I believe in the law of the universe that says the more you give away, the more will come back to you.  I’ve seen the results of this over and over in my lifetime.  I wish I could say I’m really good at this, but often I fail miserably.

Still, though, I try.  I think our collective natural tendency is to “hold on” to ways of life, people, concepts, constructs and possessions… and to keep things for ourselves.  If we’re good, we give a little bit away for others.  But, generally I like to keep my stuff.

I see a lot of this “holding on” in fundraising.  Whether it’s protecting your “turf” or making sure you “get credit” for a certain gift, “holding on” may actually be holding us back in development.

What would happen if we had the attitude of “just giving it away?”  “What the heck do you mean, Jeff?  We can’t just give stuff away.”  Well hold on to your britches…and listen to this.

Richard told me this great story about a friend of his that just blew me away.  It was about how an institution “gave it away” and the result it had on the donor.

A friend of Richard’s, Bob, (not his real name) is very wealthy.  In fact, he and his wife are worth hundreds of millions of dollars.  One of his dear charities is his alma mater.  He’s been giving to this institution for decades.  And, although Richard doesn’t know the amount, he would guess it is in the millions – multiple millions.

Not too shabby.

His alma mater was going to start a capital campaign to build a new law school.  Now, typically when going into a capital campaign a fundraiser will go after one large donor and give him or her the naming rights to the building.  We’ve all seen those buildings on campuses with peoples’ names on them.  They get their name on the building because they gave a ton of money to put the building up.

However, this institution did something different.  Instead of asking Bob for the lead gift to name the building, they decided to just go ahead and name the law school building after Bob with no commitment because of all he’d done for the institution.  In essence, they gave away the naming rights.  He had been such an amazing partner that they felt it was just “the right thing to do.”

So, Richard asked Bob, “How did that make you feel?”  Bob said, “I was so humbled. It brought me to tears… and then I wrote them the biggest check I’ve ever written to a charity.”

Powerful stuff.

Recently, I was working with a client in a similar situation.  They had spent months and months trying to figure out a “naming rights package” for one of their best donors to honor a member of their family.  For a $10 million ask they had a number of things they were going to “package” to this donor.

Then I recalled the idea from the institution that had honored Bob. I recommended the client do the same thing for this donor instead of asking them for more money.

Obviously, this was risky for my client.  But, this donor had given $20 million over many, many years.  He was one of their best donors and it was right to honor this family.

A few weeks ago I got a note from my client.  They had told their donor they wanted to name a certain part of their institution after his wife.  The donor was absolutely elated and the family was so grateful!  They gave the naming rights away!

Did the donor write out a massive check right on the spot?  No.  Will he?  I would bet on it.  Guaranteed?  No.  Was it the right thing to do?  Absolutely.

And, if you believe that when you give something away, it comes back to you many times over…even if it doesn’t come right back to you personally, then whatever happens, it will be good.

For those donors who have shown such commitment and passion about your mission over many years, what a genuine way to honor them.  And, let me be clear…it has to be genuine.  When both of these institutions “gave away” the naming rights, they did it because they recognized what great partners they had in their mission.  Yes, it had a positive affect, but that wasn’t their motivation.

These are just a couple of examples of “giving it away.”  There are so many more.  Here’s a challenge to consider other ways of letting go instead of “holding on.”  Think of the possibilities it could have for you and your organization.

Jeff

Richard and I have worked with hundreds of major gift officers and development professionals over the years.  In that time, we have helped many of them either move into new positions within their current organization, move into a similar position with a different organization or move into a completely new profession outside of fundraising altogether.

Richard would agree with me that, outside of helping a major gift officer or development professional grow in his or her craft, helping good people find their way to fulfill their passion in life is incredibly fulfilling.

There is nothing like watching someone who enjoys his work.  Think about it.  The majority of your life, apart from sleeping perhaps, is spent in some kind of employment in order to earn a living.  Why wouldn’t you want to be happy doing that?

But, let’s be honest.  In our industry, many folks are either hanging on too long or leaving too quickly and moving on to other jobs.

In looking for candidates for positions, I’ve gone through hundreds of resumes, and it seems that a majority of candidates for good development positions are hopping all over the place every 2.3 years.  Either there really is this illusion that there is something better out there or folks are just running away from something.

Then, of course, there is the employee who has been at one organization for 10+ years (remember the movie, Office Space?) No one has the guts to be honest with that person to tell him he is ineffective and it may be better to pursue another line of work.  Instead, he languishes comfortably while everyone figures out how to work around him.

Okay then, when is it a good time to leave one position and pursue something new?

