festival 2017 - john greenhoe
TRANSCRIPT
John Greenhoe, CFRE
Asking for Gifts
What’s The Big Deal?
• Asking Not Hardest Part of Fundraising
• Gets Better with Practice
• Just Do It!
Questions
• When Is the Right Time to Ask?
• Who Should Ask?
• How Much Should We Ask For?
When?
• Get Experience, “Feel” for Right Timing
• When in Doubt, Ask!!!!
• Ask for Permission
– If This is a Good Time
– If This is the Right Project
Who Asks?
• Board Member/Volunteer?
• Friend of Donor?
• CEO/Executive Director?
• Fundraiser/Development Officer?
Amount?
• Look at Donor’s Current Giving
– 10 to 20 x Annual Gift
• “Peer” Ask
– How Much is Friend/Volunteer Giving?
• Research
– Electronic Resources
– Volunteer Screening
When You Are Ready
• Pre-Solicitation
• ‘Would it be all right for me to bring you
a proposal?”
• Ask Without Asking
Anatomy of a Solicitation Call
1. Greeting/Small Talk
2. Present Case for Support
3. ASK
4. Field Questions/Objections, Follow Up
Greeting/Small Talk
• Build Comfort/Familiarity
• Touch on Family, Personal Interests
• Show You Know Them
• Hopefully, They Trust You
Case For Support
• Description of Program/Project
• What Problem(s) it Will Solve
– Ground Level and 30,000 Feet
• Why You are Qualified to Solve It
Case For Support
• What You Will Do
• Outcome/What Will Be Different
• Opportunities for Donor
Ask!
• Eye Contact
• Deliberate, Confident Delivery
“Would you consider…”
“Will you help us…”
Ask!
• SPECIFIC Amount
• SPECIFIC Purpose
• SILENCE
Ask!
• Listen for Questions/Concerns
• Address Directly or Promise to Get
Answer
• Determine Opportunity to Follow Up
Follow Up
• Leave Proposal with Donor or Promise
to Send Proposal
• Specific Follow Up – Not Vague
• “Could I Check In With You in a Week
to See if You Have Questions?”
What if They Say No?
• Might Only Mean “Not Now”
• Keep Conversation Going
• Break Down Ask
– Wrong Project?
– Wrong Amount?
– Wrong Timing?
What if They Say Yes!!?
• Thank Them!!
• Document Gift/Agreement
• Reiterate Purpose of Gift
• Arrange Personal Thanks (CEO, Bd Chair)
What if They Say Yes …
• …To A Much Lower Amount?
• THANK THEM! (Appreciate the Gift)
• Return Later for Additional Support?
A “Bad” Ask?
• No Such Thing
• What Did You Learn?
• What Will You Do Differently?
Nothing Ventured …
“Never let the fear of
striking out get in your way.”
-Babe Ruth
