Relationship Fundraising - Event Planning Season

3 Ways to  Make More Money on Your Event

FIRST - Spend time on the right things 

Most organizations don't come close to raising what they could through their events because they spend too much time on the wrong things.  While it's fun to pick out linens, taste the meal choices and make pretty center pieces, these things have little to do with achieving the main goal of a fundraising event, which is to maximize net income.  I think there are two reasons staff people spend too much time on these things.  First, they lack a clear understanding of strategic relationship cultivation, and second, they avoid doing the thing that is uncomfortable.  

The most important activity to spend time on leading up to a fundraising event is being intentional about who you want to sponsor and come to the event and cultivating those relationships.  Whether you have 12 months or 3 months to prepare for the event, after securing a date and location, all the other logistics can wait.  The focus needs to be on combing through all of your donors and key prospects and deciding where you think they fit in.  Before you approach them though, you will want to put together a sheet that lays out the history and the purpose of the event, along with your priorities for fundraising and all the options for getting involved.  

SECOND - Map all the ways to generate revenue 

The least effective way to raise money through your event is through attendance.  If all your revenue is tied to attendance, then that means you have to have a lot of people come to the event and you have to charge a lot of money.  What if there is a snow storm on the night of the event?  This strategy causes a lot of stress for everyone. 

The most effective way to raise money through your event is through event sponsorships that offer sponsors an opportunity to promote their company.  The amount you can secure from sponsors will depend on many factors, including history of the event, usual attendance, and the number and kind of promotion strategies you use (e.g., online, newspaper articles, invitations, flyers, partner organizations, etc.).  You will receive sponsor donations before the event, so even in the event attendance is less than you planned, you have already gotten money in the door. 

The sponsor amount is not tied to expenses.  Many small organizations feel that they can only ask sponsors to pay for specific expenses (e.g., the cost of the meal).  The sponsorship amount is whatever someone is willing to donate to you and usually depends on what you offer as far as recognition and how generous they are feeling.  

There are several other strategies in between attendance (day of event) and sponsorships (before event).  Silent auctions are something that event attendees are used to and also enjoy, because they feel that they are making a contribution, but they also get something in return.  Even a silent auction of minimally priced items can result in thousands of dollars.  Depending on who the attendees are (I'll talk about that next), a live auction of high-value items (vacation packages, suites at professional sporting events) and/or straight financial donations can result in thousands more.  If your organization's story is solid and compelling, and your priorities clear, this is a great way to inspire your attendees to give even more.  

Don't leave things to chance though.  Start with a gross revenue goal for the event as well as a net income goal - and stick with it.  For a goal of $38,000 gross, it would be appropriate to budget $8,000 for expenses (no more though).  It would be appropriate to budget $10,000 in sponsor dollars, maybe $8,000 for the silent auction, and another $6,000 for the live auction conservatively.  That leaves $12,000 to be raised through attendance, and at $75 per ticket (reasonable price), you will need 160 people to purchase tickets prior to the event.  If that attendance figure is too scary, then you will need to raise more more money in the other categories.  

THIRD - Start cultivating relationships 

Once you have this mapped out, it's time to make a list of all the people who are your prospects in each of these categories.  Now it's a matter of filling in the blanks - but not by yourself.  As I have said before, the job of the fund development director or event planner is NOT TO RAISE THE MONEY.  His or her job is to create and drive the strategy, and engage as many stakeholders as possible in implementing the strategy (e.g., board members, other staff members, key volunteers and other donors). 

Let's start with sponsors.  If this is your first event, begin by making a list of your key supporters, donors, volunteers and vendors.  Simply reach out and let them know you are doing an event and are wondering if they would like to be involved as a sponsor.  They will ask for information on the sponsor levels, and then you will follow up until you get a YES or NO.  If this isn't your first event, you will first go back to past sponsors and ask them to consider renewing their sponsorship at the same or higher level.  Be open to feedback and be creative about what you're willing to offer them as far as recognition and exposure.  


