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The Backburner List: A Major Gift Fundraiser’s Top Secret Strategy

One of the biggest challenges for major gift fundraisers is in the area of prospect management. When you have a whole list of projects in your portfolio, how do you prioritize your assigned prospects? That’s where the concept of a Backburner List comes in handy.

It’s a matter of organizing your portfolio.

How do you sift through many names to find the right people who want to get more involved?

With over 100-150 donors to manage, how can you organize yourself so that you are focusing on the right prospects at the right time?

How can you make sure you are spending your time at its highest and best use?

Each day, major gift fundraisers are forced to make choices. Which donors will you choose to spend time with and which donors can you safely ignore? You only have so much time to go around, and you have too many donors for the amount of time available. 

 The trick is to ensure you spend your time with the right people. Your time is just about the only thing you can control (you certainly can’t control donors!), so you want to be super smart about your own time management.
And yet, you don’t want to overlook a prospect simply due to lack of time and/or the prospect isn’t responding or available.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of only seeing your “favorite” people – the easy prospects who are always game for a call or visit. But this may not be the best strategy.

What Can Go Wrong?

A lot. While you are chatting up your most available prospects, you might overlook that more elusive donor. You know them – the ones who are hard to get a meeting with, the ones who take weeks to call you back, the ones with whom no one at your organization has a relationship.

But that prospect may just be worth your time. They have the capacity and a solid giving history to your organization. They do have potential, and you don’t want to forget about them. What is a major gift fundraiser to do?

Your Top Secret Strategy.

Every day, you must evaluate your list of prospects and decide who you will focus on. Which donors need to be priorities, and which ones can simmer in the background?

Then you need an organizing scheme that allows you to segment your portfolio. Create your top ten and then your next group, etc.

What Should You Do with Elusive Prospects?  Create a Backburner List.

Your Backburner List includes prospects who are not a priority right now. For example, they may not be ready to discuss a gift – yet. These donors are simply “simmering” on the back burner while you focus on the prospects who are warm or hot.

Who Goes on the Backburner List?

  • People you don’t want to forget about – they are promising, but their timing is off. They’ll need attention later, but not now.
  • People who may merit a closer look. One day you will be able to have more discovery conversations with them, so you can find out how interested they really are.
  • People who may have given recently and who (of course) need continued touches and attention.

Why Have a Backburner List:

1. Lowers Stress.

Trying to pay concentrated attention to a large number of donors is simply impossible. You are spread too thin. You will end up feeling stressed because you’re not “covering” your portfolio of donors well enough.

2. Organizes Your Prospects.

The Backburner List allows you to organize your prospects. Everyone needs a workable prospect management system that guides you to set your priorities.

3. Bless and Release.

How wonderful! You can even bless and release prospects who are not responsive, who are rude or unpleasant, or are simply not interested in a closer relationship. You can put some of them on the Backburner so you don’t forget them later.

4. Makes You More Productive.

Yes! Let’s make everyone on the team more productive. You have a system that helps you focus on the right prospects. You’re not spreading yourself too thin. Instead, you’re concentrating on where you see the highest gift potential for right now.

Remember, it’s all a judgment game. We are not saying, “ignore half of your portfolio.” Instead, we recommend a system that lets you sift through everyone on your list so you can set priorities efficiently.

Bottom Line: Create a Backburner List and you’ll save time by focusing on the right donors. And, you’ll raise more money.

Even more, you’ll also lower your stress level, and sleep better at night!

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly news and insights with you. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or launching a major gifts program – we can help. We’re with our clients every step of the way, inspiring their teams and board, building confidence, driving action and measuring success. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a strategy or consulting call with us.

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Even More Major Gifts Fundraising Mistakes!

Yes, there are many more major gifts fundraising mistakes to discuss! The activity of engaging with a potential donor, face to face, or person to person, can create fear and anxiety in many people. At best, it can feel terribly awkward. On the other hand, if you are really interested in the donor as a person and want to know more about them, the encounter can be enjoyable and highly productive. We shared four top fundraising mistakes last week here, and this post shares three more common blunders we see every day.

Major Gift Fundraising Mistake #5: Talking Too Much!

Too many nonprofit leaders blather away at their donors, thinking they need to “sell” the donor on a big idea or opportunity. Yes, you do want to share your ideas, but don’t forget that your donor has a lot to say too, and also wants to share THEIR ideas with you. They don’t want to be talked “at.” Instead, your donor wants to be heard. Imagine that! And it’s your responsibility in a donor visit, to hold the space, so to speak, for the donor to share that’s in their head and in their heart. If you do all the talking in a donor visit, you accomplish nothing.  In fact, if you are talking more than 50% of the time, you are shooting yourself in the foot! My motto has always been: “When in doubt, shut up.” If you are not sure what to say, I can promise you that your donor will fill the silence and say something. And you really want to know what is on your donor’s mind!

Mistake #6: Not Upgrading Donors

How do you upgrade a donor to give at a higher level? So many fundraisers are stuck and don’t know how to bring this up without feeling awkward or pushy. In fact, fundraisers are often so nervous about asking for a higher gift amount, that they often leave money on the table. But the reality is that your donor may be absolutely willing to give more – but you don’t know how to bring it up! It’s easy. First, be sure to ask for permission to bring up the topic of a gift. All you have to do is ask your donor if they’d like to do more. Or if they’ve ever considered doing something more. Your donor will surprise you! You can say, “If I may, can I ask you if you ever thought about doing something more?” You just may be surprised! 

Mistake #7: Missing the most important prospects. 

Fundraising leaders tell us that their teams are often confused and lack focus. MGO’s don’t understand how to find the right donors. They fritter away their time on the wrong people. When that happens, no one raises money!  Many MGO’s have up to 150 prospects in their portfolio.  How do you manage all these people? How do you set priorities? It can be a confusing morass.  We believe in the Top 10, Next 20, Next 30 approach. You can be successful if you organize and prioritize your donors in this simple format. Your Top 10 donors get the most attention. Your Next 20 donors are in line next. And, your Next 30 donors can fill in when you can’t see the other top ones.    This structure has worked for many of our clients and we strongly recommend it to you.

Bottom Line: Avoid These Major Gifts Fundraising Mistakes!

Don’t feel alone! We’ve made these blunders before ourselves. Let these videos guide you and your team to major gifts fundraising success!

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Top Major Gifts Fundraising Mistakes and Bloopers

Major gifts fundraising mistakes are everywhere! Dealing with major donors can be so challenging – and the entire effort is subtle, full of nuance. You’re trying to make friends with someone who expresses interest in your cause, but what to do? How to do it? What to say, and when? What not to say? And then, how do you coach C-suite executives on appropriate behavior with donors? They are the ones who tend to “talk at” the donor rather than allow the donor to do the talking. Each of these videos outlines a key mistake that happens all too often.

So today, we’re laughing at some frequent major gifts fundraising mistakes that we often make.

Don’t forget – in our Major Gifts Intensive coaching and training program, we are teaching everyone the correct way to work with major donors. Your visits will have clear objectives and you end up with a happy donor making a huge investment. And you won’t waste time in endless cultivation. This year’s Major Gifts Intensive registration closes out next week on Feb 15th, so if you are interested, let us know asap!