Here are some thoughts:

1. When you have accomplished all you wanted to with your organization.  When you starting working at your organization, what were your goals?  Not just revenue goals, but professional goals.  Have you met them yet?  If not, can you meet or exceed them with the team that surrounds you?
2. When you can no longer grow.  This is a tough one for many people.  They may love the mission and the pay is fine, but they have hit a dead end as far as professional growth.  Perhaps, over the last 5-6 years you have been the associate development director.  You are now ready to be a development director, but the one you have isn’t going anywhere.  Well, perhaps this is YOUR time to move into something new.  Why stay somewhere that stifles your growth?
3. When the vision you have for yourself is not at the organization where you currently serve.  As a good development professional, you have a vision for yourself and where you ultimately want to land in your career.  You know your strengths and weaknesses and what you’re passionate about.  A new opportunity comes up that is a marker for you toward that vision.  Take it.
4. When you’re miserable.  You might be saying, “Well, of course, this is a no brainer. Why would you do something that is making your life miserable?”  Richard and I see so many folks who are miserable and have been that way for years in the same job.  I really try to have compassion for these folks, but if your job or your organization is so miserable, you need to leave.  Why are you hanging on to something that is bringing you down?
5. When you’ve lost passion for the mission.  This seems obvious, but I see so many good people who stay in their jobs either because of loyalty or guilt and they just don’t have passion for the work anymore.  Do the organization a favor and move away.
6. When you’re afraid.  Fear drives many of us to do stupid things.  And it drives us to do absolutely nothing.  My contention is that we are afraid to die.  No, not the big death (although most folks are afraid of that too.) I’m talking about all the little deaths we encounter in this journey of life.  Life is a constant cycle of suffering, death and rebirth…with bits of joy, wonder and happiness in-between, to be sure.  But if we are ever going to move from one place to another, we have to die a little bit.  That fear of death thing gets a hold of us and doesn’t want to let go.  Let it.  Suffer a bit, and then move on to something greater.  Think of all the great things you could be doing if you weren’t afraid to pursue them!
7. If your gut says it’s time to go. When all is said and done, only YOU know if it’s a good time to move on.  But this requires that you really KNOW yourself, that you are authentic and that you’re real in your relationships with others.  If you don’t know your own truth, then how can you trust your gut?  I know too many development professionals who don’t know who they really are.  Many of them are those folks that bop around from one organization to another every couple of years or the ones that stay with an organization so long everyone wants to see them leave.  You don’t want to be one of those people.

It’s not easy to leave and move on to something else.  But, of course, it shouldn’t be easy, either.  It’s that little death that you must go through in order to birth something new.  Richard and I don’t want you to be that person who leaves every 2.3 years,  nor the person who stays forever.  If you are feeling the itch, if something doesn’t seem right, then take these seven reasons with you and figure out if one is either making you run or holding you back.

Someone once told me, “Never run away from something, run toward something instead.”  That’s good advice for us all.

Jeff

Who are you?  Have you been asked that question?

My wife asked me that several weeks ago when I was having a meltdown on a particular subject that was especially frustrating to me.  She did not recognize me because of the reaction I was having.   I was not aligned with my stated beliefs and values.  I was someone else.

That’s why she had to ask the question.

And just asking the question stopped me dead in my tracks as I quickly got the picture of what was really happening in my words and behavior.  I was saying things that were foreign to my deeply held beliefs and values.  I was not aligned.

This subject came up in our Veritus Group retreat last week.

Jeff and I feel very strongly that all of us as a team need to be aligned to a set of values and beliefs that govern how we behave.  Why?  Because it affects how we conduct ourselves, which, in turn, affects how we treat clients, and ultimately affects how the truth and principles of what we believe about major gifts transmits through the MGO right to the donor.

As an MGO you are the frontline representative of your organization to the donor.  This is a pretty significant and important role – one that is likely not as valued as it should be.  You are the face and the spirit – the incarnation, if you will, of the cause.  This is pretty serious stuff.

This means that if you are not aligned, not only in your personal beliefs, values and behavior, but also in what you believe about the organization in which you serve – you can’t possibly be in an emotional, psychological or intellectual position to relate properly to a donor.

Here’s what I mean:

1. If you are not authentic, you will not say what you feel, you will not be who are, you will not risk being wrong and you will not relate the facts as you should.
2. If you are not vulnerable, you will not admit mistakes, admit fear, be able to say “I don’t know” or be able to let go of looking good in front of the donor.
3. If you are not respectful, you will not allow for differences of opinion, you will not listen well or be able to properly relate to the push back your donor is giving you.

There could be other characteristics or attributes you would add to this list.  And if you have them, go ahead and do so.  But here is my point.

If, in your relationship with your donor, you are not authentic, not vulnerable and not respectful, you are creating energy in the relationship that is negative, self or organizationally oriented and more focused on getting the money than serving the donor.

This is why Jeff and I continue to ask every MGO – as we continue to ask YOU – what you value about each of your donors.

You know how refreshing it is to be with someone who is open, attentive, caring and helpful to what you want to do and what is important to you.  It is a warm, enlightening and pleasant experience.  You enjoy being in the presence of that person. Time flies by and you want to repeat the encounter in the future.

This is the reason that WHO you are affects your donor.  When you come into their presence, either on the phone, in email or in their home – with light, openness, care, attentiveness and an attitude of service, you bring a wonderful gift into their lives.

And that gift that you give will result in a gift back to you.

Richard

You have 150 qualified donors on your caseload and you’ve been told not to exceed that amount.  You are assigned a specific geography.  This means that your job is to serve the donors in your area.

