Major Gift Fundraising Done EASILY (DSAIA 2015)

Major Gift Fundraising
Done EASILY
from the donor’s perspective

Your presenter »
@StevenShattuck
Steven Shattuck 
@StevenShattuck 
VP, Marketing -‐ Bloomerang 
Contributor to:
Ragan, NTEN, Social Media Today, National Council of
Nonprofits, Search Engine Journal, HubSpot, Content
Marketing Institute, Nonprofit Hub, DonorSearch
Speaker:
Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Council  
of Nonprofits, ADRP, NCDC, NAMP, ANN,  
Nonprofit Network, SCANPO, 4GOOD
Volunteer:
Indiana State Museum (Board), CICOA
(Communications Committee), Irvington Halloween
Festival (Communications Director),  
Brackets for Good (Advisor)

@StevenShattuck
Do you have a MG strategy? »
• You bet: 41.13%
• Not really: 58.87%
https://bloomerang.co/blog/data-‐the-‐2015-‐state-‐of-‐major-‐gift-‐fundraising

@StevenShattuck
The best major gift prospects »
• AT LEAST 2 years of giving
• IDEALLY 5+ years
• 12-‐18 moves to cultivate/solicit a major gift

Your best major gift prospects
are donors you retain over time.
@StevenShattuck
Your retention strategy is your major gift strategy!

The 2014 results are in »
https://bloomerang.co/blog/infographic-‐2014-‐fundraising-‐effectiveness-‐project-‐survey-‐report
@StevenShattuck

Donor Attrition Over Five Years
# of Donors Attrition
Rate
Donors
Remaining
After 1 Year
Donors
Remaining
After 2
Years
Donors
Remaining
After 3
Years
Donors
Remaining
After 4
Years
Donors
Remaining
After 5
Years
1,000 20% 800 640 512 410 328
1,000 40% 600 360 216 130 78
1,000 60% 400 160 64 26 10
Impact on your pipeline »
@StevenShattuck
Median rate

• 5% -‐ thought charity did not need them
• 8% -‐ no info on how monies were used
• 9% -‐ no memory of supporting
• 13% -‐ never got thanked for donating
• 16% -‐ death
• 18% -‐ poor service or communication
• 36% -‐ others more deserving
• 54% -‐ could no longer afford
Why nonprofit donors leave »
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140520191728-746287--infographic-why-donors-stop-their-support
@StevenShattuck

@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/infographic-‐the-‐great-‐5-‐donor-‐communications-‐experiment

@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/infographic-‐the-‐great-‐5-‐donor-‐communications-‐experiment
$5 experiment »
• 48/50 email receipts
• 17/50 snail mail letters
• 3/50 hand written notes
• 0/50 phone calls (19 asked for phone #s)

@StevenShattuck
First-‐time donors »
• first-‐time donors who get a personal thank you within 48
hours are 4x more likely to give a second gift (Tom Ahern)
• a three-‐minute thank-‐you call will boost first-‐year
retention by 30%. (Roger Craver / The Agitator)
• a thank-‐you call from a board member to a newly
acquired donor within 24 hours of receiving the gifts will
increase their next gift by 39%. (Penelope Burk)
http://www.nonprofithub.org/fundraising/excuses-‐need-‐call-‐every-‐new-‐donor
http://www.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2010/how-‐to-‐increase-‐donations-‐by-‐39-‐percent.aspx

New donor retention is even worse »
https://bloomerang.co/blog/infographic-‐2014-‐fundraising-‐effectiveness-‐project-‐survey-‐report
@StevenShattuck

@StevenShattuck
The best major gift prospects »
• AT LEAST 2 years of giving
• IDEALLY 5+ years
• 12-‐18 moves to cultivate/solicit a major gift
You need a plan!

