How to Get Your Board Members Engaged and Active in Fundraising

Gail Perry MBA CFRE

@gailperrync #firedupFRwww. Firedupfundraising.com gp@gailperry.com

Who Am I? 25+ years Blogger, coach, consultant Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill fundraising Author “Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action” AFP Fundraiser of the Year International speaker and workshop leader #firedupFR@gailperryncGail Perry

Three Steps to Engage Your Board Members in

Fundraising: 1. Get them fired up!2. Educate them: redefine fundraising. 3. Give them easy jobs that don’t

involve “asking.”

Special Resource for Wild Apricot!

Workbook: Enlist Your Dream Team Board!

http://www.gailperry.com/resources-wildapricot/

Did Somebody Say the “F-Word?”

Are Your Board Members Literally Afraid of Fundraising? ”

The Tin Cup Syndrome?

Fundraising =

Begging?

Do Your Board Members Imagine

Fundraising = Rejection?

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Fundraising = Cold Calls?

Step 1: Get Them Fired Up in

General!

Is This Your Board?

Is This Your Board?

Is This Your Board?

Is This Your Board?

Or Is this Your Board?

Is This Your Board?Is This Your Board?Is This Your Board?

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Is This Your Board?Boring Meetings = A Bored Board

A Board Member Deserves a

TERRIFIC Experience!

Fire Up Your Board Where Does The Money

Go?• A panel discussion or interview format.• Why does it cost so much?• Program by program.• How much does it cost per person?• Story about someone whose life was changed.

Fire Up Your Board 10 Terrific Questions to Discuss

with Your Board1. “Why do we even need private contributions anyway?2. “Why does it cost so much?3. “Where exactly does the money go?4. “Why does it take so much staff to do this work?5. “How many kids are we helping in this program?6. “About how much does it cost per person helped? 7. “What else do we really need? And how much would that cost?8. “How many kids are we missing? What happens then? 9. Can you tell me a story of someone whose life was changed

thru our work?10. “What would we do if we had an additional $100k? (or $50k, or

$500k or million – whatever is relevant to your budget size.)

Fire Up Your Board Mission Moments: Give Board

Members a Direct Personal Experience

#5 Give Them Social Time Fire Up Your Board! Give Them Social Time

Down Time Together is Essential

Social Time For Board Members

Builds Trust and Collegiality

Ask Board Members Why They Care!

The Mingle Exercise: An Amazingly Powerful Tool

I’d like to learn what

to say.

Why Do I Care? 1. “Find a partner.2. “Introduce yourself.3. “Tell them why you care

about our organization.4. “Listen to them tell you. 5. “You only have 30

seconds each. 6. “When I call out, find

another partner.

Why Do You Care About Our

Organization?

Practice the Elevator SpeechWhat To Say

The “Why”not the “What.”

Spread the Idea Virus Sneeze Wherever You Go!

This is how board members can become “sneezers,”

spreading the BUZZ wherever they go.

The Elevator Speech: How To “Be”

• Energetic• Enthusiastic • Authentic• Honest• Personal

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Your OwnEnergy

is Infectious!

If you are all about money, where will your energy be?

Nothing great was

ever achieved without

enthusiasm!

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Elevator Speech: Turn It Into A Conversation

What are your

impressions?

The Fundraiser’s Kiss of Death

• Being boring!• Talking too much!

Three Steps to Engage Your Board Members in

Fundraising: 1. Get them fired up!2. Educate them! Redefine

fundraising. 3. Give them easy jobs that don’t

involve “asking.”

Steps in the Fundraising Adventure

THANK THANK THANK AGAIN

CULTIVATE AND INVOLVE

ASK FOR SUPPORT

IDENTIFY PROSPECTS

Many Roles for Board Members

TIME AND ENERGY INVOLVED in each step of the cycle

The Soft Sell School of FundraisingThe Relationship is More Important Than the

Ask

High intention Low pressure

Fundraising StrategiesCost Per Dollar Raised

Fundraising EVENT 50%

ANNUAL FUND 25-30%

MAJOR GIFT OR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

5-10%

Would You Like to Be An Ambassador?

Fundraising? “YETCH!”

Ambassador? “What fun!”

How Can You Follow-up with a Donor?

1. Visit a site?2. Meet top staff?3. Lunch to discuss? 4. Advice visit coffee?5. A meeting or event?6. Something specific

to your friend’s personal interest?

Fundraising 2.0:Where the Easy Money Is in Fundraising Today

Are We Losing or Gaining Donors?

Fundraising’s

Dirty Little Secret:

Waaaay Too Much Donor

ATTRITION

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In our surveys, less than 45% of fundraisers knew their current donor retention rate.

Do you know your retention rate?

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How much $$ from

people who have not

renewed their gifts?

Three Steps to Engage Your Board Members in

Fundraising: 1. Get them fired up!2. Educate them! Redefine

“fundraising. 3. Give them easy jobs that

don’t involve “asking.”

Easy Fundraising Jobs:1. Host Sizzling Tours

• Board members invite their FRIENDS• Board member

welcomes• Call the next

day: “What were your

impressions?”

Easy Fundraising Jobs:2. Host Small Socials

• No solicitations!• Plan your followup— or don’t do it!

The All Important Follow Up Card

Name: _____________________________________Address: _____________________________________Email: _____________________________________Phone: _____________________________________What most interested me about your organization was: _____________________________________ _____________________________________I would like to:

1. ______Join your mailing list2. ______Hold a small social or tour of my own3. ______Make a contribution4. ______Volunteer5. ______ please call me at __________6. Other _____________________________________

Easy Fundraising Jobs:3. Thank You Phone Calls to

DonorsDonors received a thank you phone call from a

board members within 24 hours of receiving the gift.

The next time they were solicited, they gave 39% more than the other donors who did not receive a call.

After 14 months, those called were giving 42% more.

Donor Centered Fundraising, Penelope Burk

Easy Fundraising Jobs:4. VIP Prospect Game

Who are 10 funding sources who could catapult our financial future?

Easy Fundraising Jobs:5. Advice Visits

If you want money ask for

advice; if you want

advice, ask for money.

Advice Visit Success

I had  an "advice visit" today with a very prominent woman in the community who on the spot  offered  a $10,000 challenge grant!! 

What's even more amazing is that she did not want to schedule the meeting because she said her foundation had no money to give us!

~Linda Frenette, Community Music School, Raleigh NC

Advice Visit Success

“I've been having a great time contacting various business leaders asking for their coaching/opinion on making the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Red Cross a success.

I briefly outline the reasons I serve on the board, what the Red Cross does in our community, and ask what successful practices they have seen on other charitable boards.

The response is great. They are interested in the Red Cross and want to have on-going dialogue! It's about relationships...... Thanks again, Gail

~Karen Mildenhall, Chair-Elect Phoenix Red Cross

Special Resource for Wild Apricot!

Workbook: Enlist Your Dream Team Board!

http://www.gailperry.com/resources-wildapricot/

Many More Resources at FiredupFundraising.com

Top 10 Things to Understand About How Fundraising Really Works Today5 Clues Your Fundraising is Headed DownhillWhy Board Members Love Advice VisitsDoes Your Organization Really Support Fundraising? Take This Simple QuizEasy Elevator Speech Exercise for Your BoardShow Me the Money: How To Move From Friendraising to FundraisingHow Major Donors are Changing and What To Do About It20 EASY Ways Board Members Can Cultivate Donors10 Easy Ways Board Members Can Raise Money12 Ways to Liven Up Your Board Meetings —and Your Board

Fired-Up Fundraising NEWSLETTERGail Perry MBA CFRE twitter: @gailperrync

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