How to Raise More Money from Your Annual Campaign:

Year One Results

November 16, 2017

The YMCA Pilot Project

Change in Average Gift – 2016 to 2017

Pilot Project vs All Supporters Giving

Across all six YMCAs, donors

solicited as part of the Pilot

Project increased their average

contribution by almost $125.00,

or 28.5% for contributors with a

history of giving to $2,500. A

similar move was also seen

among donors giving up to

$10,000.

There was no corresponding

increase in average contribution

for supporters in general

between the 2016 and 2017

campaigns.

$211.23 $212.46

$429.42

$551.68

$-

$250.00

$500.00

$750.00

$1,000.00

2016 2017

All Contributiors Pilot Project Supporters -- Max $2,500

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About the Survey

In 2015, Cygnus Applied Research completed a survey of YMCA members and supporters

from 19 different associations.

The survey looked at YMCA supporters’ responsiveness to the fundraising case, donor

communications, and their overall perception and attitude towards the Y.

➢8,674 YMCA donors and members participated in a survey, the overall participation rate was

6.3%.

➢The margin of error on the survey was +/- 1.1% 19 times out of 20

➢The results provided many valuable insights on their relationship with their YMCA and their

philanthropy.

Respondent Perception of the Y

Q7

5.6

6.1

6.1

6.2

6.4

6.4

6.4

1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

Important that local Y is part of national Y org.

Y supports 'at-risk' people

Y is a social & community service org.

Y programs fill a significant need

Y serves families

Y serves children & youth

Y is a healthy lifestyle org.

Respondents were asked for their agreement with a series of perceptual statements about the Y.

Strongly disagree Strongly agree

Survey Subdivisions – Affiliation to the Y

Three key affiliations:

➢ Internal Y Donors: Representing just under a third of respondents in the study, these supporters have a direct employee or

volunteer connection to their local YMCA. Roughly 58% are current staff or volunteers, while the remainder have been in

the last five years. Their close involvement with the Y has shaped their preferences and perceptions throughout the survey.

➢ External Y Donors: These are supporters with no employee or volunteer links within the last 5 years (and typically never).

They make up about 40% of all respondents and represent a ‘traditional’ prospect group for the Y. Their responses often

reflect a less intimate awareness of the Y and its operations, although over 75% of them are current or recent facility

members.

➢ Non Donors: Primarily comprised of current or recent facility members, these individuals indicated that they have never

made a contribution to the YMCA. They represent about a quarter of participants in the research. Approximately 4% are

currently on staff or volunteer for their local Y.

Awareness of the Y and its Mission – Affiliation

Respondents were asked how aware they were of different aspects of the Y’s mission and its work in these areas.

Q8

Not at all aware Very aware

4.0

4.4

4.3

5.6

5.8

5.9

4.6

5.0

4.9

1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

SocialResponsibility

Healthy Living

YouthDevelopment External Y Donor

Internal Y Donor

Non-Donor

Fundraising at the Y – All Respondents

Respondents were asked how strongly they agreed with a series of statements about YMCA fundraising.

Q9

4.4

4.6

5.3

5.6

5.7

1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

Y receives most of the money it needs from memberships andparticipant fees

It's clear how requested donations will be used

A portion of Y membership supports community programs

Y has a significant need for charitable donations

Y puts donations to good use

Strongly disagree Strongly agree

Key Survey Conclusions: Limits on Fundraising Success

1. YMCA SUPPORTERS DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE IMPACT AND

USE OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS.

2. YMCAs SHOULD BE ASKING THEIR DONORS FOR LARGER GIFTS.

How do we know YMCA donors have

more to give?

Expectations for Future Giving Levels

Donors intending to give again to the Y in the next 12 months were asked how the value of their next gift would compare with their most recent contribution if the YMCA did nothing differently.

