Prospecting Secrets to Building a Major Donor Program The Foundation Center Open House February 24 th , 2015
Prospecting Secrets to Building a Major Donor Program
The Foundation Center
Open House February 24th, 2015
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill
Development Officer for 30 years
Grass roots and Ivy League
Prospect Research and Prospecting evangelist (can I get an
Amen!!)
Well known and disliked lecture, trainer, consultant and smarty pants.
It’s all about me
Being a Guinea Pig Dispelling the Myths of Major Gifts fundraising Prospect Research Can you go out the door? Cold calling Who knows who? What’s your case? Understanding Qualification What are your cultivation arrows in your quiver? Do your events support cultivation? Timing the Ask Stewardship
Agenda
Key point , this is temporary and short term MG effort.
What aren’t you going to do if you do this?
Upfront and transparent agreement with your Board/Boss.
Success requires a REAL investment.
Risk having the powers that be saying “do it again “!
In a healthy normal MG program most of these roles are STAFFED.
An experiment
80% of all giving is from individuals
Foundations are slow, fickle and change a lot
Easier to maintain and grow
Dirty and “clean”
Do they like wheelbarrows full of money?
Why should your Board invest?
Dealing with rich people is gross, morally challenging and dirty
You have to “kiss up” and lie
Asking actual people for their own money is different than a foundation.
Board Members will privately fear they will be asked to solicit or give much more.
Unspoken Attitudes
Where are those millions?!!
Understand what’s really involved.
Track the cycle initially, not the dollars !
Think of an assembly line
Ok we invested…
Real Major Gifts programs take time and money
What’s your cycle?
Small MG team
3 Major Gifts Officers ( 80 person portfolio’s)
1 prospect researcher/Prospect Management
Admin Asst
Time and Staffing
We solicit when we first meet people.
It’s just a matter of getting to rich people
Reaching wealthy philanthropists is simply a matter of picking up the phone.
Every fundraiser has a “rolodex” of rich people waiting at her beck and call.
We can’t afford to “wine and dine”
Board Members commonly think of it as “dirty” and don’t want anything to do with it.
Classic Major Gifts Myths
Persistence is essential
Easy to get discouraged and worn out
Frustrating and difficult work
Big pay day’s.
Accuracy and learning internally makes a big difference.
Persistence and Accuracy
Don’t bother if you don’t have it.
Why? What’ the difference?
Staff full time for the right institutions
Part timer
Freelancer (www.armandozumaya.com for a free list, www.aprahome.org , FRPA on Linked IN
Train a volunteer even…
It’s an investment
Beware: Uncomfortable board members !
Prospect Research
Look into your own current donor base
Similar organizations, who gives them $$?
Innovate and find new donor pools, diversity.
Focus on quantity of leads
If your spending all day googling names your doing it wrong
Prospect Research 2
Most MG prospects aren't waiting around for your call with a bag of money.
We want an initial qualification meeting.
Cold Calling. Yeah
Networking
Working assistants, receptionists, business partners.
Yes, I train on this…..no really
The role of email
Can you get out the door?
The Elevator Rap: Essential tool for you and your Board.
You need to make claims, plant your flag !
Think of hook phrases
Your goal, at all costs is to get that appointment.
Careful of internal speak and jargon !
Could anyone understand it and find it exciting?
What’s your case?
Create a simple review list. One copy, no email.
A list of who you think are prospects
Physically take it to:
Board Members
Staff
Former Board Members
Donors
Who knows who?
Compile who knows who?
Who can make an introduction?
Who can let you use their name?
Send an email as an intro?
Super Groovy: When the Board helps !
Tailor your approach to the person giving you the intro. Sensitivity.
Who Knows Who
Your job is to gauge their interest, or lack.
To measure their education on what your organization does.
What do they need?
Capacity? $, $$, $$$ or $$$$
Who can they connect you to? Leapfrogging.
Understanding Qualification
Putting their hands in the mud !
Show them your face. Bring out the passion!
Yeah I said passion
Events
Tours
Symposiums
Meet the recipients of your services
Working events
Media
Cultivation
The great Barlow Ware
How many steps?
Heart and head
Plan a year of cultivation events
What are your draws?
Unique
Fun
Exciting
Exclusive
Cultivation
What’s Your Draw?
Personality
Mayor Newsom
Tom Brokaw
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Novelty of the event
“Classroom” Event
Tours
The Unveiling of the Mars Rover?
The Institution Itself
Food
Alice Water’s restaurant
Tribeca Grill
Location
The Rainbow Room
Backstage at Paramount Studios
On the stage of the Opera House
Speaker’s Dining Room
The curse that is the gala
The “friends of Sally” event
30 person in home events, not HOUSE parties
Follow up solicitations, no solicitations on site !
Prospect Research guided
Design
Program
Guest lists
Events
Who has the strongest relationship?
Is the prospect ready?
What are we asking for specifically?
Prep meeting with your Prospect Researcher
Making the Ask
They have made their gift, now what?
How about we totally neglect, forget them till next year?
Instead: Progress reports
Thank you’s
Invitations
Help with fundraising
Lunches, meetings
Stewardship
Know who you want to reach.
Develop your skills to reach them.
Have a great, on target, exciting message and appeal
Design powerful and dynamic cultivation tools
Ask for your gifts based on a solid education, experience they have had
Take care of them afterwards!
Key Points
Cold Calling for Development Officers: Reaching the Difficult to Reach Prospect for the First Meeting
March 19, 2015 9:00 AM PDT
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/762534768115806465
Dynamic Small Events: Engage and Cultivate Your Ideal Major Gifts Prospects
Mar 16, 2015 9:00 AM PDT at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7820962912321565441
Upcoming Webinars
Thanks for coming !Armando E. Zumaya