Gather a committee of 4-6 committed volunteers, including board members to take care of the silent auction.  Your board members should be willing to reach into their networks to recruit sponsors and also silent auction items.  You might also consider doing a mailing to area businesses; this seems to get good results too because offering gift cards is a way for those businesses to get new people in their doors.  

The attendance list is actually one of the most important strategies.  Typically, small organizations just send out invitations to their usual mailing list without thinking about who they want to attend the event.  If the goal of the event is truly to raise as much money as possible, then you want to focus on people who have the capacity to donate a lot of money.  This can be touchy though, because in the past you may have invited people who really couldn't afford to donate much.  In this case, if there might be hard feelings because you are changing the strategy for the event, you may want to create another event that is more about celebrating and is more financially accessible.  For this event, you wouldn't want to have the pressure of raising money.  

Spend time collecting materials from other successful events in the community to see who is sponsoring what organizations, and if their mission is similar to yours, consider reaching out to them and inviting them to your event or a tour.  Brainstorm your ideal attendance, and BE BRAVE and reach out to these folks to share your story and let them know you will be sending them an invitation.  Be sure to reach out to them first though, otherwise, your invitation will end up in the trash.  It's all about relationships.  

Ask your board members to each contribute 10 new people to the invitation list that they will ask to consider coming to the event.  You will need to provide your board members with materials and scripts and coaching to do this outreach.  Do not expect them to follow through without the support and encouragement they need. 

As always, I love to hear back from people to see how my articles have had an impact.  Good luck on your next fundraising event! 

Deb

P.S.  My latest book The Secret to Fundraising; It's NOT About Asking For Money is all about strategic relationship cultivation.  Click here to view it on Amazon.com.  

 
 




 
 

Relationship Fundraising - Anatomy of a Success Story

Before I tell you exactly how to write success stories, I want to let you know about a special I'm having on my books right now.  I've got some inventory I want to get rid of.  Right now, you can buy both of my books for $25 (includes shipping).  Mail your check to alinea and include your shipping information to 703  E. Lexington Blvd., Whitefish Bay, WI 53217. 

Now on to my posting about success stories. 

Success Stories - 

A Critical Part of Your Case Statement

Your organizational story articulates the essence of who you are – or your special sauce (that’s a technical term of mine).  The purpose of sharing your story is to inspire people to want to help.  And the gathering place for your amazing story is what I call a professional case statement, described on no more than one sheet of paper using both sides. 

I dedicated a series of posts a couple years ago to helping you develop a professional case statement for your organization.  Today, I’m going to talk about one of the most important sections of your case statement – success stories.  Success stories bring your mission to life and help you make an emotional connection with someone.   

I may have mentioned that I’m transitioning my business from consulting to coaching and teaching.  I have been having fun documenting the process by which I have developed my clients’ success stories, as well as figuring out how best to pass that knowledge along to my coaching clients. 

I am so excited right now to be working with the UW Milwaukee Women’s Resource Center as they celebrate 20 years of empowering thousands of female students PLUS setting course for the future.  Consistent with their collaborative approach, about 10 student staff members will be assisting with developing the Center’s case statement, specifically developing success stories. 

As I guide the UW Milwaukee Women’s Resource Center, I thought I would pass along the coaching I’m providing them to all of you.

But first, click here to check out this amazing resource for students on our beautiful UW Milwaukee campus.   

The Formula for a Successful Success Story

There actually is a formula for developing a success story in a way that will really bring your organization’s story to life =

What was life like before YOU +

What happened during the experience with YOU +

How is the future different because of YOU

Formula Part #1 – 

What was life like before your organization?

People are inspired by transformation or how the world changes because of your mission, not by the activities you do day to day.  Implementing your mission is hard work and critical, but when you are trying to engage community members in your work, bringing to life the impact of your mission is what will get their attention and hopefully their support. 

Think of a person or a family that experienced great transformation because of their experience with your organization or school.  Begin by describing what their life was like before they came to your organization.  What were they struggling with?  What were their challenges?  Here are a couple examples:

From Eastbrook Academy
www.eastbrookacademy.org 

Rakim had attended another Christian school before coming to 
Eastbrook Academy in 5^th grade, but he says,  “We didn’t have quality 
teachers, classes were big, and you couldn’t get the attention 

you needed from teachers.  I was struggling in math.”