Q69N =

14.9%

76.9%

4.8% 3.4%

11.9%

80.6%

2.3%5.2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Probably increase Stay the same Probably smaller Not sure

Internal Y Donor External Y Donor

Number of Not-for-Profits Supported Annually

The average number of organizations supported with a tax-receiptable donation, other than the Y, in the last 12 months.

Q75N =

6.25.7

3.9

4.8

6.26.6

7.4

3.1

4.3

5.4

7.3

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

External YDonor

Internal YDonor

Non-Donor Giving under£100

$100 - $250 $250 - $999 Giving $1000or more

Under 35years old

35 - 49 50 - 64 65 and over

All respondent average: 5.3

Prioritization of YMCA

Respondents actively supporting other not-for-profits in the last three years were asked how the value of those contributions ranked against their giving to the Y.

Q78

22.9%

38.1%

18.3% 18.0%

2.5%0.3%

6.5%

18.4%

29.8%

38.0%

5.4%2.0%

31.5%

41.9%

15.6%

9.3%

1.5% 0.4%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Y received mostgenerous support

Top third Middle third Bottom third Not sure Prefer not to answer

Internal Y Donor External Y Donor Current Volunteer

Securing Greater Support

Respondents ranking YMCAs in the middle or bottom third of their philanthropy were asked how the organization could secure larger contributions from them in future.

Q80N =

5.6%

7.9%

14.0%

15.8%

26.0%

32.3%

37.0%

39.8%

42.6%

44.0%

9.5%

10.8%

11.7%

17.6%

28.8%

34.2%

34.2%

34.7%

34.7%

39.6%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Greater recognition for donations

Fewer support requests

Personalized communications

More frequent Y news updates

Enhance programming & community impact

Improve member facilities

Giving to specific aspects of Y's work

Better case for support

Better info. on donation impact

Special cause/campaign

Internal Y Donor External Y Donor

$1,704.27

$930.83 $615.17

$135.12 $143.17

$2,012.90

$4,435.88

$3,402.34

$2,789.34

$1,962.50

$0

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

Most generous Top third Middle third Bottom third Not sure

Average maximum gift to YMCA Average maximum gift to any NFP

Giving Capacity of YMCA Supporters

N = Q77

Cygnus asked donors to rank their giving to the YMCA against the other organizations they support. We then compared the maximum YMCA gift to the highest of the other gifts for 1,170 supporters.

N.B. Respondents whose stated or database contributions exceeded $50,000 are excluded from this calculation as outliers.

So what should we do about it?

Introducing the YMCA Pilot Project

The Pilot Project

In Summer 2016, Cygnus staff began working closely with a select group of 10 local Ys to

enhance their existing communication, solicitation and stewardship strategies during their

2017-2019 annual campaigns.

The goal of the project is to apply donor-centered strategies consistent with the findings from the survey to

increase donor retention and raise more money from existing donors during the upcoming campaign.

The success of the project is being measured statistically through the database.

Performance results from Pilot YMCAs are being used to develop a series of best-practice strategic

recommendations for all YMCAs to increase their fundraising success.

The Pilot Project

The YMCAs in the Pilot Project agreed to follow the “Core Plan”

Although the specific tactics differ slightly at each YMCA, the key strategies for all groups include:

1. Select a specific case;

2. Identify a specific group of existing donors to be our prospects;

3. Prepare solicitors to ask for gifts double the size of their prospects’ last contribution;

4. Provide donors with gift-impact information directly related to their giving;

5. Record and track information about the prospects, solicitors, contributions and cases.

YMCA Pilot Project

Database Benchmarks

Average Gift and Retention

Annual Campaign

Average Value of Contributions Under $5,000

The average value of

contributions under

$5,000 has remained

essentially unchanged

over the last five years,

showing only the most

modest of increases

during that period.

