FRDNY 2016 LIVE BLOGGING
Blogging during Fundraising Day New York is both as pleasure and a challenge. The depth of the information and the pace at which it is delivered makes it hard to do each session justice. But I like getting my ideas and thoughts to you as soon as possible. So we will do our best.
Thought I'll be live blogging during the day I promise to go back through the-the blogs over the weekend. At that point, I'll be able to clarify ideas and clean up any pesky typos. Typos are inevitable when live blogging so I do hope you will understand. I feel it is better to get the idea out to you while it is fresh than to worry about you grabbing your red pen.
So I am off to breakfast and then my first session -
Building an Annual Development Plan that Really Works
With John Hicks
The session is really filling up which is a great sign for the first session of the day!
The three word summary KEEP IT REAL!
Keep fundraising organic. It should be natural to your organization not just the hottest new technique.
You have to Plan, Plan, Plan.
Set you in the right directions.
The Macintosh Way
Figuring out not just the right way to do things but the right way to do things. We sometimes know exactly what to do but we don't always know the way to do it. Combining the way is the key. In order to figure out the right way or the right thing we have to have realistic goals.
We have to have realistic goals based on 4 things - operating, program, investment and sustaining. Not just the amount of money you raise but how will it be used? How will it change the organization.
Sustaining money keeps the lights on.
Investment money is about enhancing or growing the organization.
Funding Mix- Where does it come from now and where might it come from. Every organization will look different. Figuring out how to expand where you are strong and push out where you don't presently have the most reach.
What Donor Markets make the Most Sense to us?
Setting goals and keeping it real.
Buildout on what you are strongest at. And then set a realistic goal for each of your funding pots.
He has a great chart that shows the Constituency, Last Year, This Year's Goal, Budget and Rationale. The goal is what you are striving for the Budget is what your finance dept. is looking for you to raise.
Then choose the right campaign activities. Figure out what will speak to your donors and do that first. Work least to most time consuming, and least to most expensive, most to least touch.
TOUCH-
Personal Ask
Proposals to proper Founations
Special events
Social media
Direct response
TIME-
Meeting/Visits
Social Media
Proposals
Direct Response
Events
EXPENSE-
Proposals
Meetings/Visits
Direct Response
Events
-Use your talent well.
OUTSOURCING and INSOURCING
When you bring someone in they should be creating system that you, the organization's fundraiser can maintain. Is there knowledge transfer.
FROM ALL OF THIS YOU CAN CREATE AN ACTION PLAN.
Without and action plan know knows what you are doing. Measure of success is not just money but what you are doing.
Once you have the plan- you need to monitor it and create metrics. If your sole metric is how much money you raised then you probably not doing your job. We need to measure by money and the relationships you have built and sustained.
We have to look at the intangibles.
Willingness to risk
Monitoring the progress
Celebrating Success
Embracing Failures
Make Adjustments
Seize opportunities
Be bold, view asking for money as an invitation to be part of something bigger, invite volunteers to be a part of your fundraising journey.
There were a lot of great questions. But you really needed to be here for those.
This was a great session I am still trying to choose between two different sessions.
Feeding the Major Gifts Pipeline: A framework for effective prospect development.
Matthew Perrin and Joseph Gonzales
Definition of Prospect someone with a propensity to give to a certain cause. Remember that a prospect isn't just a new donor but a present donor who could afford to do more.
A Major Gift prospect is a subjective title given to a donors at certain levels.
Take Aways
1. Do not be distracted by wealth. Forbes Magazine may have a list of all of the wealthiest people but they are not really prospects. Chasing the money is a distraction. You have to
2.Rate their potential. Not just wealth but from 4 areas - Wealth, Propensity, Affinity and Connection. Remember all wealthy people do not give away their money. Do they have a genuine interest in your cause. Do they have a true connection to your organization or cause. These are Dynamic Variables.
3.Rating Giving Potential. Who are the best prospects - someone who has the right amount of wealth, and affinity for your cause and a connection to you in some way.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Prospects are people
Keep the variables dynamic - always check giving potential. If they have the other three but not the wealth then you are out of luck. You need to have a balanced between the variables. Also, you need to categorize your prospects by these variables then label them so that you can know potential and propensity for giving. But don't go over board on the number categories. You will confuse yourself. Connection is the hardest to measure - it is an art.
Never forget giving is an emotional thing. The connection has to stay in tack.
The Road to Finding Prospects.
Tools and resources and out of the Box Solutions when WPAC doesn't quite work.
Look Internal First. Your own CRM is your best starting place. If you have data modeling scores get them into the database. Has someone already created a prospect list - if so use it.
Internal Networks and Concentric Circles.
Event participants can be key. Also setting up News Alerts on people can be helpful to learn more about people.
Check out Charitable Giving Databases including peer organization annual reports. And don't forget political databases. They tell you a good deal about a person.
It is about collecting as much information then cataloging it. Be intuitive. Don't fall down the rabbit hole. be sure to take a moment and step back. It is all about keeping focus and only finding information that will be useful. You probably don't need their dogs name - unless you are an animal charity.
Once you have your research you can compile a prospect profile that only has information that will help you create a and ask. An ask at the right time to the right person in the right way.
Ok, so now it is time to head back to the Exhibit hall and then to lunch. I can't wait to see what the afternoon holds for us.
LUNCH SPEAKER
Rev. Butts was amazing as speaker. Hopefully they recorded it. It would be worth the listening to again. Such wonderful words of inspiration. He truly seemed to understand the importance of fundraising and of Fundraisers.
10 Steps to Making Your Donor the Hero With Your Year-end Appeal.
Farra Tropeter
Why it matters making the donor a hero?
1. Get to know your Hero's origin story.
Why do they give to you. What is their connection? Is their a connection? Can you play up that connection in your Appeal?
2.Use the right theme to draw your donor into the quest.
Creating a urgency. Look for something that plays up "WHY NOW." Look at the world and at your organization's "world" for theme. Don't exploit - explore.
3.Map your hero's journey
What is the journey we will go on and celebrate together. What is the action that the prospect can take. Are there action before the ask.
4.Select the right channels to engage your hero
Where are your donors now. Figure that out and then concentrate on those. Pick the biggest ones for you and make sure they really work. If you did a few last year then add one. Don't forget about the phone.
5. Maximize the superpowers of each channel
Use each channel to its utmost. Mail and email are most likely the biggest.
6. Make the most of opportunities
Do you have a newsletter that can play up the campaign. Do you have an important person in your community who can represent you.
7.Give your hero the right suite - a consistent look
All the campaign pieces have the same look and feel. No matter the channel.
8. Build dramatic tension, craft your calendar around deadlines
Make a strong timeline. Then build your campaigns to build upon each other.
9.Set it up for a sequel w/ a report back in all channels
Ask, Thank - REPEAT! Report back to your donors in Januaury how things went. make it donor centric. THEY DID IT not the staff. make the donor feel like they accomplished something.
10. Plan to capture and analyze the results of your quest
Really spend sometime really looking at when your gifts come in and which ones work for you. The Metrics are important. It also helps you plan for next year. Or later that year.
Bonus Ideas!
Handwritten notes, phone calls from organization principals, get donors to fundraise, advertise on social media and invite small groups of donors give feedback on your campaign.
MOST IMPORTANTLY HAVE NO FEAR
That was a great session! And the end of a great AFP for me. I'll be spending the last session working the NYU Heyman Center booth. I teach at NYU and they were kind enough to allow me to come to today on one of their passes. I do hope you got a taste of what Fundraising Day New York has to offer. I understand that next year it will be on June 23rd. I can't wait.
