always generates inspiration.

Inspiration seldom generates action.”

- Frank Tibolt



WHAT WILL YOU DO

IN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS?

TAKE-AWAYS?

QUESTIONS?



THANK YOU!

ANGELA BARRAZA, CFRE

BEYOND THE MISSIONCONSULTING

[email protected]

512-423-3923

engaging your boardfor fundraising … your board for fundraising success november 12, 2015 angela...

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