Fundraising 101

1. Fundraising 101 An Introduction to Best Practices

2. The Basics • The Fundamental Principle of Fundraising? • People give to people! • Find the right person to ask for the cause • Find and get to know your prospects • Thank your current donors. And thank them again.

3. Did you know? • America is, per capita, the most generous country on the planet. • Individuals gave $229.3 BILLION to charity in 2011 • Corporations gave $14 billion • Foundations gave $41 billion (just 13% of all giving!)

4. What does that tell us? • Focus more on actual people – foundations and corporations are there for us to lean on, but we have to count on friends and supporters more

5. Fundraising is a process • Planning • Research • Especially with high-dollar donors • Marketing • Communications • Evaluation

6. The plan • Determine the need(s) • The pre-ask activities • Examples • Create the plan! • Track and monitor

7. The need • How much money do you need to raise? • Unrestricted • Individuals, foundations and corporations– in that order • What method(s) will work best for y’all? • Can you accomplish your plan with the resources you have?

8. The methods • Special events (KISS) • Sponsorships for projects • Annual appeals* • Direct mail • Capital campaigns • Foundation/Corporate • Planned giving/ legacy giving

9. Special events (KISS) • Keep It Short and Simple • Think twice– a flop is not as bad as it seems, but it’s still bad! • Do you have the time and volunteer support? • Seek sponsors • Consider events that you’ve seen work well (theme?)

10. Sponsorships • Inverse pyramid • Math! • Develop sponsorship committee • Overachievers, well-connected, big deals • Make them work! • Don’t assign amounts to the cost of the event • Develop prospect list • Find the right people (see above!) • Thank your sponsors • Keep them involved/ask them again next year

11. Plead your case • Describe it • Make it relate-able • Prove that it’s real • Convince the donor • Explain where their $$ goes/ how it is used • Don’t go overboard • Create a sense of urgency

12. Personal connections • Fundraising is peer to peer • Volunteer to volunteer, director to director • Start with who you know • Make a list • People only give if they are asked!

13. Identify prospects • The bigger the net, the more fish you catch! • Flat tire, dinner, Facebook, work, appendix • Keep track

14. Create the plan • Timeline– count backwards! • Schedule activities • Establish due dates and deadlines • Assign duties– delegate! For God’s sake, delegate! • Progress Reports, Updates, Takeaways, Evaluation

15. Check in • Own it! Make sure they’re doing what they say they are doing • “Did you see what we mailed you?” • The infamous stack! • Facebook is mostly worthless • So is email  • Call and connect!

16. SAY THANK YOU! • Hand-written notes and phone calls to repeat donors • Provide a record (EIN) • Print on letterhead

17. Evaluation • Keep it honest, keep it real • Praise sandwich (with volunteers) • Did you make it?! • Who did you ask? Who should you have asked? How were your volunteers? How were your sponsors? • Tracking • Take notes for next year

18. OK, fine. But I’m ONE PERSON. Give me bite-size chunks • If all else fails, two sure-fire ways to raise some money • House party • Annual appeal • Track ALL data- can be Excel and Word! • Delegate and ask for help

19. Sources • Jerold Panas, author of Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift • Sarah Bonefas, Development Manager, Food Bank of Iowa • Mary Mendenhall-Core, Development Director, Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa

20. Ryan Crane • Development Director, Primary Health Care • rcrane@phcinc.net • 515-240-8523 cell • Twitter: @citizen_crane • linkedin.com/in/ryancraneiowa