$142.73 $145.75 $145.11 $150.62 $150.71

$-

$50.00

$100.00

$150.00

$200.00

$250.00

FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016

Pilot YMCA Group

Ave

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First-Year Donor Retention -- Annual Campaign

Internal and External Donors under $5,000

The percentage of External Donors

retained by Pilot YMCAs after their first

year of giving declines from over 30%

to just over 21%. Whereas, first-year

retention among Internal Donors was

significantly higher at between 55%

and 58%.

Declines are most pronounced in

FY2014 and FY2015, the years directly

after the most substantial increases in

overall supporter numbers. Drops in

donor retention rates the year after

donor numbers have grown are not

uncommon for most not-for-profits and

tend to reflect insufficient preparation

on donor retention or donor

stewardship.

30.4%

23.7%21.5% 21.2%

68.0%

57.4% 57.5%55.2%

0.0%

25.0%

50.0%

75.0%

FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016

External Pilot YMCA Group Internal Pilot YMCAs

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Projection of New Acquisition Supporters from a

Typical Annual Campaign Year

On average, roughly 2,500

External and 350 Internal Donors

are acquired annually in the Pilot

YMCA Group. Using the

retention statistics above, we can

estimate the number of donors

retained over time.

The average YMCA is estimated

to have lost 88% of their External

Donors, and more than 60% of

their Internal Donors over the

first three potential renewal

years.

2500

601

391300350

211 165 134

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Acquisition Renewal Year 1 Renewal Year 2 Renewal Year 3

External Pilot YMCA Group Internal Pilot YMCAs

Per

cen

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Ret

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Ret

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Project Results from Six Pilot YMCAs

YMCA Pilot Project

Year One Performance Analysis

Pilot Project – Year One Performance Analysis

YMCAs in the Analysis

This report looks at the fundraising performance of the first six Pilot Project Members for which data was available,

following the conclusion of their 2017 Annual Campaigns:

Collectively, these six YMCAs secured gifts from almost 40,000 individual contributors during their 2017 annual

campaigns, raising over $8.2 Million from supporters giving less than $10,000 annually.

The average contribution value of these donors was $601.97 in 2016. This is greater than the overall contribution average

of $211.23 in the 2016 campaign. The difference is the result of two factors:

1. There is a greater probability of securing a repeat donation from a supporter with an historically higher gift

average. This means gift averages of retained donors naturally increase over time (even if individual gifts remain

constant).

2. Some (not all) YMCAs did not randomly select prospects to be part of the Pilot Project, and created a bias towards

higher value contributors.

Change in Average Gift – 2016 to 2017

Pilot Project vs All Supporters Giving

Across all six YMCAs, donors

solicited as part of the Pilot

Project increased their average

contribution by almost $125.00,

or 28.5% for contributors with a

history of giving to $2,500. A

similar move was also seen

among donors giving up to

$10,000.

There was no corresponding

increase in average contribution

for supporters in general

between the 2016 and 2017

campaigns.

$211.23 $212.46

$429.42

$551.68 $601.97

$764.40

$-

$250.00

$500.00

$750.00

$1,000.00

2016 2017

All Contributiors Pilot Project Supporters -- Max $2,500 Pilot Project Supporters -- Max $10,000

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Average Contribution Value of Pilot Project Supporters in

2016 and 2017 Giving $2,500 or Less

Supporters who contributed to their

YMCA in 2016 and 2017, and who

were solicited as part of the Pilot

Project, increased their average

contribution in all six of our test sites.

The raw percentage varied from a

6% increase to over 80%.

These figures strongly suggest

that the Pilot Project had a

significant impact on revenue

generation and increases are

directly the result of this initiative.

$356

$216

$1,182

$406

$103

$1,213

$429

$642

$303

$1,305

$676

$193

$1,322

$552

$0 $250 $500 $750 $1,000 $1,250 $1,500

Y Zeta

Y Epsilon

Y Delta

Y Gamma

Y Beta

Y Alpha

All Pilot Groups

2017 Pilot Group Average Gift 2016 Pilot Group Average Gift

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Change in Average Gift --

2017 Pilot Project vs 2017 All Supporters (giving $2,500 or less)

Although some YMCAs

did see an improvement

in their overall average

contribution during the

2017 campaign, in every

case, that growth was

outpaced by contributors

who gave in response to a

Pilot Project solicitation.

