1. The Transactional Moment: Optimizing the “Ask” Jana Byington-Smith, CFRE jana@secondgift.info Second Gift Twitter: JForTheMoney Robert Weiner robert@rlweiner.com Robert L. Weiner Consulting Twitter: robert_weiner Katya Andresen katya.andresen@networkforgood.org Network for Good Twitter: katyaN4G Friday, April 10, 2010 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. International Ballroom B Session 155 #10NTC.Ask

2. What do you want to learn during this session?

3. 3 ideas to start a discussion Prepare to ask, but ask! Gather money, donors and information, but ask! Say thanks to the donor as the donor would like, then get ready to ask again!

4. Session Premise: Donor Retention Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) Retaining dollars Retaining donors

5. So we’re on the same page Lybunts, sybunts and the never-givers Retain, grow, loss What is an ‘ask’?

6. Know your prospects and donors, but… Proactive research Predictive analytics …do not wait for perfect information to make the ask!

7. Who gets your best ask? D B C A E F G © Jana Byington-Smith

9. Newsletter by mail

10. Website link

11. Poster

12. Billboard

13. Brochure

14. Work campaign

16. Info to collect if you can Biographic targeted for audience (don’t forget the nuns!) How much and how will they give How do they want to be recognized How will they know you used their gifts well

17. But recognize you can’t always get it Proliferating ways to give online You’re not the messenger all the time Third parties may be handling the transaction

18. The gift hole Deal with it Access the reports you can Recognize how/where the donor gave

19. You’ve asked – now what? Did you get a gift commitment? Did you get a maybe? Did you get an outright ‘no’? Did you get no response at all?

20. Gift Commitment Outright gift “sustained” – multi-payment pledge Pledge (and when is it in default?) Who, what, when, where, how to say thanks

21. Thank You Basics Say thanks right away Be personal (segment) Give the donor the credit (his or her achievement, not yours) Show (don’t tell) where the donor’s money went Repeat. And again. All year long.

22. Development Services Post-Ask Critical to donor relations and retention. Correct, timely receipt or thank-you letter? Name(s) spelled correctly? Properly handling pledges, honorary & memorial, or event donations? Any donor restrictions on how $$ can be used? Any policy issues? Can you actually accept & use the gift?

23. Development Services Post-Ask Any follow-up evaluation/reporting (to funders, endowment donors, scholarship donors)? Will fundraisers be notified that their prospects gave? Will donors be resolicited at the right level? At the right time? Using the channel they respond to (email, direct mail, phone)? Can you analyze what worked? How did your donors give (online, offline) & to which appeals, messages, channels?

24. The Circle of (Ask) Life © Jana Byington-Smith

25. Questions? Clarifications?Ideas?

26. Thanks! More resources: Twitter: katyaN4G, robert_weiner, JForTheMoney Network for Good’s fundraising123.org, SecondGift.info and RLWeiner.com for additional reading lists and research Your own providers’ research FEP site

27. Evaluation Code: 155How Was this Session? Call In Text Online Call 404.939.4909 Enter Code 155 Text 155 to 69866 Visit nten.org/ntc-eval Enter Code 155 Session feedback powered by: Tell Us and You Could Win a Free 2011 NTC Registration!