Major Gift Fundraising Mistake #1: Rushing the Ask  

Asking before a donor is ready to be asked is rushing the ask. Remember that major gifts fundraising is not transactional! It’s all about how the donor “feels” about your work – are they committed, are they enthusiastic? When you make it all about a quick, ask when the donor is unprepared, you will put off your donor and you’ll get a NO!

Mistake #2: Making it All About Money  

Remember that your donor supports your cause because they’re passionate about your mission, and dedicated to making the world a better place. When you talk only about money and not about the donor’s commitment, you’ll leave your donor cold. You might get a gift but it’s only a token. Not what the donor could really do. 

Mistake #3: Confusing Suspects and Prospects  

If you’re going to be successful you have to sort your portfolio into suspects and prospects. Suspects are people who are not yet qualified – which means you don’t know if they have the passion and the capacity to make a major gift. Prospects are those lovely people who are qualified. To be successful, spend your time with well-qualified prospects.

Mistake #4: Messing up the Discovery Process  

Discovery is your friend. The Discovery Process happens when you ask your prospective donor questions to find out if they are really interested, have wealth capacity, and are available to be cultivated. You ask questions like, “Would you like to know more? Or, would you like to get more involved? The donor will tell you whether they are interested – or not.  And you’ll “discover” whether the person is really a prospect or not.

Bottom Line: Avoid These Major Gifts Fundraising Mistakes!

Don’t feel alone! I’ve certainly made plenty of bloopers. And, I just wish I knew way back when I was a front-line fundraiser, all the things I know now. We’ve all bungled important meetings with key donors. We’ve all missed cues or rushed the Ask or talked too much. It happens every day with key donors all over the world, unfortunately. You can find three more of our top fundraising blunders here. Let these videos guide you and your team to major gifts fundraising success!

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How to Reconnect Major Donors Who Have Drifted Away

Have you ever tried to reconnect with major donors who have lost touch with your organization and your team? Here’s a quick video we posted to Linkedin yesterday, where we discussed success stories from the Major Gifts Intensive. Our guests where sharing stories of how they put their new skills from the Intensive to use. And one of Alexandra Lippert’s colleagues was able to reconnect with a major donor who had drifted away. Now, this particular donor is so engaged that they are actually discussing a million-dollar gift!  Can you imagine, bringing a former major donor back to the fold – and then having them ready to discuss a seven-figure gift? This is a success in my book!

Linked In Live Image

I want to personally thank these wonderful fundraising pros who joined me Wednesday on Linkedin: Craig Nason, Development and Communications Director of the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, and Alexandra Lippert, Director of Development for Major Gifts at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Hope you enjoy watching our conversation! The story of Alex’s colleague who was able to bring a donor back to the fold is at the end of this 12 minute video. To share a sneak peak about the video, here are some of the overall skills, key takeaways and successes they achieved in last year’s Major Gift Intensive:

  • Permission-based fundraising to open the door to key donor conversations.
  • Rigorous prospect management – to determine your top 10 and next 20 prospects, and focus your time and energy at the top.
  • Talking less and listening more to your donors, to delve into your donor’s true interests.
  • Building a true major gift plan – step by step to build a program with focus and strategy unique to each organization.
  • The art of growing a relationship with a donor.

Reconnect Major Donors Who Have Drifted Away

Many organizations have major donors who once were enthusiastic and on board – yet now have disengaged and are not involved at all. We see this happening all the time. For example, you may have five, six, and even seven figure major donors who once were enthusiastic supporters – but they’ve disappeared. Here’s another example: what happened with your former capital campaign donors – particularly the ones who funded your last building campaign? Are you still in touch with them? Where did they go?  What about those former loyal board members who gave so much to support your work? It may have been years ago that you connected with them, but their emotional ties may still be strong. 

Trying to Reconnect Major Donors 

Just about every organization has supporters who were once quite passionate but now have lost touch. In the success story above, our client at Waterloo University had lost contact with a certain former major donor.   

Here’s the Process We Recommend to Reconnect Major Donors Who Have Drifted Away

Step One: Try a “Get in touch” phone or zoom call.

If you have a donor who has not been engaged for a while, consider a “get in touch again” approach.  Just think, your donor might actually welcome your phone call or email. Especially if they’ve been involved in past years, they might really like to know the latest news. They might like to meet any new leaders who may have joined the team. Or, they might welcome a personal update about an area they used to fund.

Step Two: Try a “Thank You” phone or zoom call.

Many former donors appreciate a “thank you for all you have done for our organization” phone or zoom call. In fact, if you think about it, they probably deserve a thank you call, however, belated. It’s the least you and your team could do – to reach out to people who’ve been so very supportive in the past and acknowledge everything they’ve done. Thank you’s are always in good taste and appropriate. It’s a feel-good moment for both you and your long-lost donor when you reach out (even if it’s been years) to say thank you again.

Step Three: Ask them why they supported your organization – what was it about your work that appealed to them the most?

This is the question that starts to reengage them. Asking them for their Donor Story can be like opening a treasure box. Your long-lost donor probably has deep feelings about your organization’s work. Likewise, they have a strong personal connection to your mission. This is heart-centered work – when you ask the donor to share how they feel about the mission. Ask them what resonated with them about your organization’s impact. Remember, when a donor’s deeply held personal values are really tied in with your organization’s work in the world, they will talk and talk about it. We advise our clients to simply let them talk! You open up a whole new world when your donor shares their personal thoughts and feelings. Here’s when they often start saying, “How can I help?”

Step Four: Ask them if they’d like the next step – a personal update on what’s happening now.

  • Would they like to get involved again?
  • Would they like to meet the new leadership?
  • See the new initiatives or programs that are being launched?
  • Would they like a personal tour?

This is when they become re-engaged. Remember, you are using permission – you are asking them if they’d like this or that. Using permission allows the donor to feel like they are in charge – they never feel pushed or like they are getting a pitch.

Step Five: Invite them to get involved. But use permission.

Consider using these questions: “Have you ever thought about getting more involved?” “Would you like to know how you can help?” “Would you like to know more about your favorite program and its current challenges?” When your formerly disconnected donor says “YES!” then you can literally move to a Gift Conversation.

Bottom Line: Reconnect Major Donors Who’ve Drifted Away

This approach may sound simple. But it’s deliberate, strategic, and utterly donor-centered. You focus on the donor, showing appreciation, listening, and sharing impact. This is how you rekindle a fire in your donor’s heart – and then the magic door to a wonderful gift opens. You end up with new resources to fund your mission, a happy donor, and a renewed relationship with a passionate supporter. 

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(Major Gifts #8)The Three Success Principles for a Profitable Major Gifts Program

The Three Success Principles for a Profitable Major Gifts Program

Are you and your team ready for a prosperous and productive year? And, most importantly, are you all planning for wonderfully generous major gifts to flow into your organization? 

We think this year will be an interesting year for major gifts fundraising. With the uncertain economy, we’ve even heard that some fundraising pros are not sure about meeting their fundraising goals this year. 

That means you need to organize and focus carefully to be successful. You need to be systematic to make the most of your valuable time and energy – while raising the money your institution needs. 

There may be roadblocks keeping you and your team from reaching your true major gift potential. These success principles will guide you through any economy, to profitable success – for you, your organization, and your mission. 

