Fundraising and garnering donations can seem overwhelming and sometimes scary. It’s not easy picking up the phone to ask for a donation or going into a store and doing it face-to-face. Here are a few fundraising tips that you can use next time you are garnering donations.
- When going after donations show, that the organization has vision for the funds being raised. Know where the dollars will go and be able to discuss it with the potential donor.
- Use positive words—“investing”
- Do not use—“solicit” or “beg”
- Be focused on your task at hand; schedule time (i.e., 30 minutes) and put all your calls in during that time.
- Know who you are calling: Find out some information about the company/prospect (i.e., if they tend to donate to charities that support your cause. Is there any history of the prospect supporting your organization previously? What did they donate last time?
- State the purpose of your call: Put the prospect at ease and establish a friendly rapport. Engage the prospective donor in conversation to learn more about his/her feelings concerning the works of your organization, his/her needs, interests, and financial status
- Try for face-to-face meeting: You can improve your chances of getting a donation by approximately 60%. Your individual passion will sell.
- Call early, midday or late: Avoid the gatekeeper. If you get a voice mail, do not leave a
message. - Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an immediate response the best fundraisers are very persistent (sometimes it takes tons of calls to get an answer)!
- Call when you know YOU can talk it’s the worst to be on a roll with a donor but your boss/colleagues needs you.
- The personal touch is key (i.e., thank you note, phone call, visit).
- Think big…don’t beg…when you ask for a bigger dollar amount, you are more likely to get it.
Do you have a tip to add? What has worked for you?
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