But now, because of an effective direct marketing program, there are donors (old and new) giving to the organization who meet the major gift/caseload criteria.

You are getting anxious, because these reports are coming to you every week with one, sometimes five or more, donors who are giving $1000, $4000 – even one who gave $10,000!

What are you supposed to do?!

The question springs from a well-placed donor services mentality which says that when a donor gives a gift, thank her immediately and affirm her as a partner to your organization.  It also says that when a donor gives an amount above the major gift criteria, somebody in major gifts, an MGO, a major gift manager – somebody – needs to do something right now!

But what?  Such was the question posed in a recent Veritus Group retreat where Jeff and I, along with our colleagues, considered this situation, which happens in non-profits, large and small, around the country every week.

The first principle we established was that it is not the MGO’s responsibility to play a donor services role for the organization.  This statement can cause a bit of anxiety because a good MGO is not going to have a donor who just gave a major gift simply sit there un-thanked.

But here’s the problem.  If the MGO starts taking care of new donors coming into the organization he/she will ignore the caseload.  And there is nothing worse than that.  In fact, this is one of the biggest problems in major gifts – keeping the MGO focused on the good group of donors they have committed themselves to.

Maybe I should rephrase that last sentence to say – keeping the managers above the MGOs from asking them to do something other than minding their caseload. We recently heard of a situation where the MGO was asked by his manager to spend a good chunk of his time prospecting for donors.  What!!??  Leave the good donors on your caseload to go find new ones?  Nope – not good!

So, it is not the MGO’s responsibility to be the donor services person in the organization.  Well then, who should do it?

A good Development Director will have figured this one out – they will have a thank you system in place where donors, large and small, are thanked immediately and put into a process that cares for them appropriately.

One client of ours has a person assigned to this role, i.e., designated to handle all un-assigned (no MGO assigned) donors who give above the major gift criteria for the organization.  This solution gives the organization time to figure out what to do with the donor.  The good thing is, she has been profusely thanked and will be carefully watched through a special handling process.

Another client has a mid-level program in place which takes care of the situation.  Still, another has two very competent and donor friendly administrative assistants who thank donors.

But this does not solve the ultimate problem of what to do with the donor.  If there is a restriction in place that an MGO cannot have more than 150 donors on his caseload (remember, this is a GOOD rule), who is going to handle the donors coming in the front door?  Here are several ideas and principles:

1. Add more MGOs.  Jeff and I find this idea as one of the most difficult solutions for an organization to execute.  Why?  Because it costs money.  And even after we point out that it is a solidly good investment, a manager will hedge on this one and wait way too long to put it into place.  I know of one situation where there are over 400 really good major donors literally “dying on the vine” because the manager will not hire an MGO.  And these 400 are giving less and less as time goes by as they are unattended.  This is crazy.  The organization is losing way more money than it would have spent.  You would be surprised how many managers are doing this.  Unbelievable.
2. Replace unresponsive caseload donors with these donors.  This is a viable solution.  But it has to be carefully managed.  Here’s why.  On one hand, you do not want to have a situation where an MGO, who is not handling his donors properly, just gets to trade them out indiscriminately.  On the other hand, we all know that as time passes it becomes very evident that a certain portion of the donors on the caseload, due to changing circumstances or interests, are no longer giving to the organization.  These donors should be replaced.  Why?  To maximize MGO labor use.  This is an important value in major gifts – to make sure that the labor of each MGO is used most effectively and efficiently.

We spent a considerable amount of time discussing how to execute this second point, especially in light of the apparent conflict between the 150 caseload donor limit and the new donors trickling in and needing a home.

Here is what we came up with, which I think is an effective solution to the problem:

1. First of all, keep in mind that a caseload, much like a donor pyramid, has a hierarchy of value.  This means that there are high value current donors on it and low value (sometimes no current value) donors on it.  These lower value non-current donors could be replaced.
2. Think of caseload size as an average of 150, not a constant 150.  This means that it can, at one time, be 140 – at another time 160, etc.  This allows room to handle the incoming current donors who meet the major gift criteria.
3. As the new donors come in, assign them to the appropriate MGO to immediately thank and qualify.  The qualifying bit is important.  You may have a situation where the donor is giving a one time gift or there is some circumstance where, once you know it, you would not add the donor to a caseload.  So, thank first, then qualify.
4. Once qualified, then add the donor to the caseload and remove low value non-current donors in order to keep the caseload size at an average of 150.

There is one caveat to this whole idea.  If the amount of new donors coming in, who meet the major gift criteria, is too large to manage, i.e., the MGO’s caseload would increase way beyond what it should, then the addition of a new MGO is the way to go.

We did this recently with a client where we split an existing MGO’s caseload into two regions, then added new donors according to the system above and successfully increased major gift capacity to handle all the donors who met the major gift criteria.

The one thing you cannot do is let a situation like this just sit there.  These donors must be thanked immediately AND they must be placed into a relationship as soon as possible.  If you don’t do that you will lose the donors and their revenue.