Here are the top three major gifts it \\success principles that we teach. You need these elements working together in order to be successful in raising major gifts in good times and also in volatile times: 

There’s no way around it. There are specific steps you can take to move quickly, find the right high-net-worth donors who really care, have direct conversations with them, and then close gifts. 

1. Closing major gifts takes know-how and training.

It can be done, and it’s done every day. 

However, many fundraisers tell us that they are unsure exactly how to approach donors. Even more, they feel awkward having conversations with prospects. Many say they feel lost when they try to identify the right prospects to focus on. Worst of all, they feel alone and overwhelmed. 

Your team can learn all the analytical and soft skills they need to be successful major gift fundraisers. They don’t have to guess their way along. 

We can teach them advanced conversation and discovery skills to help them feel comfortable with donors. Every fundraising professional needs to learn how to hold a conversation that lights the fire in a donor prospect and moves them to a gift. 

Your team can learn how to listen for a donor’s personal values, passions and interests. And how to take the next steps to move a donor closer to a gift. And we gently push them out the door to go visit their prospects. :) 

Your team also needs to understand data analysis. How do you keep up with and sort through all the information they learn about their donors? Most of all, they need to know how to put it to use to predict major gift outcomes. 

We believe strongly that working smarter, not harder, helps busy fundraisers raise more money. Knowing how to put your data to work for your leads to success. 

2. Successful major gift fundraising takes a team. 

The smartest professionals don’t try to go it alone. Silos in major gifts fundraising never work well. It’s essential to have other people involved in helping in the major gift effort. 

The team members don’t need to be out there soliciting, but they DO have to help identify prospects and help think through strategies to reach and nurture donor relationships. We find that you can be much more creative in coming up with ideas to cultivate donors when you are brainstorming with a team. 

In smaller organizations with limited development resources, the ED or CEO often steps in to help lead the fundraising effort, often aided by a staff member and/or a board volunteer. 

You would not believe the successes we have seen with this type of smaller team. Two of our million-dollar gifts came in in the Major Gifts Intensive when the ED called on one of their top donors. The Executive Director knew the questions to ask – and, because of our coaching, they knew how to create the setting for the donor to offer a 7-figure gift. No kidding. 

If you are in a small organization, know that you will never be super successful in major gifts fundraising with only one dedicated person. You should never be alone in this effort. 

In the Major Gifts Intensive, we ask for a full team of at least four people to register together. It’s best when a group of people from one organization takes the program together. That way, everyone learns the same systems, skills, vocabulary, and approaches – and can reinforce each other. 

3. Successful major gift fundraising takes a solid system.

Raising money from major donors is not rocket science, but it takes a very carefully organized structure. As we’ve said many times, you will never be successful without a structure – you’ll be just shooting from the hip. 

Systems are everything when it comes to identifying and managing prospects. You need a great rating system to measure your prospects’ potential. In addition, you can use Wealth Screening or even AI to determine who your most likely prospects are. 

We’ve written about prospect management systems that are the basis for managing your pipeline, workflow, priorities, and who you plan to see when. 

And remember, it’s your prospect management system that lets you and your team know what the potential cash flow looks like – and everyone is interested in that! 

The Major Gifts Intensive will help you implement all these success principles.

We can help you with skills training, help you set up the systems that will work for you and your organization, and introduce major gifts success principles to your entire board and management team. 

Our goal is to help you lay down the infrastructure, systems, and thinking inside your organization that will take hold permanently. We want your organization to enjoy major gift success not just this year but for many years to come. 

Every organization can raise much more IF you seriously tackle major gift fundraising. We are here to help and support you. Check out the Major Gifts Intensive here, and send us a Letter of Interest if you’d like. 

Registration closes on Feb.15th. Make sure you register soon, as space is limited and we are filling up fast.

We’ll hop on the phone with you and decide if this program is right for you and your team. It may not be for you. But then, it may be just the thing that will help you and your team catapult your organization to financial security! 

Let’s make the upcoming year awesome and close many major gifts for you and your cause! 

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Nonprofit Fundraising Trends for 2023

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Nonprofit Fundraising Trends for 2023

As fundraising consultants, we’re always keeping an eye on the latest nonprofit fundraising trends and developments. As we move into 2023, there are several key trends that can help your organization ride the waves of success and fundraising growth in the coming year. 

First of all, let’s celebrate that 2022 was a strong year for charitable giving. We were successful, even with the instability caused by changing world events, pandemics, inflation, elections, financial markets, and unrest. 

When we step back and take stock, it’s extremely heartening to see the generosity and commitment to a better world that we see among our donors. 

And many things keep changing. These nonprofit fundraising trends include our top predictions for the year ahead and tips to help your team rise to the occasion.

Internal Culture at Nonprofit Organizations

1. Nonprofit working conditions are improving.

Organizations are slowly realizing that the old-fashioned nonprofit culture of low pay and long hours is driving employee burnout and turnover. Low morale = low productivity. 

 Tip: Realize that your team’s work environment can either help – or hurt – fundraising productivity. To keep employee morale high, follow the recommendations in “The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit” by Beth Kanter and Aliza Sherman.   

2. The Great Resignation happened.

Unreasonable workloads, unrealistic performance expectations, and lack of respect drove many fundraisers to resign and seek new job situations. The resulting short-staffed offices put even more pressure on the remaining staffers. 

Tip: To prevent turnover, you’ll need to pay staffers what they are worth, and create a positive environment where they feel appreciated and valued. 

3. Many organizations are struggling with diversity and inclusion issues.

As nonprofits look within. they are uncovering gender, race and class issues among their donors, their boards, staff, and internal culture. Many are working towards solutions. However, some of this may be just window-dressing and all talk. The effective models go deeper into people’s behaviors and attitudes.

Tip: Set your organization on a path that recognizes the transformative potential of diversity at all levels. Recognize that there are no simple solutions. 

4. Fundraising is gaining respect as a profession.

Fundraising seems to be more and more recognized as a true profession, with its own well-documented knowledge base, credentials, and standards.

 Tip: Organizations that acknowledge and respect their fundraising team’s skills, expertise, and authority, will raise far more money. Give your professionals the room to create and execute strategy – and your revenue will increase. 

Major Gifts Fundraising Trends 

5. Major gifts fundraising is gaining more emphasis.

More and more nonprofit leaders are recognizing that focusing on major gifts is the quickest and most expeditious way to meet revenue targets. There is strong demand for skills-based training and coaching in major gifts fundraising.

Tip: Investing in major gifts fundraising for your organization will pay off quickly, and will allow you to expand your work to make the world a better place. 

6. Capital campaigns are everywhere.

Nonprofits of all sizes are showing that they have the confidence and skills to tackle big goals and make them happen. 

Tip: If you are not in a capital campaign or planning one, then you probably want to move forward now and take advantage of the current environment.  

7. Virtual donor visits.

Fortunately or unfortunately, virtual Zoom visits with donors are here to stay. Many older donors prefer to engage with their favorite causes from the comfort of their own homes. 

Tip: Use Zoom as a tool to help donors feel connected, in touch, and close. You can still build a warm personal relationship over the phone or zoom.

Broadbased donations of smaller amounts. 

8. Smaller donors just might be returning.

After years of declining numbers of smaller donors, we may be starting to see a change. One example: Giving Tuesday’s returns set new records for the number of donors participating, and in the number of overall donations. 

