Get Your Board Member's Help Without Having Them Ask for Money

One way to be a good steward is to make Thank you calls. These calls are not to replace the thank you call after an annual gift is received. Instead make the call about six months after the gift is received. This is just one way to keep your annual donors engaged in your organization. They will also feel appreciated.

Solicit board members or other volunteers to make the calls. Here is a sample script that can be adjusted to your organization’s needs.


Thank your volunteer for agreeing to make phone calls. Your efforts will go a long way in making our families feel valued and strengthening our long-term fund raising initiatives

Things to remember:

o Calls can be made whenever it is convenient for you. An effort has been made to match you with donors in your time zone.
o Whenever possible, we have provided home or cell phone numbers. Please try these numbers first before business numbers.
o Feel free to leave a message if you get a voice mail.

This script is just a suggestion to get you started. The main point is to make contact and inform the family of our programs and ask for his/her support, but DO NOT ASK for either current or future gifts.

Sample Script: Hello, may I please speak to Mr. ________? This is (name) calling on behalf of the XYZ agency. As a board member, I wanted to tell you about some programs that you may not be aware of at XYZ.

Talking Points:

Our services include . . . . Would you like to hear more about any of these programs? If yes see Program sheet read section pertinent to the area of interest. Then: if you would like to hear more I will have one of our admissions representative call you.

Ask for emails. Benefits: information on activities at XYZ. Usually once a month occasionally there will be an extra email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Would you be interested in hosting an informational gathering? This could be in your home or a restaurant of your choosing. If no, If you change your mind at a later date please contact XYZ. If yes great I will have representative’s name contact you to work out the details.

Questions you may be asked: This part should be filled with information that pertains specifically to your organization.
What is involved with hosting a gathering? XYZ will take care of the event including invitations and program. You provide a guest list and refreshments. The program is about twenty minutes long. We give information about XYZ programs and answer questions.

Are you calling to ask me for money?
No – we understand that there are many charities out there who ask for your support. This call is just for information and to say thank you for valuing XYZ’s work .

How is the XYZ doing financially?
XYZ has not been immune to the current economic climate affecting nonprofits nationwide. Despite careful investment strategies, the endowment took a significant hit. However, through careful trimming of the budget and smart fundraising strategy, we expect to weather the current economic situation as a fiscally healthy organization. For more information, you’re welcome to call XYZ’s Executive Director, Name phone number

What is XYZ’s mission? Place your organizations mission here.

Thank you for your time.

The Rejection

It does happen. Sometimes it is because the guidelines were not followed or because there simply were not enough funds to go around. What ever the reason, don’t take it personally. Do take advantage of the situation to build your relationship with the funder.

1. Write a thank you anyway. Sample After all the foundation did take the time to consider your request.
2. Call to find out what you should have done differently.
3. Invite the foundation staff and/or board for a visit.
4. Find out when you can submit again.

After three tries without success it is time to look for other funding sources. Your NPO may just not be what they are looking for.

Annual Giving

Annual giving typically is for current year uses such as operational costs. Most are unrestricted gifts although some organizations encourage giving to specific programs or departments. The size of the gift is not as relevant as the likelihood that the donor will continue to give each subsequent year. Annual gift programs are designed to build long term relationships that increase loyalty and donation amounts over time.

Successful annual giving programs will build the foundation for all other giving programs. They increase and develop a donor base that continues to grow over time. A look back at a constituents giving history will tell the development officer who gives steadily and at what level. This information will let you know when someone is starting to lapse in their giving and when another donor is ready to be asked for a major gift.

Annual giving programs can take many forms. The most common is a request through the mail. Phone calls and email requests are also used. All of these methods can be equally effective. What seems to be even more valuable is segmenting the constituents so that the ask can be more personalized and geared toward the donor’s interests. This take a little bit more work but as your data base grows you can send out your appeals in smaller chunks and pay more attention to the group and individuals in that group.

Devereux is Here for Me

Two Steps to a Succession Plan

According to Wikipedia, Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal personnel with the potential to fill key or critical organizational positions. Succession planning ensures the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume these roles as they become available.

Why is this, a hard concept to master?  The benefits to the organizations are numerous.  Let’s look at a simple succession plan for volunteers working on a Parent Teacher Association at an elementary school.  For years school xyz has put on an auction.  The school utilizes a chair that rallies her friends to fill various jobs such as gift acquisition, presentation of gifts, bidding, and pick up room.  For years the school has wanted to add an online component to their live auction but have never been able to work through the details to accomplish this.  Each year some old and many new volunteers, take over positions and must apply the “on the job training” model to pull off the event.  This makes for a stressful situation and the position looks overwhelming and unappealing to potential new volunteers.  By the time the volunteer is comfortable with their position they are ready to move on.

A simple succession plan can be implemented to help the auction move forward and increase revenue.  

1. Every Chair must have a co-chair or two

2. Each Chair must keep a binder full of step by step instructions and copies of receipts, timelines, and volunteer phone numbers.  (They may choose to keep their records online and provide a copy of the records on a disc.)

The Co-Chair volunteers, with the intent to one day become the chair.  For the first event, a chair keeps adding to the steps that he/she follows along the way to a successful event.  If a written document exists, then the Chair just has to update the list and make minor changes.

The result is not only a well planned event but one that can be easily carried out for several successful years.

