Three of those 'realities' are:
- Wealth Alone Doesn't Determine
- A Few Contribute the Most
- The Secret to Success
Showing posts with label fundraising tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fundraising tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Three Fundraising Realities Every Board Member Must Face
Three of those 'realities' are:
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Hard Truths Your Board Members Must Face If They Want to Raise Big Money
"You can't handle the truth!" is Jack Nicholson's memorable line in A Few Good Men.
Fortunately, your board members are a hardier lot than Tom Cruise's character. They can in fact accept the truth - in this case, three fundraising truths - if you carefully explain the validity of each. Those truths are:
- Go Figure
- Each According to His or Her Means
- Those Who Ask Must Give First
Thursday, January 2, 2014
BDPA Brotha Shares 10 Sure-Fire Ways to Ruin Your Networking Efforts
This time I thought that it would be worthwhile to point out ten things that many of us do to the detriment of our networking efforts. Here are 10 things you should *NOT DO* if you want to make your networking work!
- Do not abuse your network. Word of mouth will kill you.
- Do not abuse your contacts. Always honor their right to privacy.
- Do not burden your network with your problems, but, be willing to listen to advice when you ask for it.
- Do not develop a reputation for calling *only* when you need a favor.
- Do not ever think anything can replace real competence.
- Do not expect anyone to work harder for you than you are willing to work for yourself.
- Do not expect your network to find you a job.
- Do not give a referral without first calling ahead to alert your contact.
- Do not offer negative feedback callously.
- Do not talk excessively about yourself. Learn how to get your network to do this for you!
These are some ideas on how you can maximize your positive results from networking. Have you learned the 'hard way' about any of these ten networking errors in the past? Do you have other suggestions that we may have missed?
I will continue to share these 'BDPA Brotha' tips on a semi-regular basis!
Thursday, December 26, 2013
BDPA Brotha Shares 15 Ideas to Improve Your Networking Results
- Do ask for what you want. No one is there to take care of you. Anticipate that contacts may say 'No' and don't be offended if they do.
- Do be business-like ... always!
- Do circulate at meetings. Learn to introduce yourself to strangers.
- Do continue to develop your expertise and visibility to enhance your value to the network.
- Do deliver when you say you will.
- Do follow good rules of social etiquette.
- Do follow-up on leads.
- Do give sensitive and caring feedback to members of your network.
- Do maintain confidentiality. Protect your sources.
- Do not abandon former networks as you climb higher.
- Do not be discouraged. If given the brush off by one contact in your network, move on!
- Do offer to pick up the tab!
- Do refine your 'want list' and only ask for one thing at a time.
- Do test out the reliability of any information you receive.
- Do try to give as much as you get from network contacts. Reciprocity is the name of the game. Do not wait to be asked!
I will continue to share these 'BDPA Brotha' tips on a semi-regular basis!
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Fundraising Tip: Hard Truths Your Board Members Must Face If They Want to Raise Big Money
"You can't handle the truth!" is Jack Nicholson's memorable line in A Few Good Men.
Fortunately, your board members are a hardier lot than Tom Cruise's character. They can in fact accept the truth—in this case, three fundraising truths -- if you carefully explain the validity of each.
1. Go Figure
Say you're approached by a fellow worker and asked to pitch in for the comptroller's wedding gift. The first question you typically ask is, "How much do you have in mind?" or "What are others giving?"
What you're seeking is a frame of reference.
The same dynamic plays out when you approach prospects. They want a sense of what you're looking for or what their peers are giving.
Are you talking $500, $5,000, or $50,000, they want to know.
You need to be specific. To many, that can be unnerving. Heck, it's hard enough to ask for "any amount you can give" or "whatever you can afford," but the temerity of naming a number—that's like asking "How much do you make a year, bud?"
Another way to frame your request is to mention what others are giving, naming names if you've been given permission. Or, you can stress how your campaign needs several friends to contribute at a certain level and you're hoping the prospect will be among them. Here, you might actually share the gift table you developed.
