Whether by mail, by phone, by a combination of both or face-to-face, there is language that will make your “asks” more productive.
But, first, to address what distinguishes a “smaller gift” from a “larger gift.”
If the gift makes a significant impact on your bottom line, it’s a larger gift. If it takes some time/planning to get the donor to make it, it’s probably a larger gift. If you get it as a result of a mass solicitation method, it’s probably a smaller gift. If it’s not a Major Gift, it’s a “smaller” gift.
A mass solicitation should never ask a (potential) donor to “give what you can,” to “give what’s comfortable, or to say that “any amount will help.” That’s not fundraising, that’s begging/whining/crying. Fundraising is about raising funds, about reaching fundraising goals, about raising enough to fund your programs.
Fundraising is about asking for a specific dollar amount, and there are a number of ways to do that:
By giving choices: 1) … indicating that $XXX will feed a hungry child for a month; 2) … that $YYY will pay the rent for a homeless family for a month; 3) … that $ZZZ will provide vaccinations for every child in a village….
By asking for $XXX and giving the choice of: 1) $YY per month; 2) $ZZ per quarter; or, $YZ twice during the year.
By asking for $XXX and giving the donor the option to send in the full amount right away, or spread out payments over the next twelve months.
By giving the donor the option to charge his/her gift to a credit card — at $YY/month.
By giving the donor the option to make their (first) payment later – “Would next month be good for you, or would the month after that be better?”
Whether you’re asking by mail, by phone or in person, you should know enough about your prospects to know what amount to ask for and what choices to offer.
Knowing that, you need to segment your prospect base so that the “asks” are appropriate for each constituency you’re addressing – different $Xs, $Ys and $Zs.
To support/strengthen your ASK, your gift return slip (for a mailing) should only give the choices you discuss in your letter.
For a conversation (by phone or in person), you never ask if your prospect would like to give, would like to support “the cause,” or would “like to think about it.” The choices you provide do not include “No” as a potential answer. The only options relate to how the donor will be most comfortable making the gift for which s/he was asked.
Now don’t get all worked up about how that’s not a “nice” way to treat a (prospective) donor !! Nice is attitude. Nice is a warm voice. Nice is sounding like you’re glad to be “talking” with the prospect. Nice is how you treat someone. “Nice” does not preclude doing your fundraising in an effective manner.
What do you think ??
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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, I’ll be pleased to answer your questions. Contact me at AskHank@Major-Capital-Giving.com
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Have you seen The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
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Hank Lewis with Development Consultant Associates has over thirty years as a fundraising consultant and is a specialist in Board and Leadership Development, Capital Campaign, Bequest Program and Major Gifts.