Face-to-face Fundraising

If you do all the talking, you’ll never find out what major donors think about your organization. Here are three of my favorite questions to ask to find out what’s on my donor’s mind.

Join FundRaising Success in Washington, D.C., next week for our inaugural peer-to-peer conference, Engage P2P: Redefining Peer to Peer.

Wouldn’t it be great to have some objective way to mechanically ask new people for a gift? We could just “know” that we’re asking the right amount.

We may not have a “Welcome — come on in!” sign hanging at the door, but from time to time, donors do stop by — often unexpectedly. The prepared fundraiser makes sure in advance that the organization is ready at a moment’s notice to present itself and its work in a positive light.

In the spirit of handing down wisdom from those who have forged a path before us, Connie Sanderson, co-executive director of Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, shares advice, tips and best practices she has gathered over her own quarter-century of fundraising success.

The reality is that if we are truly donor-focused and are building deep, genuine relationships, the ask really takes care of itself. It takes care of itself in terms of some people self-identifying and in terms of some people removing themselves from the process or from a timeline you had hoped for.

'Tis the season for fundraising events! And for giving speeches about why people should give to your organization. If you are chosen to give that inspiring speech … please keep it short. Less than seven minutes is best. (That’s about 1,000 words, depending on your cadence of delivery.) Before anything else, be authentic!

You can have a fabulous outline, but if you are not authentic and you read from a script with your head down … you’ll have wasted an opportunity to generate support. Here are seven best practices for speaking at a fundraising event.

Every month, board members and CEOs ask me for the "perfect" words to say when making an ask. You'd be surprised at what can be effective! I've even seen a major-gift ask on a Post-it note! A sincere ask from a person of integrity can often overcome the most awkward wording.

But in my experience, most people find a version of the following phrase works: "We'd like to ask you to consider a gift of [insert specific dollar amount] to [insert project or fund or the nonprofit's name]."

Jerry Panas is one of our industry’s greats. I’ve learned so much from him over the years. Here is some of his best advice on how to nail the gift: Getting the visit is the toughest part. Be willing to fail. Enthusiasm is contagious. Keep your antenna alert. Talk only 25 percent of the time. Donors give to the magic of an idea. You never know until you ask. Your materials are not important in an ask. Take only 11 minutes to present  your case. I would like you to consider a gift of …

This webinar helps you draw up an important checklist for planning, promoting, implementing and even following up your special event.