Fundraising: Face to Face Solicitations

The key to fundraising is to build relationships with people who care about your organization. But, what do you do when it comes time for them to ask other people for money? Doug Wingo, a fundraising specialist, talked to a group of NPCC members about how to train board members, volunteers, staff or other current donors to be “askers.” He offered the following advice.

First, you may need to get your fundraising house in order. This includes message development, developing a donor FAQ, identifying prospects, identifying and training solicitors, and creating solicitation materials. Finally, you should develop systems to shepherd the process, generate reports on the efforts, keep people on schedule, and deal with data collection and hopefully, the income from major gifts.

Identifying & Training Solicitors

If people are not experienced in face-to-face soliciting, you may need to train them because you don’t want them to turn around and say, “You asked me to do this, but you didn’t tell me how!” Many people have a fear of asking others for money even when it’s for a worthy cause. Some feel uneasy simply because they don’t know how or are not comfortable enough with the case to be made.

Ask them to imagine asking someone for $1,000 for the organization. What are they afraid might be the outcome of their solicitation? Most people will respond that they fear rejection, or they fear being asked questions they can’t answer, and some worry about being asked in turn down the road.

The key to remember is that you are not being personally rejected. Fundraising is about an exchange. Donors provide money in exchange for work being done that they believe in and want to see happen. Usually prospects say “no” for reasons that are outside of the solicitor’s control or knowledge.

Shaping the Message

Some organizations’ missions and activities are complex and difficult to put into words. How do stakeholders — staff, board, volunteers, clients, and funders — describe the organization to those who aren’t familiar with it? Everyone comes to an organization with his or her own perspectives and interpretations, and it can help to get everyone on the same page.

One way to begin is by conducting 10 to 20 interviews with key stakeholders, or to save time, ask these questions to a focus group(s). The case will emerge from their feedback.

1. How are you involved with the organization? How did you get involved? Why have you remained involved?
2. How would you describe the organization to someone who has never heard of it before?
3. What do you see as the organization’s major strengths and weaknesses?
4. What do you think are the most compelling reasons for supporting the organization? What do you think motivates donors to give to our organization?
5. What do you think of our fundraising efforts? How can we enhance them?
6. Can you think of any strategies for increasing our visibility?
7. Who are our competitors?
8. Who do you think are our most likely supporters? What potential donors (individuals, foundations or corporations) should we approach for funding?
9. Would you volunteer to help us reach out to prospective donors?

Developing a Donor FAQ

What are the ten most challenging questions prospects might ask in response to being solicited for money, and what are the “group-think” answers? These answers allow for a much broader and more intimate discussion of the case and of any other organizational issues the charity has experienced. Depending on the questions and answers, this document can live on your website as a Donor FAQ.

Identifying, Screening & Rating Prospects

Screening is an evaluation process to identify donors who are able to consider making a sizeable gift to the organization. What constitutes sizable depends on the organization: it may be $250 for one or $25,000 for another.

Gather lists of current and past donors, former board members, etc. Identify your top prospects by asking board members to rate them, to the best of their knowledge, as to the prospects: 1) ability to give and 2) inclination to give. Use this exercise to define asking amounts and identify potential board members and special events leadership.

Getting the Meeting

Arrange a personal meeting at a private location, if possible. Ask for 45 minutes of their time. Tell the prospect that you are seeking her support, input, and insight. Don’t discuss money on the phone. If the prospect objects to making an appointment for a personal meeting, some responses might include: I know you are very busy, but you are too important to our community, and this is a big community project. I also want to go over some plans for the new program. And, I don’t just want your money. I want your input and feedback. I’d love your help identifying others who may be interested in our project. Please give me just one half hour of your time. I promise it will not take more than that. Please do this for me.

Preparing for the Meeting

Review the donor’s profile; know your prospect. Review background materials on the campaign to ensure that you know what you’re selling. Review the project profile if you are asking for a specific program. Identify who will ask for the gift. Whenever possible, bring a teammate with you since two sets of eyes and ears helps capture all responses and nuances. The team could include a board or volunteer peer or a staff person well versed on the issue/campaign who can help fill in the particulars and answer any probing questions. The right person needs to do the ask: peers should ask peers. It may not be appropriate for the executive director to do the ask. It’s fine for him or her to go to the meeting with the board member, but the board member should probably do the asking.

Soliciting the Gift

The Opening: Thank the prospect for the visit and for any previous support. Use small talk to establish and build rapport. Make direct eye contact. Ask open-ended questions. Listen actively. Make use of this rare opportunity for live, in-person prospect research.

The Case: Match your program with the prospect’s interests, needs and motives for giving. Share your personal motivation for the cause – why it’s important to you. Remember the first rule of fundraising: people give to people. Convey the urgency of the program and the need for the gift now.

The Ask: Ask for a specific amount. After suggesting a sum, be silent and let the prospect react first. Never apologize when asking for a gift. Ask for a specific gift amount or a “gift in the range of…”. A multi-year pledge can make the gift amount feel more accessible to the prospect. Remember, this is a negotiation and objections are a natural part of the process. Don’t argue: tackle the objection, not the prospect.

The Close: Get a timely and specific commitment. Lay the groundwork for an ongoing relationship. Thank the prospect for her consideration. Finally, before you go, ask the prospect to help identify others who may be interested in the organization. Get out your pen and paper, or iPad, and write this valuable information down.

Overcoming Objections

You will likely hear objections. They are a part of the process and provide an opportunity to clarify or amplify the mission of the organization. The goal is to turn objections around to make your case for support even stronger.

Last Steps

Immediately after the meeting, debrief with all team members. What did everyone hear? The peer solicitor should send a hand-written note thanking the prospect for his time, gift, etc., and the organization should send a formal letter summarizing the outcome of the meeting, next steps and responses to any objections. Write a brief report of the meeting and make sure this invaluable information gets into the database and a hard copy file.

Doug Wingo is principal of Wingo Inc./Fundraising Studio, a development consulting and design firm. He can be reached at 212-244-4880, doug@dougwingo.com or visit www.dougwingo.com.

This article originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of New York Nonprofits, the monthly publication of the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, Inc. www.npccny.org