Segmenting & Cultivation = Stewardship
@StevenShattuck

Acknowledgement segmenting »
@StevenShattuck
Above average gift amount
At or below average gift amount

Acknowledgement segmenting »
@StevenShattuck
http://www.tripointfundraising.com/how-‐are-‐you-‐treating-‐your-‐donors-‐time-‐to-‐find-‐out

http://ignitedfundraising.com/resources/sample-‐timeline-‐donor-‐retention

Sample cultivation plan »
Free pdf at www.tripointfundraising.com
@StevenShattuck

Retention alone isn’t enough.
What keeps a donor committed?
@StevenShattuck

@StevenShattuck
• Survey of 250 nonprofits
• Asked to rate 32 drivers
by importance to them
• Here are the top 7…
Key drivers of donor commitment »

@StevenShattuck
Key drivers of donor commitment »
1. Donor perceives your organization to be effective
in trying to achieve its mission.
2. Donor knows what to expect from your
organization with each interaction.
3. Donor receives timely a thank you.
4. Donor receives opportunities to make his or her
views known.
5. Donor is given the feeling that he or she is part of
an important cause.
6. Donor feels his or her involvement is appreciated.
7. Donor receives information showing who is being helped.

@StevenShattuck
Horse before the cart »
• Get obsessed with retention
• Fast, personalized and heart-‐felt acknowledgement
• Create and implement donor segments
• Draft long-‐term stewardship plans

NOW we can start thinking about major gifts.
@StevenShattuck

E
A 
S 
I 
L 
Y
Major Gift Success »
@StevenShattuck

Engagement 
Asks 
System 
Intelligence 
Legacy 
You
@StevenShattuck

Engagement 
A 
S 
I 
L 
Y
@StevenShattuck

norman rockwell family image

• Family life
• Hobbies
• Career
• Education
• Aspirations
• Passions
• Why they give/volunteer!
Know the donor »
@StevenShattuck

• Get to know them on a personal level
• Find and involve those they have relationships with
• Make all interactions fun (delight them!)
• Make sure they know multiple people in the org
• Provide them with (relevant) volunteer opportunities
• Use their talents wisely
• Are they personally connected to the mission?
Become part of the family »
@StevenShattuck

Volunteers / Board Members »
http://www.fidelitycharitable.org/docs/Volunteerism-‐Charitable-‐Giving-‐2009-‐Executive-‐Summary.pdf
http://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/sites/bankofamerica.newshq.businesswire.com/files/press_kit/additional/2014_US_Trust_Study_of_High_Net_Worth_Philanthropy_-‐_Executive_Summary.pdf
Donors give twice as much, annually, when they
volunteer with the organization. On average, the giving
rises from $39,000 per year to $78,000. And the most
common volunteer activity is serving on the board.
Volunteers are 10x more likely to donate to your
charity than non-‐volunteers.
@StevenShattuck

Measuring engagement »
• Recency of giving + -‐
• Cash vs. EFT vs. CC + -‐
• # of years giving +
• Upgrade / Downgrade + -‐
• Lapsed -‐
• Event attendance +
• Opens email +
• Click links in emails +
• Pattern of giving + -‐
• Responded to survey +
• Has stated
communication
preferences +
• Has inbound  
interactions +
• Has soft credits +
• Volunteerism +
• Has complained + -‐
• Monthly donor +
• Unsubscribes  
from email -‐
@StevenShattuck

Complaints are okay, if… »
@StevenShattuck
Source: Target Analytics, 2009 DonorCentrics US Recurring Giving Benchmarking Analysis

Engagement 
Asks 
S 
I 
L 
Y
@StevenShattuck

Donor communications »
“Successful appeals are
quite simple. At heart,
they are love letters to
donors and prospects,
woven through with
clear cries for help.”
-‐Tom Ahern, 
Bloomerang Donor
Communications Head Coach
@StevenShattuck