When you bring your car in for service, the mechanic diagnoses the problem and gives you a quote. What if instead he said nothing? You wouldn't know whether you could afford the repair, or even if your car is worth fixing. It would make you uncomfortable—you'd also question the mechanic's ability.
Don't put your prospect in a similar position. Suggest the amount you have in mind, a "quote," if you will. No one's going to slam the hood on your fingers.
Read the rest of this GuideStar article and learn about the other two fundraising truths!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Fundraising Tip: How to Turn One-Time Donors Into Monthly Givers
Thinking about monthly giving is one of the smartest things you can do as a fundraiser. Network for Good research shows that 30-40% of the donation volume for a nonprofit website is monthly giving, and that would be a great situation to find all nonprofits in -- thanking people every month instead of asking them for donations every few weeks.
How do you do that? How do you turn your annual givers into monthly supporters?
- Make sure your donation form asks what type of gift the donor wants to make ("Do you want to give us a monthly gift?"). Whenever you're asking for money, ask for the monthly pledge, not just a one-time gift.
- Revisit the language you're using in your appeals. Frame your ask in such a way that it's a win-win situation-monthly donations for you, convenience and budgeting for your donors. (Read more about the four parts of a great fundraising appeal.)
- Package the appeal in an exciting way. For example, some organizations have an ambassador program or a sponsor-a-child every month program. Put a face on that sustainable gift. This way you're creating some tangible tie to the idea of giving every month. Remember: To increase charitable donations, you should appeal to the heart--not the head.
- Don't be afraid to ask for a monthly gift of support after someone completes a one-time transaction. It can be ingrained as a nice thank-you message: "Thank you so much for making a one-time gift. This is how you can put your support to work for us each and every month. Would you consider becoming a monthly supporter?" We've seen great success in converting first-time online donors into monthly donors by doing that within the first three days of them making their first online gift.
Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Fundraising Tip: How To Raise More Money Online
I think that the following fundraising tip may be a helpful reminder to all of us that work with nonprofits that are doing good works.
Make Your Donation Button Shine
Online fundraising is a critical component of any individual fundraising strategy. It's the fastest-growing piece of the development pie, plus when people hear about your organization, want to learn more, or seek updates on your work, they will visit your Web site.
It is critical to make sure that visitors can find your donation button within two seconds of clicking on your home page. This means that the button should be sizeable, colorful, prominent, and "above the fold," meaning it's visible on the page without the need to scroll down.
Play around with different iterations if you can and carefully note the impact on conversation rates and donation amounts -- Network for Good performed a test on their Web site and witnessed a 30 percent greater conversion when they changed their donation button from gray to red. Conversion at the last mile is key, so analyze how many people click on the button versus how many actually donate. If the link doesn't go straight to the donation page, fix it! You should also get creative and use images or different words to relate a donation to something tangible, e.g. "donate a science book" or "save our children's future."
Few, if any, of the local BDPA chapter websites are taking advantage of this tip. The National BDPA website has a 'donations' button located at the bottom of their left-hand navigation bar. We don't have a 'donate now' button on our BETF homepage. We have a 'Donate' option in the navigation bar ... but, I've learned from this fundraising tip that we're missing the boat on this one!
This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.
Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Fundraising Tip: Never Apply for a Grant Without Contacting the Foundation First
Never Apply for a Grant Without Contacting the Foundation First:
As much as you might want to believe that grants are awarded simply due to the fit of the program and the excellence of the application, it simply isn't true. In fact in our experience, the odds of getting a grant that you send in without contacting the foundation are about 5 percent-10 percent. Just as in individual (and all!) fundraising, developing relationships is critical. There are people at these foundations, called program officers, who are directly responsible for deciding who gets money and who doesn't. They care deeply about the work they are funding, and consider it an advantage to be able to scope out potential grantees. In-person meetings with program officers are ideal, but even a short phone call with a grant manager or administrator can still yield the basic information you need as well as getting your name in the mind of someone at the foundation.
