Upgrade Your Constituents: Turning Visitors into Major Donors

PRESENTED BY KEITH CURTIS

AND ROSITA BRADHAM

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Keith is president of The Curtis Group and the chair of Giving USA

Foundation

Rosita is a principal consultant at Blackbaud, Inc.

Donor Pyramid

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Major &

Planned Donors

Highly Valued/

Loyal Donors

Annual Donors

Occasional/Event Donors

Fundraising Best Practices

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Religion

IdentifyWho are potential donors?

Develop individualized plans for engagement

CultivateListen and involve

Meet face to face

Make it personal

SolicitWho is best person to ask?

Tell story and ask donor to join you in person

StewardFollow up and engage

Provide info on impact of support

Building Donor Relationships

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Spend time with donors; not a transaction

Build trust

Develop emotional connection

Become a philanthropic priority

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WHAT IS A MAJOR GIFT TO YOU?

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HOW DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION CURRENTLY

CULTIVATE MAJOR DONORS?

2013 Giving: $335.17 billion

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INCLUDING BEQUESTS AND

FAMILY FOUNDATIONS,

ABOUT 9 OUT OF

EVERY 10 DOLLARS

COMES FROM INDIVIDUALS

Recipients of 2013 Gifts

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Where Dollars Go

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Source: “2010 Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy” by Bank of America, Merrill Lynch & Indiana University Center on Philanthropy

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WHY DO YOU GIVE?

HNWI: Motivations for Giving

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Make a difference

Have a meaningful relationship with nonprofit

Know and respect people involved (board and staff)

Understand mission and needs

Able to see measurable results

Feel communication has substance, is meaningful and consistent

Personally asked for gift

HNWI: Why They Don’t Give

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They’re not asked

Prior giving unacknowledged/not acknowledged enough

Provided insufficient information by nonprofit

Asked by the wrong person

No direct personalized appeal

No one asked them to give again

HNWI: Why They Don’t Give

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Top reason why HNWI stopped giving to a nonprofit:

“Too frequently solicited or

asked an inappropriate amount”

Source: 2012 Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy by Bank of America

HNWI: Summary

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Focus giving on smaller number of nonprofits

See giving as investment

To be a philanthropic priority, cultivation is important and

unique to every prospect

Cultivation Steps

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Before you can invite, you must:

Identify

Inform/Interest

Involve

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HOW DO YOU STAY IN TOUCH

WITH YOUR TOP DONORS?

Identify Best Prospects

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Start with current donors:

Major gift donors

Loyal, consistent donors with capacity to make major or

planned gifts

One time donors with capacity

Volunteers

Prospects with relationship to board

Cultivation Plan

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Identify

Inform/Interest Prospects

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Educate them about your mission and its results

Have a conversation, listening is critical

What’s their motivation for getting involved?

Connect with them emotionally

What is the right fundraising match for each prospect

Find out prospect’s idea of ROI

Cultivation Plan

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Inform/Interest

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Involve Prospects

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Ask for advice

Open doors

Participate in campaign planning study

Take part in a mission related activity

Volunteer

Serve on a committee

Join the board

Consider a current/planned gift

Cultivation Plan

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Involve

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Implement a Stewardship Plan

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A written document outlining cultivation steps

Identify, evaluate, and assign solicitors to prospects

Schedule in-person meetings with potential donors

Invite prospects and current donors on tours

Ensure donors are properly cultivated and ready to be asked

Communicate frequently with donors through phone calls,

thank-you notes, and newsletters

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WHAT CREATIVE WAYS HAVE YOU AND YOUR

ORGANIZATION CULTIVATED DONORS?

What Donors Want

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Be updated on last gift before being asked again

Feel appreciated—receive thank you calls and one-on-one communication

Have a meaningful relationship with organization

Know what you intend to do with their gift

Know their gift makes a difference

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Don’t forget to complete

a session survey! Each completed survey enters you into a drawing to win a

complimentary registration to bbcon 2015 in Austin, Texas*.

*Blackbaud reserves the right to change or withdraw this promotion at any time, without advance notice. Promotion has no cash value and may not be

exchanged, applied to, or combined with any other offer.

Feeling powered on for your mission?

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