         


       From Interfaith Older Adults – Neighborhood Outreach Program
       www.interfaithmilw.org/nop

“After my stepmother had a stroke, my father became her main caretaker. 

This was a lot for him, and I tried to look for services to help him, but it was too expensive. Because I live in a different state, it is not possible for me to be there all the time.  My father was very active, as a golfer, fisherman, and artist, and exercised every day.   He led a very full life but had to give up so much freedom to care for her 24/7.”

From Next Act Theatre
www.nextact.org

  "Back when my wife Ericka and I had our first baby, we craved time as a couple and with other adults.  
We happened to bid on a set of Next Act Theatre tickets 
and turned it into one of our first post-baby date nights."  

Formula Part #2 – 
What happened during the experience with you?

This is where you talk about exactly what you did that helped someone overcome their challenges and totally change their mindset about what’s possible.  What was it about what you did and how you did it that made a difference in this person’s life?  The above examples are continued here:

From Eastbrook Academy:

At Eastbrook Academy, Rakim shares, “The teachers were much better, 
you could ask them anything, they respected students, and expectations were higher.  
I think I got nicer when I came to EBA.”  His GPA increased every year, 
and as he now goes off to college, he proudly asserts, “I feel prepared." 

From Interfaith Older Adults – Neighborhood Outreach Program

"Interfaith was a godsend. Now, once a week a volunteer comes 
to the house and gives my father a day off.  Their volunteer is wonderful.  
She is really amazing.  She is 84 years old, but my Dad was amazed that 
she had gotten up early to exercise, make them banana bread before she arrived. 
She is very generous, has served in the Peace Corp’s, 
and is just a real sweetheart."

From Next Act Theatre:

"We not only loved the show, but by buying a season subscription 
we automatically put four more date nights on the calendar.  
As busy parents, it was not only easy, it was affordable – today, 
it’s just $100 per person for FOUR fabulous productions – that’s just $25 a show.  
It wasn’t long before our friends, who were also starting families, joined us." 

Formula Part #3 – 
What does the future look like now?

Transformation is about a new way of thinking about things that leads to new and better results.  This transformation occurs in the assumptions we make our ourselves, others and the world.  For example, a child’s assumptions about themselves might include not feeling good enough.  Their assumption about the world could be that they are a victim and don’t have control over their circumstances.  An older adult could hold an assumption about other people that they don’t care.  A real success story is about changing these assumptions.  I continue the above examples:

From Eastbrook Academy:

"I knew I would go but I thought it would be community college.  
Then I started getting accepted to top of the line schools, 
and I got a $22,000 scholarship from St. Norbert’s!”  
Starting his own business is a big goal of Rakim's.

       From Interfaith Older Adults – Neighborhood Outreach Program

"Without huge financial resources to have a constant caregiver, 
Interfaith has given my father enough peace of mind to 
go do the things he likes to do.  
He really feel comfortable with Sally coming once a week.  
Interfaith has really been a godsend.”

From Next Act Theatre

"Over the past 15 years, we became a group of 10.  
We take turns choosing a restaurant and we’re NEVER disappointed!  
Our subscription guarantees an entertaining and thought provoking show, 
PLUS time with friends over dinner." 

These are real success stories written by me for my clients.  When you put the three pieces of the formula together, they are very concise but compelling stories that get right to the heart of the difference these organizations make to people.

In my next posting I plan to tell you exactly how to go about asking and interviewing people who have amazing stories to share that bring your mission to life. 

Also, feel free to check out any of the organizations above.  All three are amazing organizations that are in the business of inspiring true transformation.

As always, let me know how you use my coaching to make a difference in your own organization.

Deb 

Fundraising - Engaging Board Members

Before I share with you How to Get Your Board Members to be Walking Billboards for Your Nonprofit, School or Church, I want to remind you about my seminar the weekend of March 21st.