Richard

One of the most common failures in the major gift field is the lack of planning for each donor on the MGO’s caseload.  You know how it is.  You have a vague idea about what you are going to do with this donor or that one.  But you don’t write it down.  You don’t sequence the plan.  And, basically, it’s not strategic.

That is why we came up with the Marketing Impact Chart (MIC)—a detailed annual plan that each Major Gift Officer creates and follows with his or her caseload.  At the end of this post I’ll talk a little more about what an MIC looks like.

The MIC is THE tool that can help an MGO maximize the relationship with each of the donors on his or her caseload.  It helps the MGO become as intentional as possible – it is a fiscal and communication guide for the year.

Often when we introduce the process of an MIC, MGOs will respond that they are already following a plan.  An ask leads to a thank you, which leads to an event, which leads to a face-to-face meeting, etc.  However, in our experience, we find that it’s hard to really get to all of the communication intended if it’s not scheduled out ahead of time.  Instead, intended communication ends up falling through the cracks.

The ask and the thank you take place and then the donor is forgotten as the MGO pursues other asks and thank yous.  Without a plan that is created in advance, most MGOs end up reacting in their relationships with donors (a gift, an invitation that needs to go out) rather than pursuing them and building a true relationship.

The bottom line is that it’s hard to build solid relationships with 75-150 people without a plan.  And in the end, the relationship becomes driven by money (the need to ask) rather than by investing in the donor as a person.

The best MICs include all of the following elements:

• Personalized, one-to-one communication
• Specific communication plans that take the donor’s preferences into account
• A healthy cycle of donor communication
• Room for change as a means of honoring the relationship
• Financial goals broken down monthly

Let me explain each of these important elements:

Personalized, One-to-One Communication

As you know, major gift programs are based on a one-to-one approach. This is different from the one-to-many direct mail approach where one bulk message is communicated to a large group of people.  In major gifts programs there should be an individual plan FOR EVERY DONOR that is personally created and managed by the MGO.  This is an important distinction because some organizations think they are pursuing major gifts by sending specific appeals to their biggest givers.  But in reality, these are still direct mail programs because they involve sending one broad message to many people.  True major gift strategies always involve personal, individualized communication.

This is one of the reasons that major gift work is so labor intensive—it takes a lot more time to pursue individual strategies with a caseload than just implementing a high-end direct mail program.  On any given month, an MGO may be speaking with some people on the phone, asking others via face-to-face meetings, attending an event with others, and sending thank you notes or other mailings that demonstrate the impact of a certain donor’s gift.  The caseload is being thanked, asked, called, and met with throughout the month—and each strategy with every donor is different.  It’s personal.  It’s authentic.  And it makes a huge difference.

Donor-Driven Communication

Focusing on the relationship means that the donor—not the major gifts staff—should drive the communication.  By this we mean that it is the organization’s responsibility to allow donors to determine their level of involvement and to articulate what programs, people groups or initiatives they are passionate about.  In addition, the donor will have clear preferences about how s/he wants to communicate with you.  Some people like face-to-face meetings.  Others do not.  Some people prefer email communication or the phone and others want to receive information in the mail.

The Donor Communication Cycle

If every donor’s calendar of communication looks different, then there is not a single equation that equals healthy communication.  However, there are some basic elements that we believe should somehow be expressed to EVERY donor regularly.  These include:

• Stating the problem – Clearly articulating the needs, concerns, and the areas that need funding.  We call this the “Problem,” but it doesn’t necessarily have to be.  It could just be the needs you have in keeping your great work going.  Or it could be a project that is underfunded.  Regardless, each donor needs to hear about the needs you have (specific to what you know s/he is passionate about) and how s/he can help with the solution.

• Ask – Every donor should be asked at a frequency that fits his/her specific profile and cadence.  The ask should be based on what they give to and what their giving preferences are.  The ask should be specific and should take their prior giving into account.  Every ask will be different, based on the MGO’s relationship with that donor.  But an ask is not just sending a proposal with a stamped return envelope.  The major donor ask involves really communicating the needs and asking the donor to partner with you in helping with the “problem.”  Many MGOs have difficulty with this and actually have an incorrect philosophy when it comes to asking.  We can ask appropriately and unapologetically because we know there is a need. Not asking for money or presenting financial needs is actually poor stewardship.  How can someone think about what to give if he or she doesn’t know what your financial needs are?

• Thanks – A thank you follows any gift and sometimes just happens spontaneously. It can take any number of forms. It can also be a way to try and contact the donor so you can thank the donor in person and truly express your gratitude for partnering with you in your work.

• Follow Up – In our experience, most non-profits are excellent about getting the money and investing it, but terrible about reporting what the money does.  Just as a person would never place his or her money in a fund that does not report back earnings, many donors stop supporting organizations because no one ever told them what their money did!  In major gifts fundraising, it is imperative to report back to the donor throughout the year – as often as possible.  A donor should regularly hear, in very specific terms, that her giving actually made a difference.  This goes beyond the standard thank-you, and few non-profits include this step in their communication plans.

• You Made a Difference – This step is the macro version of the Follow Up.  How did the donor’s giving help?  How are you growing and what exciting things are happening?  One of the major reasons for donor attrition is that the donor is not made aware of the impact of her giving.  The result is that she gives elsewhere in order to find that satisfaction.  Communicate this to the donors and link your good work and progress to their giving.