14.8%

-5.6%

5.3%

-11.8%

-2.3%

-0.2%

-0.9%

80.1%

39.8%

10.5%

66.5%

87.1%

8.9%

28.5%

-25.0% 0.0% 25.0% 50.0% 75.0% 100.0%

Y Zeta

Y Epsilon

Y Delta

Y Gamma

Y Beta

Y Alpha

All Pilot Groups

Pilot GroupChange

AllSupportersChange

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Pilot Project -- Impact on Contribution Average

How the value of contributions changed among 2017 Pilot Project contributors when

compared with their 2016 gifts.

Not all supporters doubled

the value of their

contributions. In fact, 12%

actually downgraded the

value of their gifts from 2016.

Overall, almost half of

supporters solicited in the

Pilot Project increased the

value of their contributions.

14.8%

21.5%

9.4%3.7%

38.7%

11.8%Increase 100% or more

51% - 100% increase

26% - 50% increase

1% - 25% increase

No Change in value

Downgrade

The Importance of Asking for More –

Change in Average Gift at YMCA Delta (Giving to $10,000)

The average gift increase among the

YMCA Delta prospect group increased

by 10.5% -- almost double that of the

overall campaign. However, among

those Pilot Prospects who are known

to have been asked for a larger

contribution (irrespective the value of

their 2016 gift), there was a 17.4%

increase in overall revenue.

Two Pilot YMCAs tracked the amount requested by campaigners in their databases. As

YMCA Delta illustrates, when Pilot Project supporters were actually asked for a bigger gift,

the value of their 2017 donation increased by a greater amount.

5.3%

10.5%

17.4%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

Overall Annual Campaign All Pilot Prospects Pilot Prospects asked for More

Change in Average Contribution YMCA Delta 2016 - 2017

Pilot Project Donors

Upgrades & Downgrades in 2017 Campaign

There was considerable variation

site to site as to the percentage of

supporters who agreed to an

upgrade on their 2016 contribution.

Success in upgrades ranged from a

quarter to around two-thirds of

contributors.

YMCA Zeta had especially good

compliance with 93% of their

solicitors asking donors for larger

gifts, and 83% asking for

contributions at least double in

value. This is reflected in their

upgrade rates.

69.0%

43.0%

26.3%

42.9%

66.7%

38.2%

49.5%

24.1%

48.6%

73.7%

42.9%

18.2%

41.8%

38.7%

6.9%

8.4%

14.3%

15.2%

20.0%

11.8%

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

Y Zeta

Y Epsilon

Y Delta

Y Gamma

Y Beta

Y Alpha

All Pilot Groups

Pilot Project Upgrades No Change Pilot Project Downgrades

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Average Value of Pilot Project Upgrades in 2017

(under $10,000)

Focusing exclusively on Pilot donors who upgraded their contribution in 2017, this graph

shows the average dollar increase and the percentage increase from 2016 figures.

Those Pilot Project donors who

agreed to increase their

contributions in 2017 gave, on

average, $266.07 more than they had

in 2016. This is a 44% gain in

contribution value for supporters

who both renewed and upgraded

their donation.

*Note Y Gamma had an extraordinary increase

from one donor which has significantly increased

their gift average.

$266.07

$1,034.01

$142.91

$696.67

$580.00

$229.13

$664.00

44.2%

56.6%

138.5%

171.5%

49.1%

105.8%110.6%

-25.0%

25.0%

75.0%

125.0%

175.0%

$-

$250.00

$500.00

$750.00

$1,000.00

$1,250.00

All PilotGroups

Y Alpha Y Beta Y Gamma Y Delta Y Epsilon Y Zeta

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Pilot Project Revenue Projection

Benchmark for average growth in revenue of 21.4% based on current

performance statistics.