I'm taking everything I've learned and developed over the past 10 years of working with schools and nonprofits and I'm teaching it to 75 people - I have lots of seats open!  HELP ME FILL THEM. If you're not interested, please let others know.

I will teach folks a new way to think about resource development (money, student enrollment, community partnerships, building awareness), then share the knowledge you need to put these concepts to work, and then give you a big binder and electronic versions of tools and templates you can use (case statement, elevator pitch, student enrollment strategies, communications tools like Facebook, website, flyers for anything, scripts, applications for grants, and much more).

The cost for my seminar is: PAY WHAT YOU CAN OR WANT and attend one or both dates as well as join us for networking.

Click here and request registration paperwork or hit the BUY NOW button on my blog.  To learn more about what I'll cover and to read or hear testimonials from some of my clients, visit my website or my You Tube Channel.

Now, on to sharing my secrets for inspiring your board members to be walking billboards for your organization.

Understanding How to Inspire Your Board Members to be Active Ambassadors

 FIRST - It's About Confidence

Are your board members out there tirelessly promoting your organization?  I guarantee you don't really know the answer to this question.  Whenever I do a seminar for board members, and I ask them, "How many of you are confident and comfortable sharing your organization's story?" only one-third of the hands go up.  Your board members are the guardians of your organization, but most of them are NOT PROMOTING your organization.  Here's the thing though.  They will never admit it because they think they should know how to do this.

Over the past 10 years of working with nonprofits, schools and churches, I've learned that there is a lot of guilt on boards.  It's crazy, because here are people who volunteer outside of their jobs and families to offer their time, support, money and advice to a cause for which they have much passion.

They get onto the board often with little training and orientation and you can tell they're ready to get to work.  After a few meetings of soaking in everyone else's wisdom and perspectives, they are really feeling ready to go.  But then after a few more meetings, many board members begin feeling unsure about what to actually do to help outside of attending meetings and blessing the budget and activities of the director.  Eventually, many of them begin to feel ineffective and like they're not making a contribution.

What often happens on the other end - the staff end - is the director begins to make assumptions about a lack of commitment to the organization.  I have found that this just is not the case.  Through many board engagement projects and confidential interviews with board members, I have found the issue to be one of a lack of direction, training and tools than anything else.

A Real Story - Connecting Youth, Inc. (Milwaukee)

A few years back I was brought in by the executive director of a small nonprofit called Connecting Youth who needed help engaging the board in the organization's work after quickly growing operations.  This awesome organization is a group home for teens that can't be adequately served in foster care.  After my first meeting with the board and staff, even I fell under the spell of making assumptions about whether the president of the board was committed.  I really thought to myself, "This person is probably going to have to leave."

When we started clarifying the organization's mission, developing a compelling vision for the future and outlining three clear priorities and a committee structure to achieve them, you could just feel the difference in energy and motivation.  As part of our project, I asked the board members to personally invite some folks to an information session for the purpose of recruiting some additional board and committee members.  While just five people came, all five jumped in and got involved.  The really awesome story is the professional woman who was invited by the board president not only recruited her daughter to serve on the board (she had marketing expertise), she mailed in a $1,000 check after just that one meeting.  This was a HUGE donation for them.  With some clarity and tools, this board president was really able to share the story and make connections.  

Another Real Story - Eastbrook Academy (Milwaukee)


My last posting about board engagement is one of my most popular blogs.  I thought about this again recently as I started working with my new awesome client, Eastbrook Academy, a school that has one of the most amazing stories ever.  This school started 16 years ago with just a K4, K5 and 1st grade, and this year their first high school graduating class will graduate from college.  They have a 100% high school graduation rate, 100% college acceptance rate, PLUS they are racially and economically diverse, with one-third of their students qualifying for free and reduced lunch and a large portion of their students coming from wealthy suburbs paying private tuition.  Families that choose to go there state that they don't have to choose between diversity AND student achievement - THEY GET BOTH.

Anyway, this school is kind of shy about promoting itself.  They have quietly known that they are doing something really awesome, and their recent accreditation brought accolades from the accrediting association.  But they're still kind of shy, and it's my job to tell them how awesome they are and to teach them how to engage the rest of the world in their amazing story.