Leave Room For Change

One of the most common arguments we hear against completing an MIC is that the plans for donors are always changing.  This is true—and that’s as it should be.  No relationship follows a step-by-step equation.  The MIC is the place that allows you to plan a calendar of communication with each donor so that nothing falls through the cracks.  With organizational events, volunteer opportunities, holidays, asks, face-to-face meetings, along with the desire NOT to communicate with your major donors EVERY month, you need to plan.

That being said, your plans will change.  As you connect with donors, you’ll learn things that will alter your plans and you must adjust your communication strategy accordingly.  The MIC is a fluid document.  It needs to be if it is going to honor the donor.  But it’s still better to adjust a plan and leave room for change than to have no plan at all.

The Importance of Revenue Goals

I have written a lot here about the communication part of the MIC.  But the other primary function the MIC serves is its ability to help you set and track gifts month-to-month.  As we stated earlier, the MIC is your communication and FISCAL guide.

It is important that an annual goal is set for each donor so you know how much revenue to anticipate from each donor.  This goal should be based on prior giving and capacity—but it needs to be realistic.  The goals set for donors will also be used as you forecast revenue, so this is not the place to lean on hopes.  You need to set goals based on what you KNOW about each donor, as demonstrated by their past gifts.

In addition, the goal should be broken out monthly, based on each donor’s giving history.  So if you have a donor who always gives in December and June, the goals should be allocated for those months.  This is important because it allows the MGO to know immediately when a donor has strayed from his or her giving pattern.

Too often we see MGOs tracking giving month to month without any knowledge of donors who are off-pattern.  So while $35,000 in revenue may be anticipated in April, you could actually have a donor who made a $5,000 gift that was unexpected and it might cover up two donors $2,500 gifts that were not given.  This detail is missed until the mid-year review when you realize giving is down.  Setting monthly goals and tracking accordingly helps you stay on top of giving projections and manage donors more precisely.

So, a Marketing Impact Chart for your caseload WILL take you a lot of time to build at first.  But once you’ve been through the process, it becomes second nature.  The value of tracking giving month-to-month and being more strategic and intentional with your donors is immeasurable.

Time and again we’ve seen loyalty increase, giving grow, and MGOs gain confidence by using an MIC.  When you really invest in your donors and build better relationships with them, you look forward to connecting with them.  You feel good about your work.  And the donors reciprocate.  You can create true, authentic relationships with your caseload.  We’ve yet to find any MGO who has used the MIC for a year and then trashed it.  It’s changed every client’s bottom line for the better because it helps you do your job more efficiently and productively.

So what does an MIC look like?  Here’s a simplified sample:

Notice that the donor name, ID, area of interest, communication preference and goal all sit on the left side of the document followed by the moves for every month.  On a more complex version of this document the annual goal is also cash flowed.

If you can do this in your current software system, then an excel document is what is required.  We can email you a complete sample if you want.  Just let us know.

The point is that you need to do an MIC for your caseload.  It will be good for managing your work AND it will be good for your donors.

Richard

It took Columbus seven years to persuade Ferdinand and Isabella to finance their expedition. It took enormous persistence. And without that enormous persistence, he never would have been in a position to make the discovery of the Americas.

Every great MGO practices persistence.  Here are a few pointers on the subject, thanks to Debi Dunham, a valued colleague, who contributed this material for our blog.

When you want to contact a donor at his or her office it can be a challenge.  But try some of these ideas on for size and see how you do:

1. Ask the gatekeeper: “When is the best time to reach (donor name)?” Call back then.
2. Vary your calling times. If you always make your calls at the same time of day, vary your routine. Call at different times throughout the day and throughout the week.
3. When you do reach a donor, ask her for alternate phone numbers. Ten years ago we generally had only one phone number. Today there are myriad ways to reach donors. Your donor might have a second home or be a snow-bird. Make sure that you get as much contact information as the donor is willing to disclose.
4. Call donors outside of business hours. If you’re calling a donor at his/her office, high-level decision-makers are frequently in their offices at times that their secretaries or assistants are not and often during those times they answer their own phones. Calling before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. can often help you bypass voicemail and reach your donor directly. Even if your donor isn’t working, he/she may be very busy and calling one evening or on the weekend may result in a contact.
5. Call donors during their lunch hour. Particularly for working donors, if the donor does not have a lunch meeting scheduled, the donor could very well be at his/her desk having a working lunch. During these times gatekeepers are frequently not there and the donor might actually be answering the phone.
6. Consider blocking your organizational ID and phone number. Depending on the state in which you live and, of course, your work situation, you may be able to block your organization’s phone number from showing up on a donor’s caller ID. Donors may ignore your call because they believe it is a solicitation call from your organization. Blocking the caller ID can overcome this resistance. Using your personal cell phone can be an option. If you cannot block your line, dial *67 before you dial the donor’s number. This strategy will allow you to block the line for that call.