In real terms, the six YMCAs generated an additional $48,242 in fundraising revenue from supporters valued less than $10,000.

The 21.4% potential for revenue growth ($1.35 Million across the six pilot YMCAs) …

Assumes no improvement in the percentage of YMCA campaigners who actually ask for a gift that is larger or twice the value

of the most recent contribution. Greater compliance in this area would likely result in an even larger revenue increase;

Does not require the addition of any new contributors above current levels of donor acquisition;

Considers current long-term supporter retention rates;

Does not require any improvements in donor retention as a result of the project through the enhanced solicitation and

subsequent stewardship component;

Factors in any overall and general improvements to campaign fundraising made by some YMCAs in 2017.

Hypothetical Revenue Projection to All

2017 Supporters Giving $10,000 or Less

Ignoring any positive impact the Pilot Project had on donor renewal, we can project what the

impact of the Pilot Project would have been if deployed fully at each Pilot YMCA site.

$0.77

$1.47

$0.88 $0.94

$1.51

$0.71 $0.83

$2.48

$1.21

$0.98

$2.02

$1.02

7.7%

68.9%

36.4%

3.7%

33.4%

43.5%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

$-

$1.00

$2.00

$3.00

$4.00

Y Alpha Y Beta Y Gamma Y Delta Y Epsilon Y Zeta

Mill

ion

s

Actual 2017 Revenue Projected -- Expanded to All Prospects Projected Percentage Gain

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2017 Revenue Compared with Hypothetical Expansion of Pilot

Across YMCA Sites ($2,500 or less for combined Pilot group)

If the Pilot Project had been expanded

to all solicitors in 2017, so that all

prospects were asked for a larger

contribution using a specific case for

support, on average YMCAs would

have increased contributions by 21.4%

and raised an additional $1.35 Million

Please note that to make financial projections,

Cygnus has made a reasonable estimate for

long-term supporter retention based on

historical YMCA figures. We suspect that

contributors solicited as part of the Pilot will

likely be retained at a greater rate than usual

and, if so, this would increase total projected

revenue.

$0.8

$1.5

$0.9

$0.9

$1.5

$0.7

$6.3

$0.8

$2.5

$1.2

$1.0

$2.0

$1.0

$7.6

$0.0 $2.0 $4.0 $6.0 $8.0

Y Alpha

Y Beta

Y Gamma

Y Delta

Y Epsilon

Y Zeta

All Pilot Groups

MillionsProjected -- Expanded to All Prospects Actual 2017 Revenue

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Aggregate Survey Results from Seven Pilot YMCAs

YMCA Pilot Project

Solicitor Survey

Pilot Project Solicitor Survey

Participation Rates & Deployment Dates

From the seven YMCAs that participated fully in this year’s project, there were 197 known solicitors who were

targeted to receive special training and ask for contributions as part of the Pilot Project.

The survey of solicitors was administered at the conclusion of each YMCA’s respective campaign, with most

participants completing the questionnaire between July 15, 2017 and September 15, 2017.

A total of 72 solicitors completed the online survey for an overall response rate of 36.5%.

Campaigner / Solicitor Training

Campaigners in the Pilot Project were expected to attend a training event. We asked

respondents if they had, in fact, attended.

The vast majority of

respondents said that they

attended a Campaigner /

Solicitor Training Event as part of

the 2017 annual campaign.

92.9%

7.1%

Yes

No

Q3

Campaigner / Solicitor Training – Fundraising Case

An important part of the training was to be the use of specific cases for support when asking for gifts. We asked

how well campaigners felt they understood their case and what their YMCA would achieve with the funds.