Tip: Nurturing generous donors who give at smaller levels will help fuel broad-based community support for your cause. 

9. New digital tools for donor engagement.

Digital fundraising will continue to increase as we see more sophisticated, multi-channel, and omnichannel approaches that can engage large bases of support. 

Tip: If your team deploys digital tools creatively, you can drive increased donor participation and also the acquisition of new donors. Be creative!

10. Many COVID donors are drifting away, unfortunately.

Based on what we see with our clients and in overall donor retention numbers, many pandemic-era donors are not renewing their gifts. Many organizations that saw dramatic increases in contributions during the past two years missed the opportunity to 

Tip: Create a deliberate initiative to engage with your newer donors, This can turn them from one-time donors to consistent, committed recurring donors. (This tip is from Executive Consultant Dr. Kathryn Gamble.)

11. Stronger connections with smaller donors.

Many wonderful new ways of engaging smaller donors are emerging – using technology, events, and even peer-to-peer approaches. 

Tip: Engaging your donors – regardless of their gift amounts, is and always will be the key to a solid base of financial support. 

12. Shifting orientation of high net worth philanthropists.

Many are pausing to reevaluate their old paradigms of giving to find charities with less “brand name” and more “high impact.”

Tip: Emphasizing your organization’s impact is and always will be a solid path. It appeals to donors of all types. (this tip is from Beth Ann Locke, the Director of our GPG Academy)

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or expanding your major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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The Donor Teared Up. Then He Offered a Campaign Gift, Unasked.

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Here’s a wonderful Major Gifts Intensive success story from one of our smart participants.

Chris Cook, Executive Director of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, said he really enjoyed practicing his new advanced 21st-century fundraising skills.  He learned how to create magical conversations with his donors because he achieved some stellar results.  

Here’s a situation – from an amazing donor conversation – when the donor simply offered a capital campaign gift – without even being asked.  Here’s what Chris shared (with our commentary):  “I started the conversation by asking how our organization pulls on his heart.”

(Our note: You should always start every donor conversation with a question about why they give to your organization.)

“First, he told me he was very grateful that I asked.”

(Our note: Many donors are often dying to share their “donor story.” This is an easy, seamless, and polite way to establish a deeper connection with your donor.)

“Second, he revealed to me that he had never been asked this question before by anyone and that he deeply appreciated it.”

(Our note: Your donors have deep feelings in their hearts for your organization’s work. But people don’t ever ask them. It will open the floodgates and you’ll be surprised.)

“As my donor explained this, his eyes started to get teary.” 

“I could see that he was immediately thinking back about his history with the organization, and how it has impacted him, his kids’ lives, and his grandkids’ lives.”

“This is because of art he now has, in two different homes. And how that art inspires conversation and education and connection.”

“Then he immediately jumped in and started explaining his big picture for philanthropy.”

“He surprised me when he shared that he has three key areas of giving that are important to him. And that our organization is one of his three priorities!”

“It was huge news to me!”

“This was not, by any stretch, a challenging conversation to have. My donor opened up in new ways that I had not seen before.”

“And then – you won’t believe this, but he made a pledge for the capital campaign that we plan in the future.”

Bottom Line from this Major Gifts Intensive Success Story

Ask your donor why they care, or why your cause resonates with them, and then watch out. Your donor will take you places you never knew, and just may offer a gift right then and there.

The annual Major Gifts Intensive opens for registration in November each year. Let us know if you’d like to be added to the waiting list!

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or expanding your major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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Capital Campaign Pre-Planning: What to do Before Hiring a Consultant

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Capital Campaign Pre-Planning: What to do Before Hiring a Consultant

How important is capital campaign pre-planning?

We see many organizations that want to move forward quickly to launch a capital campaign. They are excited about their vision and are ready to dive straight away into a feasibility study.

It’s great to be excited and enthusiastic because those qualities can generate momentum.

But you’ll also want to get as organized as you can, prior to your study. You can lay the groundwork for a successful study even before you start the search for a reputable campaign consulting firm.

Today, we’ll share a step-by-step readiness plan to help you get prepared for a successful feasibility study. This plan will help you get the most out of your study.

1.     Capital campaign pre-planning: Clarify your projects and what you want to raise money for.

This sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But it’s not.

Donors will have many questions about your proposed projects. They will ask detailed questions about the need for a new building, an expansion, or an endowment – whatever you are hoping to fund in the capital campaign.

You’ll need to think through all possible aspects of your project so you and your consulting team can answer these questions. It’s important to outline all possible costs – and implications – of a potential capital project.

For a new building: Donors will ask about operating and maintenance costs of new building. Donors will ask where the building will go, how large it will be, parking, costs of construction and land, and costs of upfitting the new facility. They will ask to see visuals of the proposed building.

Above all, they will want to know WHY the building is needed. Not only do you need to explain the project in detail, but you also need to lay out a clear justification for this investment.

For major programmatic expansions that you want to fund in the campaign, the most important question your donors will ask is WHY do you need it, including:

  • How will it expand your work?
  • What costs will be incurred?
  • Who will be served and why is your organization the one to do the work?
  • Why not some other organization?  Donors will ask about competition and other agencies that do similar work. They will ask about possible collaborations with similar organizations.

2.     Get a rough idea of your campaign dollar goal.

Once you have firmed up the projects to be funded in the capital campaign, then it’s time to cost everything out.

Each funding objective needs a cost number, or at least a financial range.

When your consulting team presents this information to your donors in the Feasibility Study, you’ll want to demonstrate that you’ve researched each aspect of your plan.

Thinking things through now will help you and your team show up as business-like, thoughtful and deliberate. And of course, these qualities will help to build donors’ trust in your potential campaign – and generate their investment.

Then it’s time to estimate a capital campaign goal. The simple approach is to put numbers next to each funding objective and add it all up.

We recommend that you and your team start with a tentative “working goal” for the campaign that you use as a preliminary figure. The working goal can go up or down, depending on the results of the feasibility study,

3.    Campaign pre-planning: Get your board on board.

Before you start interviewing potential consultants for a feasibility study, make sure your board is well-informed about the prospects and potential for your campaign.

That means that you will have to work with board members both independently and together during your planning process.

It’s important to get some opinion leaders behind your proposed projects and the potential campaign early in the game because they can be an indispensable asset.

We want to see the full board in agreement about what’s before them. Ideally, your board members will be:

  • Enthusiastic and optimistic about the potential for your campaign.
  • 100% behind the expansion or capital investment plan.
  • Educated about how capital campaigns work – the strategy and process that creates successful campaigns.
  • Educated about how much campaigns cost, because the money is not going to just walk in the door without a significant investment of time, energy, and resources.
  • Understanding what their role will be during the campaign.

4.    Involve your most important donors in your capital campaign pre-planning discussions.

During these beginning steps in your planning, it’s essential to engage your top donors in conversations about your proposed project.

Consider making a list of ten to twenty top donors – the ones who are most likely to make the top gifts to your capital . Then develop a plan to involve each of these donors in the planning process.

This can range from taking a donor to lunch to let her know what you’re working on, or asking the donors for their advice and input on your proposed plan.

You can also ask some donors to serve on a pre-campaign planning committee. If one of your top donors is involved in real estate, you might even ask their advice on aspects of purchasing or constructing the new new building.