Not only do you have to be persistent in making the calls in various ways and times, but then, when you do speak with the donors, there are some tips to keep them engaged…

THANK YOU CALLS/VOICEMAILS:

When it comes to calling a donor, many people become reluctant to pick up the phone. They fear the donor will think they are calling to ask for more money. Here are two useful tips for what to say.

1. First, thank them sincerely for their gifts. “I’m calling today from The Fellowship to just thank you for your gift. It made a huge difference to us.”
2. Second, give one specific example of a story of the difference their gift meant to your organization. Let them know you really mean it. Share a story of a life changed because of their gift.

You may be surprised when the donor wants to talk further. The easiest way to begin to build or deepen your relationship is by asking them a few simple questions.

If their gift was designated for a specific project then the best question to ask is, ” May I ask how you became interested in this issue in the first place?” That way you’ll know how to keep them engaged going forward. Before you know it you may find yourself engaged in a real conversation with a passionate donor.

Finally, once they are comfortable and feel connected to you, ask for the visit. There is absolutely no substitute for talking to your donors. Even if you get an answering machine, leave a message with the same kind of information in it…a heartfelt thank you plus one example of how their gift made a difference, and do leave your phone number for the donor to call you back if he or she would like to speak further.

Remember that your donors are people who already care about your work. They will be happy to speak with a real person who is working hard to fulfill the organization’s mission.

Even in cold calling, “Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of sales people give up after the second call” (AllBusiness.com).

OTHER IDEAS TO IMPLEMENT WITH DONORS

• Invest in some non-fundraising communication with the donor, specifically aimed at engaging the donor.
• Email a video thank you from the CEO. In closing he says, “One of my trusted staff will be calling you. Please take the call and connect with him.”
• Send a personal thank you note, along with a special donor survey which asks the donors to tell you what they are most passionate about re: your organization.
• Send a brief report on whatever specific project/program brought that donor in and how this gift made a difference.
• Send an email with a photo of the person they helped to reach…or of the project.
• Leave a voicemail with an update on the funding of that project…”We are excited to share with you that another generous donor, like yourself, gave significantly to X, and we are now only $5000 away from reaching our goal…Thank you so much for partnering with us”.
• When researching the donors, look for other areas of interest they may have. Then find an article or event and email them that info.

Persistence is an act of your will.  You have to make yourself do it.  Calendar the actions you need to take today and the rest of this week.  Do it now.

Richard

As you begin to read this now, I would ask you to do one thing.

Stop for a moment, go to a quiet place, or simply quiet your mind for a time, and focus on the problem your organization deals with.  It could be homelessness, drug addiction, abuse of people or animals, the effects of humankind on the environment.  Whatever it is, focus on it.

Really let yourself go to the pain of the situation.  What does it feel like to be homeless or hooked on drugs or abused by others?  If you could attach feelings to the earth, what does it feel like to once have been a pristine lake filled with wildlife and beauty and now be suffocated in pollution, garbage and filth?

What is it like to be jailed unjustly, to be treated unfairly or used as labor against your will?  What is it like to be verbally or physically bullied and beat up – to be put down and made small?  What is it like to be in such horrible pain that you cannot sleep or find peace?  Or to be alone – really alone, where no one cares? How does it feel to believe you are nothing – you are worthless – you turned out just as your father said you would, a good for nothing waste of time who should have never been born?

Stop for a moment and get close to this pain.

Feel it.

I have two reactions when I put myself through this process, which I try to do often.

Primarily, I am thankful for how blessed I am and how good my life is.  I am overwhelmed as I am reminded of the great goodness that has come my way, that has embraced me and healed the pain in my life.

Then I am reminded that I am here for others – that this job of mine is to, first and foremost,  bring help, healing, restoration, hope and life to others.

And the whole exercise puts things into perspective.  If you do this once a week I can promise you several benefits:

1. You will rise above your present circumstances – You may be in a work situation that is frustrating, demeaning or just plain boring.  Now you will rise above it and be reminded of your purpose.  It will help you through the day.
2. You will be in a better place to handle donors – When you allow the day to day to affect you, it moves you away from the essence of what you are trying to do.  And when you move away from that core truth, you end up saying and doing the wrong things with donors.  Why?  Because you have moved away from the need and the pain.  You have layered yourself away from those you are here to serve.  And that layering desensitizes you.  This is not a good place to be in as an MGO.  On the other hand, if you, once a week, take yourself to the need and pain, you will be in just the right place to talk to donors.  Why?  Because then you can take THEM there as well and they will want to help.
3. You will be more thankful for who you are and what you have.  There is nothing like comparing your situation to other people to put everything in perspective.  It will do wonders for you, believe me.
4. You will become a more compassionate, empathetic and caring person – and that is good.  Because in this area of major gifts, the most effective MGO is the one who has had the experience, has been to the need, has felt the pain and who, as a result, has a broken and soft heart.

Make a commitment, as an act of your will, to take time every week to get yourself in the right place intellectually and emotionally.  It will be good for you, the donors you serve and the cause you are committed to.

Richard

PS:  While I was researching images for this post, I came across this one that made me smile.  I’m not sure it has anything to do with what I have written above, but it does remind me that I need to keep myself focused on caring for others.