In the short time I've been there, there are already getting more results just by encouraging them.  They just held their annual event, which had been on a downward trend for various reasons.  Three weeks before the event, I provided the board members with a script and they signed up to make some personal calls to invite people to come to the event.  That made all the difference.  When the board president went to his company for sponsorship, he said all he had to do was write down some of the achievements of the school and the company said yes right away.  They exceeded their goal!

SECOND - Two Tools for Building Confidence

A past board member of Eastbrook Academy admitted that one of the reasons he left the board was because he didn't know how to share the story.  I'm so glad he admitted that.  You can have all the passion in the world, but if you don't know what to say, then you don't share.

There are three tools that really help your ambassasdors share the story:

1. Professional Case Statement.  Click here to go to my first blog posting about developing case statements. 
2. Elevator Pitch.  Click here to go to my blog posting about developing an elevator pitch. 
3. FAQ (frequently asked questions).  This is another great tool to have available to consistently address common questions that come up.  Click here to send me an email for a sample of an FAQ document.  

THIRD - Professional Nagging and Support Bring Credibility

Years back I read something about all the research that was done on all the millions companies spend on professional development programs for their employees.  Unfortunately, the research showed that most of that money was probably being wasted because there were no long-term changes in behavior and results.  The research did however identify the difference in what did bring lasting results and that was followup and support.  

We all intuitively know that changing behaviors and habits is really, really difficult.  We know that the majority of people who want to lose weight end up putting it back on, many people who try to quit smoking don't succeed until many attempts.  Just think about how unrealistic it is to expect people to expertly manage their time after going to a weekend seminar.  Or expecting harmony in the workplace to go up after sending employees to even a six-week program on how to have difficult conversations.  Without the followup and support from a manager, real change is unlikely. 

So even when you provide your board members with a beautiful case statement and elevator pitch, likely not much will happen - even though they're all motivated and excited about their new tools.  They may have every great intention, but when they get out there your board members will get stuck.  And remember, they won't tell you - they're too embarassed.  

I recommend these three follow-up steps to build the confidence and ensure your board members become active ambassadors for your organization.  If they do, you will definitely see new results.  

FIRST - Build in time to report back to each other on how it's going.  You could add a regular agenda item called "Community Engagement" or "Relationship Cultivation" or "Sharing the Story."  During this time, board members can share their experience of using the case statement and elevator pitch and what results they're experiencing.  How many new people have they shared the story with for example.  I like to actually add a little competition to the mix.  Set a weekly goal for the board members when it comes to sharing the story with new people.  

SECOND - Capture all new relationships in a tracking.  Your board members should know that when they have a meaningful conversation with someone that they are to ask them if it's okay to contact them in the future or put them on the mailing list (this is in the elevator pitch).  This contact information should be passed along to the person who is in charge of the relationship tracking so there is immediately a next step for this relationship.  To get a sample elevator pitch, click here and send me an email.    

THIRD - Celebrate success to build more confidence.  I can't believe how often organizations downplay their successes.  My client just exceeded their goal for an event, and the email that went out from the fund development director was very professional and detailed, but it did not scream - WE EXCEEDED OUR GOAL!  The fact that the board members actively made personal phone calls was something that was new and their efforts resulted in more tables being sold at the event, more attendees and a brand new donation!  THIS IS AWESOME!  Celebrating your successes is important for lots of reasons, but most importantly for helping your board members know that THEY MADE A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION.  When they see that, they will be happy to do it again.  

Your board members are your most important tool for inspiring others to get involved in your organization.  I often remind organizations and board members that it's NOT the job of the fund development director to raise money.  It's her or his job to drive the fundraising plan and to empower as many people as possible to share the story, make connections and cultivate relationships.  The organizations that take this to heart have more donors than they can handle.  

As always, I love to hear your own success stories.  

Please consider coming to my seminar or helping me promote it.  I've got a week and a half to fill my 75 seats.  With a price of PAY WHAT YOU CAN and a guarantee that you'll receive inspiration and knowledge and materials worth thousands there are lots of organizations that can benefit. 