Beginning
of mail
End of mail
Elapsed time:
1-‐3 seconds
@StevenShattuck

You’re trying for “mental nods.”
Tom’s Secret to Success »
@StevenShattuck

Keep the donor at the center.
@StevenShattuck

Don’t bore them.
@StevenShattuck

Get them into a fight.
@StevenShattuck

Remember your S.M.I.T.
@StevenShattuck
“Focus on the S.M.I.T. (single most important thing)
you want to tell someone, right now.  
Ideally focused on a story about an individual.” 
-‐-‐ Jonathon Grapsas

https://bloomerang.co/bloomies
@StevenShattuck

Personalize! »
• Use their name
• Use the pronoun “you”
• Include geography
• (“as a resident of…”)
• Include an audience attribute
• (“as a parent of… you know…”)
• Handwritten touches, or all handwritten
@StevenShattuck

Acknowledgements »
• It’s not about you, it’s about the donor
• Share stories, not success
• Prove that it was worthy of their support
• Tell how money was spent
• Make the donor the hero of the story
• Multiple modes of communication (phone, in-‐person)
@StevenShattuck

Engagement 
Asks 
System 
I 
L 
Y
@StevenShattuck

All interactions must be recorded
and accessible to everyone.
Everyone using the database!
@StevenShattuck

Engagement 
Asks
System 
Intelligence 
L 
Y
@StevenShattuck

@StevenShattuck
Prospect research / wealth screening »

Seattle’s Lakeside Upper School counts …  
Bill Gates among its alumni. Rumor has it a
fundraiser for the high school called Gates,
who asked: “How much is everyone else
giving?” About $75 he was told.  
“So put me down for $75,” said Gates.
-‐-‐ Forbes, Jan 22, 1996, p. 16
@StevenShattuck
Prospect research / wealth screening »

5 best indicators »
@StevenShattuck

1. Previous Giving To Your Nonprofit
https://bloomerang.co/blog/5-‐indicators-‐for-‐identifying-‐the-‐best-‐potential-‐donors
@StevenShattuck

2. Giving to Other Nonprofits
@StevenShattuck

3. Participation as a Foundation Trustee
@StevenShattuck

4. Federal Political Giving
@StevenShattuck

4. Federal Political Giving
5. Real Estate Ownership
@StevenShattuck

Engagement 
Asks
System 
Intelligence 
Legacy 
Y
@StevenShattuck

Everyone wants to leave a legacy »
• Base it on a project opportunity
• Never undesignated!
@StevenShattuck

Success depends on you »
Create KPIs and stick to them!
KPI Feb March Goal
Phone Calls
87 123 100
Emails
175 123 150
In-‐Person
11 8 10
Asks
21 20 25
@StevenShattuck

Remember »
• Retention comes first
• Go secret-‐shopping
• Get to know the donor on a personal level
• Get a donor to 5 years of giving
• Be ruthless about recording moves / interactions
• Use prospect research / wealth screening strategically
• Avoid undesignated asks
• Have fun!
@StevenShattuck

Now you’re ready to ask!
@StevenShattuck

9 Common Errors »
• You don’t ask for the gift.
• You don’t ask for enough money.
• You do not listen and instead talk too much.
• You don’t ask questions.
• You talk about the organization and its approach rather
than about benefits to the donor.
http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/whitepaperdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=32284
“Who ever speaks first, loses.”
@StevenShattuck

9 Common Errors »
• You are not flexible in what they ask for and have no
alternatives ready to offer the prospect.
• You do not properly train your solicitors.
• You do not know the prospect before solicitation.
• You are too fearful of receiving a no.
http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/whitepaperdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=32284
"If you want money, ask for advice. If you want advice, ask for money.”
@StevenShattuck

Free educational resources »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/retention

Free educational resources »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/resources
•Daily blog post
•Weekly webinar
•Downloadables
•Nonprofit Wrap-‐Up
•Bloomerang TV

Major gift survey »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/data-‐the-‐2015-‐state-‐of-‐major-‐gift-‐fundraising/

Questions?
steven.shattuck@bloomerang.co
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck

Major Gift Fundraising Done EASILY (DSAIA 2015)

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Major Gift Fundraising Done EASILY (DSAIA 2015)