I had known the principle all along.  But my sympathy for the MGO had persuaded me that this was OK.   So I supported the practice of just showing up at a non-responsive donor’s door unannounced bearing gifts and glad tidings.

This changed when I heard three high capacity donors discussing their reaction to the practice.

Here’s the problem – and it’s not uncommon in the major gift field.  The organization receives a large gift from a donor.  The donor is assigned to an MGO.  The MGO tries to get in touch, using every possible contact strategy known to humankind, and fails.  So, in a final “let’s try this and see if it works” strategy, she stops by the donor’s house unannounced with a gift.

The strategy does work some of the time, but not enough to justify its use.

And hearing the donor’s reaction was a helpful reminder.

Here is what happened.

I was at a conference last week, having been asked to moderate a session where three high net worth donors sat in front of a roomful of MGOs, Development Directors and PGOs.  The objective of the session was to hear from the donors about how they react to the organization’s treatment of them. It was like a mini focus group – a brilliant idea on the part of the organizer.

The session went well.  Then an MGO stood up and asked the following question:  “Let’s say you are a donor of mine.  And I cannot get in touch with you, i.e., you won’t answer the phone, you won’t respond to my letters and emails – you are just silent.  Is it OK with you if I just stop by your home unannounced to visit? And I could bring a little gift or something.”

The donor paused for a moment, shifted some papers around on the table in front of him and then said, “You should make an appointment before you come to my house.  Don’t show up.  Respect my privacy.”

The other donor was a little more blunt:  “You can’t even get to my front door.”  Her meaning was pretty clear even though she did not say it.  “Don’t even try to come to my door.”

I looked at these donors as they were talking and could relate to what they were saying.  There is nothing more irritating than having someone come to your home, interrupt what you are doing and push himself into your life.  Think about it.  Would you like that?  Very few people would.

But there is still a problem.  How does an MGO connect with a donor who will not respond to any attempt at communication?

I posed the question to the donors.  “OK, I hear you,” I said.  “It is not appropriate for an MGO to just show up at your house.  But what would you suggest he does?  He would like to connect with you.  He  wants to make sure that the organization is handling you properly and that your information needs are met.  But you won’t talk to him.  What should he do?”

There were two answers:

1. Call and make an appointment.  This one is obvious, but often the MGO gives up too quickly.  One of the donors said, “I will eventually answer my phone – don’t email me, I don’t do email – I will eventually answer the phone and you can make an appointment.”  Hmmmm.  You will eventually answer the phone?  This brings up a practice of mine that I sometimes forget to apply.  When I call someone and he or she doesn’t answer, I usually (a) don’t leave a message, but try calling again at a different time, or (b) I keep trying over a number of days.  I do this, as opposed to calling once or twice then giving up.  People are busy and they will not always answer the phone on your first attempt.  In fact, their schedule and your attempts may line up on the sixth try.  So don’t give up.  I had an experience recently where I e-mailed a person, then called and got no response.  I assumed she didn’t want to talk.  Poor assumption.  So I called again.  Then I e-mailed again. Nothing.  So, I waited four days (a random choice) and called again.  Bingo.  She had been out of town.  “So sorry not to get back to you”, etc., etc.  You have to keep trying.  And you will know when your number of attempts is too much.
2. “Approach me through a friend of mine.”  This was an interesting suggestion.  The donor was essentially saying, “If you know a friend of mine, whom I trust, then work that angle.  I don’t know you, so I am not likely to engage with you.  But if my friend suggests that you come along to a meeting, that would be good.”  Again, not a barn burning new and dramatic idea – but a good insight into how a high net worth donor thinks.  And it boils down to a simple equation summed up in this statement:  “Just because I gave you a large gift does not mean I want to meet with you, although I might.  But I don’t know you.  And I am uncomfortable with you just showing up.  So work through someone I know who knows you because that will help me filter you out of all the other contact attempts so many other fundraisers are making.”

Pretty basic stuff, isn’t it?  Yet it is so often forgotten.  Privacy is a big deal.  We all must respect it.  But we have a job to do and that job is to build relationships with our good donors.  It is not easy, however Jeff and I think that the best path is to show respect for donors.  And we do that by guarding their privacy.

Richard

Richard is always telling me to slow down.  To be honest, when he says that, it makes me really angry.  Not because he’s wrong… but because he’s right.

I think our partnership is pretty unique among people who are in business together.  We are brutally honest with each other.  And, we are two people who like the fact that we can hold each other accountable.

What Richard sees that I cannot is what happens when I begin to lose my perspective on what is going on around me.  I somehow believe that I have to rush around, doing this and doing that, to make things better.  More often than not, rushing doesn’t make anything better.  It just heightens my anxiety about work.

Does this happen to you?  You have a “task list” a mile long and you believe that if you don’t get on all of it NOW something terrible is going to happen and there will be a lot of pain and suffering taking place.

This plagues me.

One of my strengths is that I’m an ACTIVATOR.  There are a lot of positives associated with this strength, but the dark side is that I think I have to move on everything NOW, and many times I do so without thinking things through.

