Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
- Catch this Special Edition!
It’s October! We’re entering prime fundraising season, and there’s no better time to sharpen your major gift skills. So this week’s edition is dedicated to exactly that. From prospect identification to cultivation to asking to follow-up. At the bottom you’ll find some new free resources, a chance to participate in a crowd-sourced major gifts blog and a last chance to actively prepare for your major gifts solicitations with some dynamic webinars and a practice clinic. Ready?
Identifying and Targeting
Click-it: Seven Golden Prospecting Strategies that Lead to Major Donors by Gail Perry of Fired Up Fundraising shows you where to look to find viable major donors for your organization. It also covers how to narrow down your list to make the best use of limited resources and maximize your chances for success.
Click-it: 20 Must-Know Fundraising and Social Media Stats. According to Network for Good, on average 88% of dollars raised comes from 12% of donors. As the end of the year approaches, check out this data compiled by Heather Mansfield to better target your appeals. Did you know, for example, that 64% of all donations are made by women? Or that volunteers give twice as often as non-volunteers? If you’re looking for new major donor prospects, you may want to look here.
Cultivation
Click-it: Cultivation #4 – The Questions to Ask. This is the fourth post in a series on the Fearless Fundraising Blog. This one is about working up to the major gift proposal by knowing where your prospects are along the path towards readiness to make a gift. One of the ways you figure this out is by asking the right questions. Before this you must get folks to trust you. How? Again, by asking the right questions.
Asking
Click-It: TED Talks Contribution to Major Gifts. TED talk speakers consistently present their topic in a mesmerizing way. How do they do it? The Veritus Group explains how by running through each of 12 things TED speakers are asked to do, and then suggesting how you can apply these nifty tricks to major gift solicitations. Print out the list and post it in your office!
Follow-Up
Click-It: 5 Common Mistakes Major Gift Officers Make (and How to Avoid Them). Building sustainable major donor relationships does not end with the ask. In this article by Richard Smith on the Donor Search Blog learn to prioritize immediate follow-up, recognition and long-term gratitude.
Click-it: After the Ask: The Follow-Up Plan. Amy Eisenstein explains specifically what to do when a donor says “Yes” or “No” or “Maybe.”
Donor Perspective
I’ve written a pair of articles this month on the Nonprofit Pro blog. To be successful with major gift fundraising you really need to understand what drives major donors. You want change. They want to be change agents. Your job is to make a match. Check out these articles to discover some ways you can help philanthropists to help your cause.
Click-It: How Do Major Donors Think About Philanthropy?
Click-It: Are the Rich Motivated to Give Differently?
FREE RESOURCES
Click-it: [DATA] The 2015 State of Major Gift Fundraising. If you’re wondering how your major gifts program compares with other nonprofits, check out this interesting data compiled by the folks at Bloomerang. One finding: “Most nonprofit organizations do not have a full-time major gift fundraiser or a major gift strategy, despite considering major gifts vital.” Hmmn… imagine what these nonprofits could do with a real strategy!
Click-It: October Nonprofit Blog Carnival Call for Submissions: Tricks or Treats? How Do You Get and Sustain Major Gifts. I’m hosting this month’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival. Every month there’s a different theme, and this month it’s all about major gifts! If you’d like to participate, or simply sign up to make sure you receive the monthly curated collections, please click on this link. And be sure to check out the September Nonprofit Blog Carnival: 16+ Ways to Say Thank You Better hosted by Mary Cahalane.
Click-it: Crowdfunding for Nonprofits: How to Add This Essential Tool to Your Fundraising Mix [FREE] You’ve probably heard the buzz around “crowdfunding”. But what is it, and how does it work? Join us for a free event to learn how you can incorporate crowdfunding to raise the bar on your fundraising initiatives. The timing is perfect as you prep for end-of-year appeals, #GivingTuesday and even spring benefits!
Our guest presenter is Dana Ostomel with DepositaGift.com. Dana is a marketing and branding expert with over a decade of experience developing integrated marketing solutions for brands in a wide range of industries, from Snapple and CENTURY 21 to The Home Depot, DIRECTV and MasterCard before she left to launch Deposit a Gift seven years ago. Sign up here to reserve your spot!
Last Chance for Major Gifts Master Class!
- Learn from 3 experts as well as your peers!
Get comfortable with the process so you can inspire major donor prospects to say “Yes!”
Whether you’re new to major gifts fundraising or a seasoned pro, you’ll find useful tips in this 4-session Virtual Major Donor Master Class Series with donor-centered fundraising and retention expert Jay Love and fundraising “wild woman” Mazarine Treyz. Everything will be recorded and is yours to keep. And there’s even a live practice session. Listen. Look. Learn.
Take-aways:
- Learn how donors feel about being asked.
- Prime your donor to make a passionate gift.
- Get confident that now is the time to ask.
- Overcome your fear of making the ask.
- Hands-on practice!
Get all the details here. I’m really thrilled to be offering this one-time opportunity to learn from 3 experts for the price of one! Reserve your space now! Don’t forget; after October 4th it will be too late. Hope to see you there!
Image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net