You get the idea. Don’t keep your most important donors at arm’s length through the planning process. Instead, use your planning phase to draw them in.

The pre-planning phase is a wonderfully exciting time to involve these important donor prospects.

Feasibility Studies Can Be a Waste of Money, if . . .

Remember, a feasibility study interviews donors to determine their level of interest in supporting your new, bigger vision and proposed plan.

It’s best when you can give them something meaty and exciting that they can react to. If the consultant finds too many potential donors who are not engaged or informed, then these donors might respond,

“I don’t know enough about this organization or project give you an opinion.”

When that happens, then your feasibility study will not yield any helpful information.

It’s disappointing to us consultants, too, when we interview potential donors who are simply not familiar with the project and not close to the organization.  There is nothing to talk about!

Moral of the story: Engage your donors early and often!

Bottom Line: Capital Campaign Pre-Planning: What to do before you hire a consultant.

Start your work early on the campaign by taking these steps, and you’ll save time and money and have your campaign on the early road to success.

You are laying the groundwork so that the full campaign can roll out successfully with early lead gifts and key volunteers stepping up to help.

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Skip the Ask and Make It a “Gift Conversation”

There you are—a major gift fundraiser, sitting in front of a potential donor. You’ve memorized your talking points and are about to make a Big Ask.

It’s the moment of truth and you’re feeling tense because so much hinges on the outcome. Funding for your project is at stake.

You’ve got a script that you hope will open your donor’s heart – and wallet.  Even more, you think you have the right amount to ask for. But you are probably just guessing how your donor will react to the Ask.

What’s wrong with this scene?  

You’re set up to make a “pitch”—to talk at the donor in a one-way conversation.

It’s far too formal and presumptuous. You’re assuming that you know everything about the donor – her motives, her timing, how much she wants to give.

Hello? Where is the donor in this process?

Ditch the Ask. Have a Gift Conversation Instead

We believe there is a much better way to stage a successful ask – by slowing down and engaging the donor in a conversation.  Here’s our suggested approach:

Focus on What Your Donor Wants to Do – Not What You Want to Do

A traditional Ask is all about money. But a Gift Conversation is about helping a donor see the possibilities.

In a gift conversation, you help the donor envision how she can make a difference in the world, not calculate how she can give away $25,000.

The conversation should be about where she is, not where you are. About what she wants to do, not your own agenda.

We recently saw an anonymous quote that sums it up: To inspire people, don’t show them your superpowers. Show them theirs.

Invest the Time.

This approach requires you to invest time in understanding a donor’s personal values, what she believes in, what she’s most passionate about. A donor’s passion can be powerful enough to trigger a $1 million gift.

When you use our gift conversation approach, you end up with a happy donor who is thrilled to make a gift, not someone who feels “hit up” or manipulated.

Don’t Put Your Donor in a Box

When you make a specific Ask, you box the donor into a certain figure. With a gift conversation, you don’t limit the potential size of the gift.

Even if you have done tons of research, you never really know how much a donor may be willing to give – especially if she is passionate.

With a traditional Ask, you could even end up with a smaller gift than if you helped the donor live in a space of possibility and vision.

How to Kick Off a Gift Conversation

With a few well-placed questions, you can help your donor imagine how she can make a significant impact and then walk through the door to make a gift.

Here are a few simple ways to start a gift conversation. 

“Could you see yourself getting more involved in our work?”

This is one of our favorite qualification questions. Your donor might be sharing her excitement about your work, and you sense the door opening for a gift conversation. 

Ask this simple question, and you’ll find out immediately whether the prospect might want to discuss a gift. And maybe even when she would decide. 

“Would you like to know how you can help this project?”

This is such an easy question to pose. There your donor is, carrying on about her interest in your mission. You can simply ask, “Would you like to know how you could help?”

“Have you ever thought about doing more?” 

A prospect may have never thought about making a gift. So, it’s your job to bring it up. You are simply inquiring about the person’s interest in getting more involved.

We love this question, too, because it helps you qualify whether your prospect might become a donor.

Help Your Donor Feel in Charge

Note that these questions have you asking your donor for permission to discuss this topic. Does the donor want to go in this direction or not? This is how you make a donor feel that she’s in charge of the gift process. 

The beauty of engaging in conversations is that sometimes the donor comes up with the idea of making a gift before you even ask.

This is a particularly good question for board members to ask their contacts. A board member may invite a friend to an event. A great follow-up question is: “Could you see yourself supporting this project?”

It’s an easy thing to say, and it’s not at all pushy. If the answer is “yes,” you have a green light to pursue a Gift Conversation.

Bottom Line on the Gift Conversation: Skip the Ask—have a conversation instead.

You’re likely to end up with a happier donor who comes through with a bigger gift than you anticipated.

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or expanding your major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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Gear Up for a Thankathon Now

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Do you have a Thankathon on your calendar in November? If not, you might want to start planning one today.

A Thankathon can be a vital part of a smart year-end fundraising strategy. It serves as a mini stewardship campaign that will prepare your loyal donors to make a generous year-end gift.

With a Thankathon, we are simply acknowledging our donors and their generosity. There is no traditional “ask.” Instead, you’re making sure donors have a warm and fuzzy feeling in their hearts about your organization around the time that they receive your year-end appeal. 

With the Thanksgiving holiday, November is already a season of gratitude. It’s the perfect time to connect with donors and express your appreciation for their support. 

Why do a Thankathon?

Yes, thanking donors is good manners, and it’s also smart fundraising. The reason we like to do Thankathons in the fall is to lay the groundwork for donors to renew, and hopefully increase their gifts. 

The goals of your Thankathon would be to:

  • Remind them that their support is critical
  • Pull them closer to your mission by making them feel their impact
  • Let them know you notice them 

But a Thankathon is more than just a calculated strategy. It’s also an opportunity to bond with your donors in an authentic way—a chance to let them know you care about them as people, not just for their checkbooks. 

Who’s the audience for a Thankathon?

Ideally, everyone! At some point, you absolutely should thank everyone who’s made a gift to your organization. 

If thanking all your donors in November is unrealistic, that’s ok. You can segment them to keep your Thankathon manageable.  

Think about narrowing it down to a measurable audience. For example first-time donors, those at a certain gift threshold (e.g., $1,000+), or people who have given consistently over time (e.g., 5+ years).

Here’s the thing: You’ve got major donor prospects – right now – buried in your files among the small gifts. The problem is that they just haven’t identified themselves as major donors yet. 

You just may wake them up with a Thankathon.

What format should a Thankathon use?

You can choose to thank people via phone, email, or snail mail.

If you choose the phone, don’t worry that many people won’t answer your call. That’s fine. They will listen to your heartfelt message and feel good that you reached out to say thanks!

If you opt for email, don’t default to a blanket approach. Try to keep the messages personal and address the donor by name.

And if you go with a mailed card or letter, make them handwritten, if at all possible.

Who should participate in a Thankathon?

Thankathons are a good time to get your board members and other key volunteers involved. 

But don’t “require” everyone to participate. You want people who will actually enjoy the activity, especially if you’re doing phone calls.

Pre-pandemic, it was common to bring Thankathon folks together to make calls or write notes. You can still do that, or you can try a group Thankathon via Zoom. 