That can get me into trouble.

That’s when Richard starts sending me e-mails entitled, SLOW DOWN, and I begin to hear that Simon and Garfunkel tune in my head, “Slow down, you move too fast.  You’ve gotta make the morning last…”

As I’ve said before, major gift fundraising is one of the toughest jobs I know of.  There are so many demands: upset donors, demanding bosses, bureaucracy, proposals, dealing with program folks, etc., …and it seems like everything needs to be completed yesterday.

Right?

Well, you’ve gotta slow down.  You and I can do it together.  When my head is on straight, here is what I do to slow down.

1. Wake up early and move around—I believe starting your day early, (5-6am) and doing something active is really helpful.   Practicing this gives me a better outlook for the whole day.  Go out and walk, run, swim, practice yoga – anything that gets you moving.
2. Take time to be quiet—After you do your “moving around”, take time each day to be quiet.  Meditate, pray, or just sit in silence.  I find that taking 20-30 minutes each morning helps me set the day on the right path.
3. Never sit for more than an hour—Keep your body moving.  It’s good for your body AND mind to take a break.
4. Breathe—Throughout the day be aware of your breath.  Take 20 slow breaths and concentrate on them.  It will automatically slow you down.  When you start to feel anxiety or tension, this is a good remedy.
5. Get good sleep—One of the best things to do is get a good 7-9 hours of sleep every night.  This means going to bed by 9:30-10pm each night.  DVR Mad Men, do yourself a favor, and get that well-needed rest.
6. Make sure you are doing the right things – Back to what I said earlier – there are “things” and then there are the “right things”.  If you do the five steps prior to this one you will be able to discern what they are.

These are just some simple things I’ve learned, and often fail at, but keep coming back to because I know they keep me balanced.  When I’m practicing them consistently, I feel much better, I’m calmer and I don’t get e-mails from Richard telling me to slow down.

And, that is the final point.  Have someone in your life who speaks truth to you and keeps you accountable.  It’s very annoying, yet it’s also freeing to know that you will always have someone looking out for you, making sure you’re staying in balance.

Jeff

A question that Richard and I often get from development directors and MGOs is whether or not caseload donors should get regular direct-response appeals (mail and email) just like the rest of the donor file.

Our answer is always: Absolutely.

Okay, so I heard a lot of gasps out there.  But let me ask a question.  Where do you think most donors who are on major gift caseloads come from?  Most major gift donors come from those first $25 checks that are sent in from either a direct mail or e-appeal campaign.

So, even though they are now giving at much higher levels, why would you want to remove them from receiving those appeals once they are in a major gift caseload?

You wouldn’t.  Or, at least you shouldn’t.  Richard and I have seen some disastrous results where organizations have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because they decided for some reason that it was a good idea to stop mailing and e-mailing their major donors.

There are only two reasons why you would take them out.

1. The donor asked you to stop mailing or e-mailing appeals.
2. Your relationship with the major donor has developed to a place where you have a substitute communication and ask strategy to replace the direct response communication.

This is how Richard and I view the whole issue of using direct response with your personal major gift caseload.

Now, you may be thinking, “Well, if we are just going to continue mailing these major donors, why do we even need major gift officers?”

I get this question all the time from managers or executive directors who are always questioning whether their MGOs are actually doing anything.

Our answer to this is very simple.  The combination of direct-response and MGO cultivation lifts all caseload revenue.  When you take either out of the equation, you see a drop in revenue.  Over time, because the MGO is continuing to build relationships with his or her donors, the communication strategy starts to skew more toward personal solicitation vs. mail or email.

This is an important point so I am going to repeat it.  Over time, as the relationship builds, the communication strategy migrates or skews toward personal solicitation vs. mail or email.

This sometimes takes years.  It’s really up to the donor.  We cannot assume that donors do not want to receive your appeals and e-mails until they tell you they don’t.  This is what it means to be donor-centered, NOT fundraising program centered.

It’s amazing how managers and executive directors have a hard time grasping this concept… until they see the data.

Now, there is another side to this topic as well.  And that is at times what we’ve seen when MGOs rely TOO much on the mail.   It can be used as a crutch to NOT get to know donors as they should and therefore neglect to personally solicit  donors, relying rather on direct-response income to make their revenue goals.

You can understand the manager’s point of view, if he or she perceives that the MGO is not meeting with donors and seems to be sitting in the office most of the day. This would tend to create an uneasy feeling about the MGO’s effectiveness, even though the caseload revenue seems fine.

See the tension here?

Great MGOs don’t worry about the mail or email unless a donor on their caseload specifically tells them they don’t wish to receive it.  This is where the MGO needs to step in immediately on behalf of a donor and help fix the situation.  It’s really up to the MGO to know the donor’s communication preferences and make sure they are honored.

If the major donor team and the direct-response teams are doing their work, there is harmony and consistency between both.  They don’t worry about who gets credit for how the revenue comes in because each department knows they need each other and it’s the organization AND the donor that is important.

There you go.  Direct-response and major gifts working in harmony.  Is this happening in your non-profit?

Jeff