4th Annual Nonprofit Business Summit, May 3rd 2011: Part II

Making the Ask:  Individual Funding

Nancy A. Dean

Senior VP, Resource Development

Valley of the Sun United Way

(Small to Medium Sized Organizations) –  This session will explore the fundamentals of individual giving, with a focus on tips and techniques for nonprofits with new or less developed individual giving programs.  This interactive session will explore ideas on how to build an individual donor base, techniques on building relationships and making solicitations, and stewardship to grow gifts.  Participants will leave the session with ideas for building or enhancing their individual relationship building skills for long-term results!

I learned a hell of a lot in this workshop. This was another opportunity to obtain the PowerPoint (52 pages this time) by leaving your business card with the facilitator. And once again, I put my card in the pile. This is another useful tool that will come in handy.

Some things I learned:

20 Ways to be Donor Centric
~ Receipt promptly
~ Receipt relevantly
~ Ge the date right
~ Let donors say where their money goes
~ Give donors choices on use of their names (anonymous or not)
~ Say "you" a lot
~ Send a newsletter
~ Make your newsletter about your donors
~ Respect your donors' tastes
~ Don't project yourself onto your donors
~ Be easy to read
~ Make everything about your donors
~ Be specific
~ Be incredibly transparent
~ Let all your donors make a difference
~ Make giving easy online
~ Make it easy for donors to find a human
~ Encourage donors to talk to you
~ Listen to complaints, but don't let them drive the ship
~ Do great work!

*The key to individual fundraising is relationships, knowing your donor (it's more than demographics)and paying attention to research results.

*Key finding in increasing charitable donations from individuals

~ There is $45B of market opportunity, limited in part by high levels of loyalty in charitable giving

~ Donors are generally satisfied with nonprofits, but cite being solicited too often as their key area of frustration

~ Few donors do research before they give, and those that do look to the nonprofit itself to provide simple information about efficiency and effectiveness

~ Behaviors matter: there are six discrete segments of donors with different primary reasons for giving

*Recommendations for improving fundraising capabilities

~ Segment on behaviors, not demographics

~ Tag and track your donors by segment

~ Determine what segments are best for your organization, given your strengths

~ Develop consistent outbound marketing that appeals to target segments

~ Capture donors early

~ Understand how to manage different segments when approached

*Donors break out into six behavioral segments:

~ Repayer - supports alma mater or organization that has had an impact on them or a loved one

~ Casual Giver - primarily gives to well known NPs through payroll deduction or donate money to host a table.

~ High Impact - gives to NPs that he/she feels are generating the greatest social cause or supports causes that seem overlooked by others.

~ Faith Based - gives to their church or organizations that fit with their beliefs

~ See The Difference - gives to small organizations s/he feels they can make a difference or thinks it's important to support local NPs

~ Personal Ties - gives to an organization where they are familiar with the people who run it supports causes because their friends asked them to.

*There are 4 types of BEHAVIORAL Strategy:
~ People oriented
~ Task Oriented
~ Detail Oriented
~ A blend of all three

*There are 4 types of THINKING Strategy
~ Kinesthetic - sensory
~ Visual
~ Auditory
~ Blend of all three

During this workshop, we filled out a Communication Style Assessment form. Each word I circled in the 11 questions had a value of one, two or three attached to it. Based on the number of 1 words, 2 words or 3 words, I was able to determine how I perceive the world. I possess a detail-oriented behavioral strategy with a kinesthetic way of thinking. I think this form would work great in a staffing capacity, to see how well people work together.