Pull together your volunteers on Zoom, kick it off with an inspirational message, and then have everyone mute their computers. You can pipe in occasionally to encourage your volunteers to keep going!

It’s fun to see everyone’s smiling, committed faces while they’re doing the important work of showering donors with gratitude.   

What to say during a Thankathon?

Whatever vehicle you decide to use when saying thank you, be sure not to break one of our donor communication cardinal rules.

Don’t thank donors for helping your organization be successful. Thank them for the impact THEY are making in the world. 

If you’re doing phone calls, here’s a sample script. (Notice it’s short and sweet.)

“Hello, Ms. Smith? My name is ___________, and I’m on the board of _________. I’m calling to personally thank you for your support this year. Your gift helped underwrite the expansion our ___________ programs. Thanks to you,  _____ more families/children received life-changing services. We are so grateful for your generosity.”

Consider the script a conversation starter. If the donor is willing, your caller can go further, and ask donors to share their stories. Find out why they gave to your organization and what draws them to you. It can be a powerful conversation. 

Bottom line

A Thankathon will prepare your donors to give generously at the end of the year. Organize one today!

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or expanding your major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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How Coaching Can Help You Skyrocket Your Fundraising Success

Today’s guest post is by Beth Ann Locke, Director of the Academy

Every fundraiser and nonprofit leader we’ve met is working to create a better world.

And most successful nonprofit leaders seek to better themselves, by getting trained on new fundraising tactics and the latest, most profitable strategies. They particularly welcome outside guidance when it comes to a major donor ask. And you should too.

How could YOU benefit from a coach?

If you’re ready to truly supercharge your fundraising, your leadership, and even your career, now may be time for you to begin working with a coach.

A fundraising coach is invaluable, offering new points of view, out-of-your-box ideas, and ways to better manage and lead.

A great coach understands fundraising, donors, and your context. They will speak your language of raising money and changing the world.

Here are just a few examples of where an executive coach can help.

A coach can help direct your focus, time, and effort.

Do you find that your available time, budgets, or resources are s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d?

A coach can help you sharpen how you apply your time and effort to what needs to meet or exceed those fundraising goals.

I hear from fundraisers who unfortunately get sidelined by the “fires and fears of the moment.” A great coach suggests ways YOU can keep on track and just what to say to your vital work of asking moves forward.

A coach can offer fresh takes.

A coach may provide a new lens, fresh idea, or better perspective. Especially when considering next moves with a major donor or prospect.

A coach can draw on their lived and learned experiences from a career of fundraising, the latest trends, and what’s happening with donors now – moods, financial outlooks, and easier ways to give.

And if you’re working solo or in a small shop, a coach can offer new perspectives and a strong sounding board.

A coach can boost your fundraising success.

You may sometimes have great fundraising ideas but want to bounce them off an experienced professional. Is this a good idea or strategy? Or not?

Sometimes, you might want to explore ideas that have offered success to other nonprofits. A coach can talk through alternatives, suggest how to jump into new areas, or determine just how and when to speak with a decision-maker to ensure your ideas are heard.

(In fact, that’s why we started our Insiders professional education community – to provide the latest fundraising training, via curated education sessions from international experts every month. Live sessions are packed with content you could use immediately to strengthen your fundraising success.)

A coach can help design your career trajectory or transition.

Whether you enter the nonprofit space as a first job, a re-entry, or a new chapter, how do you get there from here?  What do you need to do?

Or, what happens when you finally land the Big Job – the mega opportunity of your career? You really need someone who has your back.

Talk with your coach about what to do. Your coach can help you determine how to handle every sticky situation. Your coach will guide you where you want to go and the steps to get there.

A coach can definitely help you become a better leader.

Do you consider yourself a leader? Whether or not you’re managing a team, you can stand out as a leader at any level.

When you are a good leader, you’ll be able to work effectively with those you report to, your colleagues, and those who report to you.

A coach can help with communication skills by helping you distinguish various work styles, so you can work with others most effectively.

Bottom Line: A coach is 100% focused on YOUR success!

I’ve helped many fundraisers and fundraising teams set a path to turn a long-time prospect into a donor, create new fundraising plans, and successfully raise funds. Even more, I’ve been a sounding board, guiding fundraisers to the best ideas and alternatives.

We are here to help you reach your highest fundraising success! Joining the Insiders will be a smart, cost-effective way to invest in yourself and your career.

We’d love to work more closely with you!

“Thanks, in part, to your advice, we raised $100,000 more last year than the previous year!” Chris L., Executive Director, Nations Ministry Center, Nashville, TN

“I became an Insider because I don’t know of another offering where an organization can get so much expertise at this price point.”
Kendall M., Chief Development Officer, Tennessee Wildlife Federation

“INSIDERS offers more resources, new ideas, and reinforces best practices. It’s the best move I made in my career. ” Becky B., Resource Development Director, Boys & Girls Club

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Developing a Strong Zoom Presence

Remember last year, when it seemed like all fundraising activity converted to Zoom? What a challenge it was.

Did you have to scramble to master an entirely new set of digital and video tools? We certainly did!

Here’s the problem with zoom:  Your entire self-presentation is confined to one small box on the screen.

That means all your enthusiasm, personal power, energy, and joy are compacted into that tiny box. People draw all sorts of conclusions about you just based on how you are showing up.

Since many donors prefer Zoom these days, we think all fundraisers now need to sharpen up their zoom skills.

It’s not enough just to show up with good lighting on your face – there’s more to deal with than you realize.

I’ll be exploring this topic in a complimentary webinar that Beth Ann Locke and I are presenting next week. We’ll be laying out specific strategies that will help you and your team close more gifts this year-end – including asks on Zoom.

Closing Gifts in the New Fundraising Landscape: How to Ace Your Year-End Goals

October 5th at 3 pm eastern

You can find out more and register here.

We’ll share how this year’s donors have changed, what they want today, and how you can evoke their enthusiasm to close more gifts this fall – even on Zoom.

It’s time to strengthen your Zoom presence.

What’s a Zoom presence? It’s how you come across on the screen.

Your challenge, in the new Zoom world, is to so sharpen your presence that you can show up as the truly wonderful person you really are.

Think this isn’t important? Then consider this: We have literally decided not to work with someone, based on their zoom presence.

By the same token, this could happen to you with a donor!

Your Resting Expression. What Does Your Face Say?

Try watching news anchors who are interviewing people. You’ll frequently see their face resting, but still showing an expression of interest.  I read once that a news reporter said, “never let your face completely relax.”

With this in mind, try looking at your own face on a zoom call when others are talking. Do you “seem” interested? Do you appear to be engaged?  Or not? 

Moreover, what does your resting expression say about you? That you are a nice person? That you are secretly scared and nervous?

Even more, are you a smart, professional person?

I see too many people on zoom who seem tense, just because of their eyebrows. Do you want to discuss a major gift with someone who seems tense? NO.

What Does Your Zoom Background Say About You?

Who among us has not been fascinated by the backgrounds of sportscasters, news pundits, and regular people? Even more, who has not gotten completely distracted trying to decipher details about someone’s life from their background?

Unfortunately or fortunately, your background can brand you as someone who is rooted in the 80’s or ’90s, or someone who is with it, up to date on new ideas and charging ahead into the next decade.