Special Event Objectives

The most common reasons to hold a special event are:
Raise money
Keep current donors engaged
Encourage individuals to become new donors
Thank loyal donors and volunteers (cultivation)
Promote NPO recognition and awareness

Nonprofit Advocacy Day on the Hill

PANO aka Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations held a Nonprofit Advocacy Day on the Hill of April 7, 2010. To start off with I have to apologize to PANO for my tardiness. I am directionally challenged and have never been to the capital. I grew up in suburbia outside Detroit and thought I was a "city girl" until I moved east. Now any city causes me undue stress and I should have known better than to give myself only two hours to reach the Capital.

Anyway, back to the Caucus . . . I arrived as Joe Geiger, Executive Director of PANO was telling us (representatives of nonprofits) how important it was to collaborate and lobby. Think about it, strength is produced in numbers, and if we don't tell our legislators about us, how will they know? Nonprofits are doing the organizations they represent a disservice if they do not build relationships with their legislators.

Building your relationship with your legislator is much like the building of a relationship with a major gift prospect. Stop in their office, send an email, or letter but don't send mass form letter appeals. According to Representative Mario Scavello the form letters can cause the reverse of your desired effect. Mass emails fit in the same category.

Both Representative Scavello and Senator Dinniman spoke briefly on the state of the budget. Don't expect any surprise pots of money from the PA Government. If anything there will be some cuts. In conversations throughout the day, the loss of the proposed tolling of Interstate 80 was a topic of concern. It seemed like some were counting on that money to produce a balanced budget.

After the presentations we were able to meet with legislators and their aids. My appointments were pre-scheduled using a sample letter provided by PANO. Although some of the legislators were not in Harrisburg that day I did end up having a lengthy conversation with one representative and another visited our center before the Nonprofit caucus.

I encourage all PA nonprofits to attend next year's event. And if you live in another state, ask your legislators about their opportunities for nonprofits.

Becoming a Fund Raiser

I started out as a parent then teacher. I always seemed to be involved with agencies or schools that needed money. First off, as a parent and stay at home mom, I volunteered a lot at my children s school. They attended a Catholic elementary school and were always fund raising starting with the first day of class in August. We went from selling candy, wrapping paper, sub sandwiches, to auctions as the school year progressed.

I guess I made it to the official volunteer fund-raiser position when the principal told me we needed some money. Without giving it much thought I arranged an ice-cream social at the local uncle Rays Ice cream store. We received a percentage of the sales. i think we made around $150 the first day and the next two months (in the summer) we had two more socials that generated consistently less money. I never asked the principal how much she needed or for what fund but that was a defining moment to my yet to be realized career.

Several years later while I was working for a public school as the Day Care Director I wrote a request for 100 flower bulbs. To my surprise we received the flowers. At this point I thought grant writing was a breeze. A few months later I changed positions and became a Kindergarten teacher at a Catholic Mission School called Dukette. Dukette had all the elements necessary to receive grant funding. The school was a non-profit, it was located in economically challenged Flint, MI, (well known for that fact thanks to Michael Moore), we have a Community Foundation in the area, we were serving children and the school had me.

I had all the confidence I needed. After all, I had been awarded 100 bulbs. I began by writing to local agencies with beginners luck I received several monetary awards for the school. It was a great time to be in fund raising.

Later, when I went back to school and qualified for work study I choose to work for the community foundation that had awarded Dukette $3,000 for equipment for their after school program. I made the career change to fundraising as a profession that spring when the Community Foundation was looking for a Summer Youth Coordinator.

How did you start fund raising?

My You Tube Experience

I needed to get a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on You Tube.  Being a newbie on the social media scene this process was a shot in the dark for me.  Once again Google makes it simple. 

I set up an account and followed the simple steps.  The tricky part was finding the link after the video was posted.  Well I went back into my account and found the tag section.  I had to add the title Devereux is Here for Me and a few other key words such as Devereux Pocono Center to the Tags section.  It wasn’t until after my son placed commas and the quotation marks in the right place that you can now find the PSA by typing in Devereux Pocono.  Take a look and leave a comment.

The Birth of a Blog

Where do I start?  I was a little bored and wanted to start a website. So what do I write about?  I happen to be a development director and President of AFP Pocono Mountains Chapter.  Well, fund development of course.  But what did I know about a website?  I had no idea where to begin.  I was discussing this situation with my 19 year old son on his way back from college.  He had no choice but to talk to me.  It was a 2 1/2 hour drive.

He suggested I start a blog. But how would I get anyone to read the blog? Could I make any money?  After all I have nothing to sell.  My son who's babysitter was our home computer for many years said,  "Don't worry just add content.  I will take care of the rest."  So that was the birth of my blog.  Beers Group.  (Beers is my last name and Group represents my three children.) 

I must admit that my son did help me but Google also participated.  The help tab was also very informative.

I went to Google Blogs and followed the simple directions.  They provide templates and you can customize your account by changing colors and fonts.  Part of the fun is learning how to create the blog and add things like gadgets. 

Gadgets are the things on the top of the page and on the side such as Labels, Members, and About Me.  These are neat things that can link you to other blogs or make navigating my blog easier. So follow me as I improve my blog and please add your comments and questions.

News from Nonprofit Quarterly

http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2019:unraveling-development-what-do-all-the-words-mean&catid=145:simone-p-joyaux-acfre&Itemid=119

Take a look at this article and the author's book. Refreshing and full of great ideas.  Easy and interesting to read.

Sample Grant Tracking Sheet

 I have used Raiser's Edge and Donor Perfect but I still like to keep a spread sheet handy for a quick ready reference.  I use my tracker to see the deadlines from the year before and to input the month that I should be hearing back from a potential funder.  You can change up the spread sheet to add things like how many grants were written, denied and funded, etc.  Enjoy.

Detroit Medical Center Sale Challenged

So what about those designated dollars?