Deb 

  

Fundraising - Maximizing Results from Special Events

Before I share with you 5 steps that will GUARANTEE better results from your events, I want to remind you about my seminar the weekend of March 21st.

I'm taking everything I've learned and developed over the past 10 years of working with schools and nonprofits and I'm teaching it to 75 people - I have lots of seats open!  HELP ME FILL THEM.  I will teach folks a new way to think about resource development (money, student enrollment, community partnerships, building awareness), then share the knowledge you need to put these concepts to work, and then give you a big binder and electronic versions of tools and templates you can use (case statement, elevator pitch, student enrollment strategies, communications tools like Facebook, website, flyers for anything, scripts, applications for grants, and much more).

The cost for my seminar is: PAY WHAT YOU CAN OR WANT and attend one or both dates as well as join us for networking.

Click here and request registration paperwork or hit the BUY NOW button on my blog.  To learn more about what I'll cover and to read or hear testimonials from some of my clients, visit my website or my You Tube Channel.

Now, on to sharing my secrets for getting more out of your events.

5 Steps to Getting More Out of Your Events

This time of the year isn't just for spring training; it's also the time of year many nonprofit organizations host special events to raise money and build awareness for their good work.

I've never come across an organization that couldn't get more out of their events.  Here are 5 things to consider in order to maximize the results you can achieve through your upcoming event.

#1 - Determine the Purpose of the Event.

Do you have a written strategy for your annual event?  Rarely do I come across a nonprofit with a written plan for what exactly they want to achieve through the event.  Without specific objectives for what you want to achieve, there's no direction for all the steps that come next.  Without an exciting vision for what you want your event to look and feel like, too much attention gets focused on
logistics.

Often, a nonprofit will state that their goal with the event is to raise money, but then when I ask them who is on the invitation list and who actually comes, it's their volunteers, families of students or other constiuents.  Typically, this scenario is not going to help you maximize revenue generated by the event. However, if the objective of the event is to recognize volunteers, show off student work or build relationships among internal stakeholders, then this invitation list makes sense.  See what I'm saying?

Either objective is fine, but if your objective is to raise money, then your invitation list needs to look different.  Maybe you still want to have an event for volunteers and families; then do that.  But don't expect to raise a lot of money, and then when you don't, feel badly about the event.  Judge the results of the event based on your objectives.

BOTTOM LINE:  SET CLEAR MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES FOR YOUR EVENT.

RESOURCE:  CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A SAMPLE EVENT STRATEGY PLAN.

#2 - Decide Who You Want to Attend Your Event. 

You probably send invitations out via regular mail and email to everyone on your list, including donors, people who receive your email, constituents and others.  They just do what they did last year.  Instead, start by answering this question:  "Who do we want to attend our event?"  Just by asking that question, your list is going to look quite different.  When I worked with the Interfaith neighborhood Outreach Program on their event, I asked them, "Who do you think SHOULD be there?  Who should know more about you?  When they thought about their invitation list in this way, they came up with lots of people they had never thought about before.  Instead of just inviting everyone you have an address or email for, be more strategic and start with the objective you set above and then generate a list of people who will help meet that objective.

BOTTOM LINE:  INVITE THE PEOPLE WHO WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR OBJECTIVES.

#3 - Engage Staff, Volunteers and Board Members in Generating the Invitation List.

People look at me a little funny when I tell them, "The role of your fund development director is NOT to raise money."  But it's true.  If everyone in your organization is looking to the development director or coordinator to raise money and put on events, you will definitely NOT maximize your results.  One person is just one person.  Instead, look at your fund development director as the DRIVER or FACILITATOR of your resource development plan.  Her or his role is to empower as many other people as possible to share the story, make connections and open doors.  Once those connections are made, it's her or his job to help decide what to do next in order to cultivate that relationship.  The volunteer or board member that made the connection may continue to be involved or may not.

Anyway, when it comes to events,  once you've set your objectives, allow your board members, volunteers and staff members to brainstorm who they know and respect that matches the objectives.  In addition, have them look at the attendance list from the last few years and identify with which attendees they have a connection.

