let’s get personal – elevator speeches and personal stories for fundraisers
TRANSCRIPT
Let’s Get Personal – Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories for
Fundraisers 3/12/15
1pm Eastern
The presentation will begin shortly.
Before We Get Started3
This presentation is being recorded!
The recording and slides will be emailed to you later this afternoon.
Please chat in any questions for our guest. We will answer them in the formal Q&A session
at the end of the presentation.
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Our guest presenter »R. Daniel Shephard, CFRE
Dan Shephard has served as a frontline fundraiser in Planned Giving and Major Giving positions for the Florida State University Foundation, Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, The Citadel Foundation, and Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University. His 27 years of varied experiences, first in the performing arts, then in higher education, help form the philosophies that guide his workshops and coaching programs.
Let’s Get Personal
Elevator Speeches
and
Personal Stories
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
WHY consider a gift --
the emotional heart of the gift
WHAT impact the gift will have --
its designation
HOW the gift will be made --
when, with what assets, etc.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-- Maya Angelou
“Martin Luther King didn’t get up 50 years ago and say
‘I have a budget and a plan! ’ ”
- Alan Clayton
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Elevator Speech
is second person
Personal Story
is first person
What is the Elevator Speech?
TIP: Inject enthusiasm, commitment, brevity, focus
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
An effective Elevator Speech should
Identify a need or opportunity
Offer your solution
Human element
Impact of support
Invitation, call to action
Let’s get personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Why the Elevator Speech?
Focus your institutional story
Generate interest, excitement
People have short attention spans
You have a short time before interruptions
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Who should have an Elevator Speech?
CEO
Department heads, program directors, project leaders
Board leaders
Select individual volunteers, major donors
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Where to share your Elevator Speech
Long version for a group briefing
Short version for an individual encounter
TIP: collect examples that represent various programs
and funding priorities, and file them for future reference.
Use that version most pertinent to your audience each
time you share.
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
How to draft your Elevator Speech
Select a priority program or project.
Identify a need or opportunity.
Individualize.
Explain what you observed or learned, its impact.
Tie the speech to your mission.
Cite several points of pride, maybe pertinent statistics.
Explain why it matters.
Know your audience/listener.
Extend an invitation to your listener(s); seek a next step.
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
ASSIGNMENT: give the template to each person
in your organization you want to draft an Elevator
Speech. Schedule individual discussions to coach
each as needed. Schedule a meeting at which to
share and practice your Elevator Speeches. Then
identify/create occasions to share your Elevator
Speeches.
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
When I was a student . . .
I had a patient . . .
I volunteer at . . .
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Who should draft a Personal Story?
Key volunteers
Board & key volunteer leaders
Major donors
Development officer, CEO, program directors
TIP: You can draft several for those without their own
personal experiences. Let them share second-hand.
Personal Stories Describe an experience or memory that affected you, that matters:
When I was a student/client/patient I recall
I met a student/client/patient who
I know a teacher/director who
I met someone who
I volunteer at _____ and
I support a scholarship/fund for excellence and
Other ? ? ?
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
Where might you share your Personal Story?
Phone calls
At events
Individually
TIP: Schedule small receptions hosted by key volunteers
or major donors. Have hosts share their stories with
invited guests.
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
How to share your Personal Story?
Include an invitation
Look for an opportunity
Seek a next step
Prepare
Proactive
Reactive
TIP: ? ?
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
ASSIGNMENT: give the template to each person
in your organization you want to draft a Personal
Story. Schedule group/individual discussions to
coach each as needed. Schedule a meeting at
which to share and practice your Personal Stories.
Then identify/create occasions to share your
stories.
Let’s Get Personal Elevator Speeches and Personal Stories
10821 Cypresswood Drive • Independence KY • 41051
www.thefrontlinefundraiser.com • (843) 693-5719
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