(I decided to upgrade my zoom background – and even had a much more professional-looking bookcase for my office to show up on the screen. I’m hoping that it looks more professional to the world!)

Bottom Line on your Zoom Presence: Watch yourself carefully – and critically – on a recording.

What can you improve? Your expressions? Your lighting? Do you need to wear a brighter color, or a sleeker-looking shirt or top?

Brush up what you can, and you will feel more confident and enthusiastic when it comes time for important donor meetings.

And don’t forget to join our complimentary webinar next week: 

Closing Gifts in the New Fundraising Landscape: How to Ace Your Year-End Goals.

Hope to see you there!

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or expanding your major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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Messaging in the New Landscape: Why Simple Storytelling is Not Enough

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A funny thing started happening with donors last spring. Remember last year when the world changed on us all?

The pandemic suddenly ended all fundraising events, meetings and VIP gatherings. Clearly, fundraising was going to have to shift immediately.

To make matters worse, “pandemic panic” was starting to break out among nonprofit leaders around the globe. People were worried about meeting their fundraising goals and, even worse, their entire operating budgets.

Of course, everybody wondered what to do. All the panicking fundraisers out there asked us a mission-critical messaging question: 

Should we really tell our donors what was going on financially?  

Here’s a happy story: one of our Major Gifts Intensive members wrote us because she was desperately worried about her organization’s budget – even its survival.  All the earned income that she was counting on had disappeared.  What to do? 

Here was our advice, and it turned out to be golden.

New Messaging Tactic: A Key Supporter Mailing List

We told her to pull a list of around 20 important donors and supporters of her organization. And we suggested that she simply send an email now and then to this group, sharing a personal update on how things were going.  

So, Elizabeth, our client, composed her list, included a few board members on it, and started sending monthly personal updates to this group.

Her goal was to keep these key supporters close and make them feel special – like insiders. There was no ask in any of her communications.

Results from the New Messaging: A $40,000 Gift With No Ask

Elizabeth called us one day, hardly able to contain her excitement. She couldn’t believe it! One of the donors on her list, out of the blue, had just sent a $40,000 unrestricted gift. Without an ask.

“We Love Your Transparency and Communication”

The donor simply said that he and his wife appreciated her work and “loved her transparency and communication.” They responded to her authenticity and liked that she was in touch with them often.  

She had succeeded because she made these donors feel special. 

Elizabeth and her team ended the fiscal year, well over budget. She shared with us, “our transparency with donors and trustees is the reason why we’ve done so well.” 

A $1 Million Gift, With No Ask!

In August, Elizabeth had more good news to share: 

“We had another donor stop by the office today – out of the blue.  She told me that she has put together a planned gift for our organization – of $250,000 per year for the next four years.This was all because of how we have handled everything during the pandemic and the exciting projects we have planned! 

I cried, she cried. This is incredible and will be a game changer for our organization. Ladies, this is largely because of the Gail Perry Team!!  Count us in for the Insiders and all the training you have in the hopper.  I’m more grateful to you all than you know.” 

What are your takeaways? Here are our three secrets of messaging in the new landscape – what you need to do now:

Messaging Tip 1: Do You Sound Authentic? 

You need to sound authentic – be sure that your communication does not sound stilted or institutional. No nonprofit jargon. No lofty mission-statement language. No acronyms. Please, no big words, long paragraphs, or complex ideas. 

If so, you fail the 2021 “authenticity” test. 

Messaging Tip 2: Are You Being Transparent About the Money? 

When you’re talking about money, you need to be completely transparent about what’s going on financially at your institution. However, that does not mean a sense of desperation or whining. 

It does mean being businesslike and frank. The best part of this is that when you are transparent, then the donor understands specifically how they can help. And that is a win!

Elizabeth said: “You CAN talk to donors about your financial position.”

Messaging Tip 3: Just How Friendly Do You Seem? 

Do you sound genuinely friendly? Like a nice person who cares a lot about this organization – and the donor?  

Is your letter or email personal and warm?  Being friendly means your communication can’t come from the institution itself. Instead, it needs to come from an individual. 

Bottom Line: Messaging needs to be different in the new fundraising landscape. 

Join our free webinar on October 5, to discover even more practical tips on reaching today’s donors and creating no-ask gifts.

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or launching a major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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Using a Feasibility Study to Close Major Gifts – Without an Ask

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Using a Feasibility Study to Close Major Gifts – Without an Ask

What do you really want out of a feasibility study? Most nonprofit leaders just want to know how much they can raise. They want the feasibility study to tell them: is the campaign a go – or, is it a no go?

But are those the right questions to ask? Especially when you are considering investing a significant amount of time and money in the study alone?

With all that investment, wouldn’t you like to get more than just Yes or No?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you actually closed gifts, major gifts, lead gifts? What if you even found your campaign chair as a result of the study?

What Can an Expertly Crafted Feasibility Study Accomplish?

A great feasibility study can open your donors’ hearts and minds to all the wonderful possibilities your project might create. Even more, a great study allows your donors to get invested in how you might accomplish even more than you ever dreamed of.

Great feasibility studies can deeply engage your donors, warm them up about a potential gift, and encourage them to get involved on the ground floor. As a result, you can accomplish so very much – and move your campaign right along.

Include a Private Presentation to the Donors.

Here’s an opportunity not to be missed. What about staging a separate presentation of the Study Report just for the donors themselves?

You’ll find that the donors are quite curious about the results of the study. Moreover, they will actually show up at this presentation, because they’re intrigued. What’s best, is that they are starting to think about the possibilities of your campaign.

It’s a magic moment: there, in one room, are your potential lead donors, all discussing YOUR potential campaign with each other. What a special opportunity – all the VIP donors together, and you can just feel the energy.

It’s the ineffable power of “who is in the room.” Momentum for your campaign is growing, right before your eyes.

You will be there too, working the room, engaging with the donors to deepen your own personal relationships with these important philanthropists.

One-on-One Follow-up with Each Donor

We encourage our clients to personally call each donor who was interviewed.

Their job: thank the donor for participating, and ask the donor:

“What were your impressions of the feasibility study conversation?”

When you do this, you have a special opening to chat with your prospective donor about the entire campaign effort.

What will you get? Your donor will tell you what they think. Of your project. Of your campaign’s potential. About possible strategies to reach your goal.

They may share their own questions or concerns about your proposed campaign. The consultant interview prodded them to start thinking of all of this, and now you can pick up the momentum with the donor – and move things forward.

You can have a deep discovery call with the lead donors whose gifts can make or break your campaign. This strategy helps you gauge their enthusiasm –and find the pathway to a gift.

Using the Study to Literally Close Gifts 

As savvy consultants, we can gauge which donors are so enthusiastic that they might be ready for a Gift Conversation. So, at the end of a study, we identify those super engaged donors who seem ready to move right along.

Our clients are simply getting in touch with these donors, and asking the golden question:

“Is this a good time to discuss your support of our campaign?”

This simple question is literally causing donors to OFFER GIFTS without being asked.

We have one client who closed a six-figure gift the first time she asked this question. She was so floored that she phoned us immediately to celebrate.

Later she closed a gift in the mid-six figures. Without ever asking. With no formal ask.