#4 - Personal Outreach is What Inspires People to Come. 

Typically, nonprofits will use the strategies with which they are most comfortable.  When it comes to getting people to their events, they rely on mailed and emailed invitations. For your own events, you probably have some kind of hard mailing list and email list.  On the list are people who receive your newsletter, donors and constiuents.  You send out your invitations about four to six weeks ahead of time and then you excitedly wait for the rsvp's to come rolling in, and when they don't come in as fast as you had hoped, you begin to feel that pit in the bottom of your stomach.  You feel anxiety as you check the mail each day leading up to the event.  Am I right?

You can do your own research to confirm that mailings are not the best way to engage people.  People want to attend an event because they feel like their presence is meaningful, and the best way to make people feel important is through personal outreach.

Then have everyone (board members) assign themselves to personally reaching out to their people.  They will likely be nervous about doing this, so provide some language or a script to give them the confidence.  In the script include the language that if people are not able to attend, to ask if they would consider making a donation to help the organization reach their goal.  Then set a deadline like 48 hours to complete the outreach, which can be done via live conversation, voicemail or email.  The objective of the calls is to inspire people to want to attend or make a small donation toward the event.

BOTTOM LINE:  YOUR RSVP'S WILL GO UP DRAMATICALLY WITH PERSONAL OUTREACH.

RESOURCE:  CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR YOUR BOARD MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS TO USE. 

#5 - Events Are About Cultivating Relationships, Not Just Promoting the Organization. 

Usually, much attention will be paid attention to all the logistics before and during the event.  As I mentioned above, focusing your attention on getting the right people to your event and then personally reaching out to them to inspire them to come will already increase your results.  Don't breathe your sigh of relief yet though.  Your work has just begun.

Once you know who is coming to the event, review the list with your board members, staff members and key volunteers and inspire them to see themselves as ambassadors of the organization.  Their job at the event is to personally welcome people and share their passion for the organization.  Their job is to genuinely be curious and learn more about them and then to report back after the event.

While many nonprofit staff members are just happy for an event to be over, it is important to schedule an event debriefing meeting within a week following the event to discuss what worked well and to share all the amazing experiences that were had with attendees.  The purpose of the event was to continue building relationships with existing supporters and to inspire new supporters.  There are so many juicy things you will all learn about people that will give you clues about how to continue to build the relationship.

People who took the time out of their busy lives to spend an entire evening at your event often are open to getting more involved, especially right after their enjoyable experience.  As you talk about the various attendees, think about what they may have in common with each other.  Then think about what might be a good way to build on their experience at the event.  If they've never taken a tour, this is a perfect next step.  If you have several who have never taken a tour, you might want to consider inviting them to attend one or two tours to experience your mission for themselves and to learn more about your top priorities for the next year.  It's just another opportunity to share and let them know what you need to achieve your vision.

BOTTOM LINE:  THE END OF THE EVENT IS THE BEGINNING OF MORE STEPS TO CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS.  

RESOURCE:  CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A COMPELLING TOUR GUIDE. 

I GUARANTEE that looking at your events in this way and taking the steps above will increase your results.  And I'd love to find out what happens when you try this approach.  Good luck with all yoru events this year!

Deb

New Year's Resolutions for Fundraising

New Year - New Fundraising Goals

Whether your fiscal year ends on December 31st or not, January feels like a good time to set new goals.

Even though just 45% of Americans set New Year's resolutions, and just 8% of them successfully achieve them, the beginning of a new year is still a good time to start some new habits that could bring better results.

You could be that 8%, which would put you out front of everyone else.  First, let's talk about the keys to successfully following through on your New Year's resolution.  Second, we'll talk about some good resolutions to set related to fundraising.

Keys to Achieving Your New Year's Resolution

I did a little research on what that 8% does to achieve their New Year's resolutions, and my favorite pieces of advice include:

• According to The Women's Club Blog (www.thewomens-club.com), "Leaving your comfort zone can be very daunting but it is this discomfort we must face in order to truly reach our goals." 