84.6%

12.3%

3.1%Yes

No

Not Sure

Trained to use a Specific Case Understanding of Case and Use of Funds

Q4 & 5

26.6%

70.3%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

Strong understanding

Good understanding

Weak understanding

Moderateunderstanding

No understanding

Asking for More

We asked campaigners if they were instructed during their training to ask for a gift double

the size of a donor’s most recent contribution.

A key element of the

campaigner training was that

solicitors were expected to ask

for contributions double the

size of their prospect’s previous

gift. We are pleased to see that

almost 85% of campaigners

received this message.

Q6

84.4%

10.9%

4.7%

Yes

No

Not Sure

Asking for More Video

Cygnus prepared a special training video to help instruct campaigners on asking for

larger contributions. We asked respondents if they recalled watching that video.

Q7

18.8%

34.4%

9.4%

40.6%

Not Sure

No

On my own at another time

At the Campaigner / Solicitor Event

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%

Campaigner Training Activities

We asked solicitors if they had done any of the following as part of their campaign training:

Q8

4.7%

37.5%

37.5%

54.7%

57.8%

62.5%

62.5%

76.6%

None of the above

Role play asking for a gift

Practice using specific fundraising case(s)

Review or practice approaches in asking for larger gifts

How to provide Y with info about the outcome of solicitations

Discuss solicitation strategies for your donors/prospects

Review template scripts/lines for asking for a gift

Discuss your YMCA’s fundraising case(s)

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

Impact of Campaigner Training

Key Observations

➢ Although the review of case material and scripts was strong, the majority of campaigners did not practice or role-

play solicitations. That kind of preparation could significantly improve fundraising success and these activities

should be more prominent in future training activities.

➢ While almost 60% of campaigners were given guidance on reporting back to their Y about solicitations, the need

for accurate data collection in the Pilot Project is very high. The percentage of campaigners who clearly

understand their reporting requirements must be stronger in 2018.

➢ While the majority of campaigners agreed that all key areas of training were effective, there is likely merit in

reviewing or reinforcing training on two issues in particular: asking for bigger gifts and recording prospect

information.

Preparing to Solicit Prospects

We asked campaigners if, before they conducted their solicitations, they prepared

individualized prospect plans that included:

Q11

31.9%

30.4%

23.2%

31.9%

36.2%

20.3%

27.5%

17.4%

30.4%

5.8%

8.7%

17.4%

2.9%

7.2%

8.7%

A specific case for support for each particulardonor

A specific gift request amount for eachparticular donor

A gift request amount that was double (or significantly larger than) each donor’s previous

gift

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

Always Most of the time Occasionally Rarely Never

Solicitation Preparation

Despite training and sufficient background information, campaigners do

not always prepare a plan to ask for larger contributions.

➢ Generally, most campaigners felt well-prepared with background information before they began their

solicitations. Half said they always received sufficient background information from their YMCA. A further third

felt they got this information most of the time.

➢ While 85% of solicitors knew there was an expectation to ask for contributions double the value of the most

recent gift, only 44% “always” or “most of the time” prepared that plan beforehand. Likewise, it is a reasonable

estimate from survey responses that 40-50% of appeals were not prepared in advance to include a particular

case or targeted gift amount.

Pulling the Trigger – Asking for Larger Gifts

Campaigners who knew the value of their prospects’ most recent contribution were asked

if they requested a larger contribution from their prospects

Despite the training and emphasis on

asking for larger gifts, only 38% of solicitors

actually consistently asked for a gift double

the size of the last contribution. A further

13% attempted a moderate increase.

This means that, on average,

approximately half of the solicitations

involved no significant increase in the

requested gift amount.

Q6

37.8%

12.9%18.1%

16.6%

14.5%

Ask for Double

Ask for 25-99% more

Ask for 1-24% more

Ask for the same amount

Did not specify an amount

Solicitors Survey – Overall Observations

Good overall success in implementation but challenges remain in turning

theory into practice.

