“We can’t get our board
to help with fundraising, they aren’t the
‘movers and shakers’ in town.”
If this is a statement you have heard in your organization,
read on! In Part
One, we talked about the recruitment process
and the annual Board appeal. Now let’s move
on to helping the Board raise monies from others.
Uncovering the Sphere of Influence
Once the board is recruited and each has made their
personal financial commitment, the step is getting
them involved in the process of identifying, cultivating
and soliciting donors. Remember, every board member
has a sphere of influence that can be used to help
the organization. They just need to be made aware
of the value of their connections and how they can
use those connections to help the organization.
The following steps can help turn board members
into “movers and shakers” in their own
sphere of influence. (The same method has also been
used with staff members to yield some amazing relationships.)
|
|
- First, board members need to understand
the Development Department and its role in the organization,
as well as their own role in the development process.
Start by holding a briefing session at a board meeting—board
orientation is a good time to introduce this to new
board members. A staff member can explain how important
development is to the organization and what unfunded
programs need support from private donors. They should
explain the function of the development office and
how the board and staff work together as a team to
raise money. This is a good time to introduce board
members to the fact that most giving comes from individuals.
(The giving charts from Giving USA will be helpful
handouts and are available through the American Association
of Fund Raising Counsel’s Trust for Philanthropy
at www.AAFRC.org.
- Next, schedule a brainstorming session
in which board members (and staff) develop a list
of people they know who could be potential donors.
It is important not to start them out with a “blank
slate.” It is guaranteed that giving people
a blank sheet of paper and telling them to list people
they know will result in getting back a bunch of blank
pieces of paper. Give them instead, some lists to
spark ideas. This author has developed a form that
is a good way to start ideas rolling. (for a copy
of this form contact info@cvfundraising.com).
Or have staff provide a list of people who already
contribute to the organization and ask board members
to discuss each name to determine “who knows
whom.”
- The next step is refining the list
into potential major donors, potential smaller donors
and people about whom there isn’t enough information
to proceed further. A small group of staff and Development
Committee members who are well connected in the community
can do this, based on their knowledge of the person's
ability, interest and the strength of the linkage
with this prospect. The smaller donor prospects will
be added to the mailing list to receive newsletters
and direct mail, and the “unclassified”
prospect list will need further research. This research
can be assigned to staff or Development Committee
members.
- The final step in the identification
process is a Major Donor Screening Meeting. Starting
with the list identified as potential major donors,
bring together the Board and Development Committee
members who have identified those people and review
each name carefully. (This can be done in a series
of meetings if the list is large.) Discuss each name
to determine the Ability (how much COULD they give
if properly motivated and approached by the right
person); the Interest (are they known to give to causes
similar to this organization’s mission, have
they given to the organization in the past, do they
have any connection to the organization, is there
a particular program of the organization in which
this person may be interested?) and the Linkage (who
is the best person to contact this person; how strong
is the connection; if there are several people who
have a connection, which relationship is the strongest;
is there a “team” of people from the organization
who should approach this prospect?). It is crucial
to understand that screening is a very sensitive issue
and participants in this process must be carefully
selected. Information that is sensitive should not
be openly discussed. Participants can suggest giving
amounts of areas of interest without discussing the
prospects private details. And, of course no information
about a donor’s giving history should be given
out unless that information is public information
(listed on the organization’s annual reports
with the donor's permission for example). See the
AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) Code
of Ethics for further information on handling donor
privacy. This may be downloaded from AFP’s website
at www.afpnet.org www.afpnet.org.
|
This
process will almost always uncover connections that most
board members haven’t thought about involving in
the organization. A good facilitator is needed to help
the board work though this process. A consultant, a board
member or staff member who has gone through this process
is essential. An experienced facilitator will be aware
of privacy issues and organizational polices about what
can be discussed within this group. Once the calls are
assigned the next step will be the solicitation process.