This Golden Question is golden for many reasons:

  • It’s polite, because it asks for permission.
  • It’s donor-centered, because the donor feels in charge of the next step.
  • It’s not a pitch in any way, shape, or form.

The donor feels like they are a partner in the giving adventure, not the recipient of a carefully staged, awkward, scripted ask.

Bottom Line: You really can use an expert feasibility study to close major gifts.

We can help you with an expert feasibility study if you’d like. Just email us at gail.p@gailperry.com and we’ll talk about your campaign plans.

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or launching a major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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Don’t Get Stuck in Endless Cultivation 

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Are you familiar with that feeling of endless cultivation with a donor? Let me tell you a story:

Over the past nine months, fundraiser Kim Washington has been diligently cultivating her #1 donor, Olive Robinson. 

Kim has zoom coffees with Olive. They have lunch. Even more, Kim makes sure Olive has regular email and phone contact and keeps her informed all the time. 

In the back of Kim’s mind, she keeps wondering. “Is Olive ready for a gift conversation? Have we warmed her up enough for an ask? It feels like I’m stuck in endless cultivation.” 

Bad News – The Donor Slips Away

One morning over coffee, Kim scrolls through her phone reading the local news. . . and mulling about her next contact with Olive. 

“Oh no!” Kim is aghast.

There, in the news, is a gift announcement from another nonprofit where Olive has just made a $2 million gift, in memory of her husband.

Alas. There goes Kim’s hoped-for major gift. Her donor slipped away. How could it be that Olive, who was so interested in Kim’s organization, would surprise everyone with a gift to that other organization?

Why Does Your #1 Prospect Suddenly Disappoint You? 

Here is why this happens fairly often in the world of philanthropy. It’s because the fundraiser gets stuck in “cultivation” and does not bring up the topic of a gift.  

In reality, most donors do not fit into a clear stage in the donor journey.  You can’t pigeonhole them.

We fundraisers limit ourselves by how we define these stages. 

Some donors may be willing and eager to make a major gift now, but fundraisers miss the signals, because they are defining the donor in a box.

Here’s how to move the donor from an endless round of feel-good conversations over into a discussion about their potential support. 

Escape Endless Cultivation – Move from Discovery to a Gift Conversation in 15 Minutes 

At Gail Perry Group, we are coaching our clients in a new approach with donors – one that helps to identify those who want to help with a gift right now. 

And let me just say that our clients are seeing remarkable results with this approach. Donors are coming forward early in the donor journey and wanting to make a gift right now. 

We have found that we can literally move a donor from a series of discovery questions – right into a gift conversation.

Here’s an example of a typical conversation flow:

Question One: “I’d love to know more about how you came to be a donor.“

When you are able to get your donor to share their Donor Story, you can really open the floodgates. You’ll find your donor probably has a deeply personal reason for supporting your work – something that resonates with their personal values of what is important in life. 

This is a powerful question to ask. Your job as a fundraiser is to sit tight, and perhaps say, “Tell me more.” 

Question Two: “I know you’ve been supporting our work for a long time. May I ask, what kind of impact do you feel that you are making through your giving?” 

By asking the donor to describe their feelings, you are helping the donor literally talk themselves into the idea of giving more.

Even more, your donor will tell you what you need to know at this stage. 

Question Three: “I can see that you are deeply committed to this work. May I ask, have you ever thought about doing something even bigger?”

With this question, you politely move directly into a Gift Conversation.

Now, you are using permission to place the issue squarely on the table with the donor. And remember – they are engaged, active, excited, and sharing more and more! 

Your donor just may say, “Wow, I never thought about that. And yes, I might actually like to make a bigger impact. Let’s talk about it!” 

Bottom Line: Don’t Get Stuck in Endless Cultivation

Here is the hard truth – don’t let yourself get stuck in endless chit-chat with your donor.

Instead, ask them why they give. Ask them how much they care. Ask if they’d like to get more engaged and make an even bigger impact.

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or launching a major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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Capital Campaigns: Three Secrets of Success

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Is a major capital campaign on the horizon for your institution? Do you feel a little overwhelmed because, as you know, campaigns can be a heavy lift? Would three secrets to success help guide you in the right direction?

Our goal is for campaign clients is to get focused in three key areas that will set them up for a campaign that brings in extraordinary fundraising results. 

Three Secrets of Success

1. Begin your planning with a deep prospect analysis.

The major gifts in a campaign always come from a very few people. We are seeing as much as 95% of the money coming from only 5% of an organization’s donors. 

Even more, the success of capital campaigns is always built on a small number of large gifts.

So one of our key success secrets is to analyze prospect data early in the game. 

We recommend that all campaign planning begins with a wealth screening on your donor database. This enables us to identify our clients’ sleeper prospects. Those are the wonderful donors who are passionate about the cause – and who have significant wealth.

Most importantly, the screening allows us to organize the prospect pool using our Campaign by the Numbers approach.  This means you will work with the right prospects at the right time yielding optimal results. 

This deep analysis and organization of your campaign prospect pool is THE essential activity for the campaign planning stage.  

2. Use a conversational approach with donors.

Once the priority donor prospects are identified, we recommend that our clients start spending quality time with them. These are very special people who believe in the cause – they often are happy to learn more about the work and engage more deeply. 

But how do you really engage a donor? 

Many people think their goal is to “present” to a donor. They spend hours crafting laborious pitch decks about their institution’s work, so they can “wow“ their donors. 

That’s not it at all. The best way to engage a donor is to get them talking about WHY they care.

The fundraiser’s job is to find out what makes the donor tick. What does the donor want to do that your organization can help them achieve?  We call this approach “listening your way to a major campaign commitment.” 

We teach our clients an approach that we call the Conversational Ask. And, you can move directly into a Conversational Ask with a donor at almost any time. That is, if you know the right questions to ask! 

Involving and engaging these top prospective donors early is literally the key to successful campaign fundraising.  You are creating true partners – donors who are invested in your institution’s success and want to help.

3. Go slow to go fast.

Often board members and/or executive team members don’t understand capital campaign strategy. They don’t understand why we go very slowly and silently in the beginning. 

Organizational leaders often ask: “Where is the money?” “Why aren’t we out in public yet?” “Where are the balloons and parades?” “We want events and hoopla!”

In fact, being out in public too early could hurt you.

We strongly recommend a careful strategy of going slowly in order to go faster later. 

Early in the game, you engage privately with those very few potential lead donors, laying the groundwork and involving them. This takes time, and it might be the most important activity in the entire campaign.

Organizing a campaign is like setting up dominos: take your time to enlist the right volunteers and to engage the right major donors. Take all the time you need to secure the support of key influential leaders. 

Then, when all your ducks are in a row – so to speak – or the dominoes are all lined up, you’ll be amazed at how quickly everything can move forward. Because you took the time to deeply involve key donors and leaders, doors that were once closed will fly open for you. It’s because the right person knocked on the door. 

Bottom Line: Use These Three Secrets for Capital Campaign Success

All smart major gift fundraisers understand this strategy. As consultants – one of our key goals is to help our clients’ leadership teams understand and embrace this approach. It’s the winning approach every time!

As always, it is a pleasure to share our weekly insights with you as we cover important fundraising strategies. 

If your organization is planning a capital campaign or launching a major gifts program – we can help. Send an email to coaching@gailperry.com if you’d like to schedule a free strategy call with us.

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