➢ The majority of key messages that we wanted campaigners to hear before they started fundraising were

received. Most knew there was an expectation to ask for larger gifts and to use a specific fundraising case. The

breakdown in the execution of the plan tends to occur “on the ground”. Not all solicitors are fully preparing plans

for when they speak with a prospect, and when faced with the (admittedly daunting) task of actually asking for a

larger contribution, solicitors often lose their nerve or simply neglect to make the bigger appeal.

➢ Cygnus would advise more direct role-playing and practice during the solicitor training. It is the best way to

overcome any hesitancy around asking for more. Likewise, not all solicitors were exposed to the training video

and we can see that those who watched the video were more likely to follow through completely on the project

parameters.

Pilot Project Impact

Finally, we asked Pilot Project campaigners about the impact that being part of the Pilot

Project had on their overall satisfaction as a YMCA fundraiser.

Although a small number of respondents

disliked the enhanced training experience and

higher expectations that were part of the Pilot

Project, a quarter of campaigners were much

more satisfied with their experience as a

YMCA fundraiser and a third were slightly

more satisfied.

These are significant responses and we hope

that the project continues to have a beneficial

impact on campaigner satisfaction in the years

to come. Q16

23.9%

32.8%31.3%

3.0%1.5%

7.5%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

M U C H M O R E S A T I S F I E D

S L I GH TL Y M O R E

S A T I S F I E D

N O I M P A C T S L I GH TL Y L E S S S A T I S F I E D

M U C H L E S S S A T I S F I E D

N O T S U R E

Year One Summary – What Did We Learn?

The basic strategies seem to work

➢ Soliciting for a specific case for support

➢ Training the volunteers to ask for more

➢ Asking for more

Place a big emphasis on record keeping and compliance

➢ We can expect about 50% compliance, but we can strive for more

➢ More solicitors, more donors and greater follow through will translate into more money for the YMCA

The involvement of YMCA leadership has a big impact on success

Implementing at your YMCA:

What needs to happen to make the project a success

Build enthusiasm for the Pilot Project among your staff and volunteers

➢ Ensure that leadership and branch executives are fully invested and involved in the project. Everything is much

harder without their support.

Ensure that your team is executing the plan as well as they can

➢ Enhance solicitor training, specifically with technique practice and role-play exercises

➢ Solicit for a specific case for support

➢ Commit to stewarding Pilot Project donors based on the specific case they supported

➢ Emphasize with data management staff and with solicitors the importance of tracking everything that happens

and getting it into the donor database

Implementing at Your YMCA -- Pilot Project Resources

Cygnus developed a number of resources for the Pilot Project sites that

will be made more widely available through NAYDO & Y-USA

1. Annual Campaign Recommendations Report

30-page comprehensive overview providing guidance on getting ready to implement, the eight

key elements of the “Core Plan” and 17 pages of optional “supporting recommendations” that

address database/technology, the case for support, gift acknowledgement and thank-you

communication, first-time and second-time donor renewals, increasing gift value, reporting and

demonstrating gift impact, volunteers/volunteer training, online giving, communications and staff

as fundraisers

Pilot Project – Audio Visual Resources

2. Solicitor Training Video: How to Ask for More

• PowerPoint slide deck

• 20-minute video

3. Leadership Video: How to Support the Project and Raise More in your Annual Camapign

20 minutes

Overview of Pilot Project

Statistical overview of impact of Pilot Project Year One

Lessons learned

What YMCA leadership can do to help ensure success of Pilot Project recommendations

Pilot Project – Additional Resources

4. Sample Solicitation Data Tracking Grid/Form

5. Sample Volunteer Training Agenda

6. Volunteer Training Case Studies

7. Gift Acknowledgement Guide and Letter Templates

7. Guide to Making Donor Impact Videos

8. Sample Thank-You Call Scripts

9. Sample Thank-You Letters

10. Sample and Guide to Developing Donor Impact Reports

How to Raise More Money from Your Annual Campaign:

Year One Results

November 16, 2017

The YMCA Pilot Project