Taking the Fear Out of Fundraising
So now you are ready to get your board out there making
the “asks.” Understand that most board members
have a fear of fundraising. It has been said that the
fear of public speaking is higher on most people's list
than the fear of death. But that the fear of asking someone
for money is probably a close second to the fear of speaking
in front of a large group. The two most sensitive areas
for discussion are often said to be death and money and
when asking for planned gifts, you are usually discussing
both. But let’s start with little less painful approach,
the “ask” for the first gift to an organization
which may lead to a future major gift.
The steps to a successful “ask” are: |
|
|
First, board members
need to get rid of their fear, and realize that they are not
“begging for money,” but rather giving someone an
opportunity to be apart of the exciting work of your health
center. Doug Lawson describes philanthropy as the bringing together
of a “Joyful Giver, a Grateful Recipient and an Artful
Asker.” Board members need to understand that giving really
does feel good and that being generous even makes people live
longer!
Experience the Joy of Giving
But first Board members need to experience the joy of giving
themselves. The Board Appeal should always precede any public
fundraising campaign. Board commitment will have a definite
influence in their ability to ask others for money. The key
thing all “askers” must do is to make their own
gift first. It is a proven fact that those who have made a gift
themselves will always be more successful at asking others to
give, because they can ask them to “join me in investing
in a great project.” Of course board members also need
to be convinced that what they are asking for is a worthy project—the
organization must have a compelling case for support.
Through the screening process already discussed, board members
will have identified people with whom they have a relationship
and feel comfortable asking so the next step of asking a peer
is already taken care of. In most cases, the asker should be
giving at a level equal to what they are asking others to give.
It is usually easier for people to ask someone they know than
a total stranger. Of course, some board members may not understand
this and feel reluctant to ask their friends. It all goes back
to the compelling case—if a person really believes in
the mission of the organization and knows others who share their
values and beliefs; it is very likely that their friends will
also be interested in supporting this organization. Always have
them start with a call that is likely to be successful. It also
helps to "stack the deck” and assign calls that are
sure to be successful. Nothing builds success like success and
a board member who has made that first successful call will
be far more motivated to continue making calls.
It is important not to ask too much of board members, especially
the first time around. No board member should be asked to make
more than about five calls. That is usually a manageable number
for most people. Staff also needs to provide the board members
any information that will be helpful in their call--the donors’
past giving history to the organization, if any; other gifts
that this person may have made in the community (a little research
will help build the chances for a successful call); any connection
this prospective donor has to your health center or interest
in specific programs of the center.
Training
Sessions
Bring in someone to train the board in how to make the “ask.”
Your training should include having them always ask for a specific
amount for a specific project. And remember that people are
very seldom, if ever, insulted by being asked for too much,
but they can be insulted by being asked for too little. Role-playing
is often a successful and fun way to help board members ad other
volunteers feel at ease before they have to ask for the “real
thing.” A consultant or experienced development professional
with experience in major gift fundraising will be needed to
provide training on the techniques and the psychology of asking
for money.
Make sure you schedule regular reporting meetings so board members
can come share successes and challenges they have faced. Knowing
others are sharing their experiences helps build a team spirit
on the board and helps solve some of the challenges that solicitors
may be having. And of course everyone likes to report his or
her success. Often the board has a healthy sense of competition
once they get going and having an opportunity or report their
success to others is a strong motivator for many people. This
debriefing will help plan for the next approach to each prospective
donor.
Leadership must always be encouraging—remember that, especially
if this is a first effort for the board, not all calls are going
to be successful, but encourage solicitors to continue by stressing
that they are building relationships and not just raising money.
After all, the three keys to successful fundraising are Relationships,
Relationships, Relationships.
Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE is President/CEO of CAPITAL VENTURE,
a fundraising consulting firm with offices in Nevada, Pennsylvania
and Virginia. Linda has authored numerous articles as well as
several booklets for AFP’s Ready Reference Series, and
Wiley Press published her book, Recruiting and Training Fundraising
Volunteers in 2005. Linda is an internationally known speaker,
and provides consulting to nonprofit organizations in the areas
of capital campaigns, development audits and plans and Board
development. |