• According to Winners Drink Milk Blog (www.winnersdrinkmilkblog.com), "Write down and publicly announce your goals.  Tell your friends, broadcast it on Twitter, Facebook or whatever your choice of communication. You are much more likely to make improvements than someone who hasn't made a formal resolution."   

• According to The Telegraph Blog (www.telegraph.co.uk), "Break your goal into a series of steps, focusing on creating sub-goals that are conrete, measurable, and time-based.  

What Does This Have to do with Fundraising?

If you want to get different results in fundraising, then you'll need to change your behavior just like you have to when you want to lose weight, manage stress, get a better job or recycle or volunteer more.  

That's why I love the three keys to success I found above.  Let's relate them to fundraising. 

#1 - Leaving Your Comfort Zone 

My clients who get the best results are so open to THINKING about things in a new way and suffering through the discomfort of DOING things in a new way.  My favorite clients say, "Deb, just tell us what to do; we're ready."  They have a little faith and when they try what I ask them to try, they're so pleasantly surprised by the results.   

• Pick up the phone and talk to people.  Whether you are the development director or a board member, this is the number one thing holding you back.  Go find my blog on case statements and elevator pitches and just start practicing on someone, anyone.  Whatever is the most difficult thing for you to do is probably the most important thing for you to do - just like exercising.  Stop saying you don't have time.  That's really an excuse for avoiding something you're uncomfortable with. If you can call on your discipline to JUST DO IT, you will get results. 

#2 - Share Your Goals 

I recently worked with a client that had a goal to increase their patrons.  They already a significant number of very loyal patrons who just adored them.  I asked, "Have you told the people who already love you that you're looking for more people like them?"  People like to help; but they need to know how.

• Don't be afraid to let your supporters know about your goals.  There's a kind of intersection of magic that happens when an organization inspires someone who has the desire to make a difference.  It's actually a gift to the donor AND the organization!  No one knows how hard your're working and what you need unless you tell them.  In the words of one of my clients, " I have also gotten more specific in identifying what people can do to help - specific number of drivers and specific things we need to buy.  It really seems to motivate folks to hear specifics - even if they can't do it they may hand me a check [for some amount]." 

#3 - Break Your Goal into Steps and Celebrate Along the Way 

Let's say your goal is to raise an additional $100,000, and your total budget is just $2 million.  That's a big increase.  How can you break this into smaller, achievable steps? 

• Figure out what this $100,000 will pay for.  Be specific so prospective donors know exactly how they can make a difference.  For example, maybe you need $6,000 to pay for two lego robotics sets, $15,000 for Chrome Notebooks for 60 students, $6,000 for Discovery Education Online Curriculum, $15,000 for student project supplies, and $58,000 for a new computer lab.  Defining your needs will allow prospective supporters to know exactly what their contributions mean. 

• Schedule one hour more per week focusing on relationship culivation.  One hour more per week equals at least 50 hours per year, and that can really make a difference when it comes to cultivating relationships.  Think about it.  One more hour per week could mean a significant number of interactions with people every week:  10 more phone calls thanking donors, two more tours, one more lunch with a new donor or research on two more people that might be inspired by your work - EVERY SINGLE WEEK!  While there is no guarantee you will receive a specific gift from a specific person, there is a guarantee that if you do the activities (research, calls, tours, meetings, etc.), you will get more than you got before. 

• Celebrate small success to provide more momentum.  A  lot of this work is done by volunteers like board members, who are really looking to make a meaningful contribution.  It's important that they feel there's progress being made, even if it's small.  It's just not motivating to feel like what you're doing is never good enough.  If your goal is $100,000, and you've just raised your first $5,000 of that amount, send out an email to your entire boad congratulating them.  Do a little dance to celebrate.  Think about what recognizing your children for their little accomplishments does; it makes them want to do more.  We really never grow out of that need for positive recognition.  

Share the Joy! 

There's enough to go around.  You don't have to be in competition with anyone.  The more you share, the more you receive.  Please share your success stories on my blog - spread the joy! 

Happy Holidays!  

Deb