This document provides an overview of best practices for professional fundraising. It discusses building a prospect pool through research, cultivating relationships through meetings and events, making the ask at the right time and for the right project, and ongoing stewardship of donors. Key aspects include maintaining a portfolio of prospects at different stages, conducting regular visits and moves, and focusing on building relationships through friend raising before making funding requests. The goal is to secure sizeable gifts through multiple conversations over time.

1. The Professional
Fundraiser
Alice O’ Rawe
Queen’s University Belfast

2. Today
• Queen’s University Belfast
• Best practice (CASE)
• The Prospect Pool
• Meetings
• Cultivation
• Making the ‘Ask’
• Stewardship
• The numbers

3. Queen’s University Belfast
A Russell Group University – research led.
100, 000
Team of 20
•7 Dedicated Fundraisers.
•3 MG’s, I Corporate, I T&F, I Legacies, I
Annual Fund. I Reunions. I Alumni
•I .5 Prospect researchers
•Support, admin and databases
•Student callers

4. The ‘ASK’ - Investing in areas of
excellence
• First campaign - £130m Mc Clay Library - £45m
• Gift range £5.00 - £10m
• Three key projects
• Institute of Life Sciences
• Green Chemistry
• Executive Education at Riddel Hall

5. Getting started - building the
Prospect Pool
Prospect Researcher – key
Internal - Cull through your database, run queries on alumni and
previous donors
External – Wealth screening - (Factary & Prospecting for Gold)
• Peer screening at meetings
• Volunteers, Foundation Board members – give, get, get out!
• Recommendations from academics, colleagues etc
• Google alerts

6. Getting the meeting
• Pre calls – chance to opt out!
• Letter/emails/calls
• Getting the meeting
• Getting past the gatekeepers
• Raisers Edge – good record keeping
• Invitation to an event ( e.g. Riddel Breakfasts)

7. The First Meeting
• Don't over prepare, ‘friend raising’
• Don't bring your research into the meeting!
• Be honest about why you are there!
• Listen, listen , listen and then listen some more!
• Note taking?
• Cases for Support can be useful
• Class list - peer screening
• Low level ‘Ask’ if appropriate (Adopt a Book, scholarships)
• Next move – what might it be?

8. Moves and Cultivation
Move” = a proactive activity that brings the potential donor
closer to making a gift
•Invitations to events, Presenting to students, attend lectures,
class lists, campus visits, meeting with academics
•Larger gift = more moves
•Hot prospect = moves in quick succession
•Avoid endless cultivation - Keep your eye on the prize

9. The Ask –The Four Rights
• Right Project
• Right Amount
• Right Solicitor - who is best placed to get the “yes”? It may not
be you!
• Right Time
• Each of your steps with a prospect should help you learn the
answer to one or more of these questions.
• Average 4 meetings/moves to secure a sizeable gift ( in line
with best practice)

10. What if They Say No??
Is it ever really a NO?
• Importance of listening
• You can almost always regroup
• Major solicitations usually take a number of conversations
• Remember your long term goals for the relationship

11. Activity Benchmarks
• Acquainted with 400-500 people ( qualified over 2 year period)
• Pool of 150 -200 prospects, including stewardship
• 15 -20 face-to face visits/month
• Roughly 40 moves/month
• 1 day a week in office
• Prospect Module on Raisers Edge – keep updated

12. The Portfolio – 202 prospects
Mature portfolio: roughly!
• Discovery / plan -20%
• Cultivation – 50%
• Solicitation – 20%
• Stewardship – 10%
• Top tier of 20
(based on CASE best practice)

13. Stewardship
• Dedicated Stewardship Officer
• Events – continues the cultivation
• Benefactors Lunch
• Face to Face visits
• Donor Pin
• Donor Newsletters and mailings

14. A Few Parting Tips…
• You cannot raise major gifts from your desk! So…
• Block out time for visits
• Plan trips well in advance
• Schedule 2/3 visits on one day
• Be yourself!
• Network and read
• Relationships – friend raising is key
• ASK!