Sometimes these initial conversations can save you valuable time in applying for a grant program that was not a fit -- always do your homework on their funding goals ahead of time! But often, they are valuable knowledge-gathering sessions: use the call or meeting to identify the funder's key priorities and desired language, which many times cannot be found on the organization's Web site; figure out which of your programs or initiatives is the best fit;, and determine how much money you should request.
Finally, go out on a limb and ask if they would be willing to preview your LOI (Letter of Intent) or proposal before you submit it officially. This advance look will give them a sense of ownership over your request and provide you with valuable feedback. Start today by calling the offices of your top foundation prospects and seeing if you can get on a relevant program officer's schedule.
I must admit that the two largest grants that BETF received in the past year came after face-to-face meetings with the funding source.
This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.
Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Fundraising Tip: Make Specific and Direct Asks for Money
Make Specific and Direct Asks for Money:
People give because they are asked—if you don't ask, the answer will always be no. It can be tough to look someone in the eyes and ask for money, but somewhere in your pitch, some variation of the words "I'd like to invite you to invest $100 in our work" need to find their place, ideally followed by as long a pause as it takes to get an answer.
For fundraisers, you can't make the mistake of not asking because you feel greedy or you think they will know what you want. Ask with pride for the cause you are so committed to raising money for, and be honored to be the potential bridge for that donor from need to impact, donation to solution. Be sure to ask for a specific amount (something that's a stretch, but not unrealistic), and be clear about exactly what you will spend the money on and the impact it will generate. Tell the story of someone you've served who enjoyed the impact of these types of donations.
Start today by calling a lapsed donor and asking for a small renewal gift, even if it's $25! Practice this type of direct and specific ask on your board members, coworkers, family, and friends, and in no time you will be a master fundraiser.
If you're still reading this blog post ....then this is my "ask" of you. Please click here and donate a small gift ... even it it's $10 ... to support our Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund. Here is a sample of the young people who's lives you will impact with your donation.
This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.
Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?
Monday, November 12, 2012
Create Good Chemistry to Improve Corporate Sales
Many BDPA leaders ask me for tips on increasing corporate sales revenue through sponsors. Much of my success in corporate sales for BDPA can be traced to my relationships with corporate champions.
How a corporate champion (or sponsor) feels with you is a big part of whether they will buy or not. Most people avoid hiring someone they are uncomfortable with. Sometimes clashes in personality are unavoidable. But in most cases, there are things you can do to create good chemistry between yourself and a corporate champion.
Obviously, it is important to try and be friendly and courteous to your sponsors. It's really quite simple. Smile and look them in the eye. If you are respectful to your sponsors and help them feel cared about, you will often see the same reaction in return.
Show an interest in what your sponsor is interested in. If I find some aspect of their project particularly exciting or interesting, I try to show that excitement. At the very least, you'll give the sponsor some encouragement -- something most of us could use.
Treat each as an individual. A corporate champion can tell whether you are truly interested in helping them. Try asking them about themselves. Show your sponsors you wish to know them on a personal level as well as a professional one.
Make sure that you listen. No matter how smart, right, or good you are, sometimes it's best to just be quiet. If you talk too much you may come across as overconfident and possibly arrogant. Many sponsors cannot stand someone who doesn't listen to their questions or concerns. If you put the sponsor before yourself, you're sure to have a better chance of making that sale!
Friday, October 12, 2012
For Non-Profits Seeking Funding, Remember the Power of One
"One person, one volunteer, one company at a time," says Zaid Gayle, Executive Director of Peace4Kids (P4K), a South Los Angeles non-profit that provides programs and services for foster and at-risk youth from ages 5-18, and after they transition to adulthood until age 24. Because foster kids rarely have a permanent home or family, Peace4Kids is dedicated to empowering foster and at-risk youth by providing its own community as family. The P4K creed is that no matter where their foster kids are moved or what challenges are thrown their way, P4K wants them to feel that they will always have a family at P4K.
Read the rest of this Huffington Post article.
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