Starting a Charity? Don't Leave Money on the Table, Pt 2

What needs to happen after the special event is that the major gifts staff member steps in and starts working to turn all that wonderfully good, warm feeling of the day/night before into some really good gifts to the organization. If we did that, the true cost to raise $1 for each of our fundraising events would drop like a stone, and the money raised as a result of the event would skyrocket! Here's how I see it working.

The day after the event, the major gifts person calls all those who attended the event and asks those three questions that our friend Terry Axelrod of Raising More Money (now called "Benevon") fame has by now taught all of us to ask, if we didn't know before: "What did you think of last night's event?" Then pause to listen and take notes. "Do you think any of your friends or associates ought to be on our list for next year?" and, again, pause to listen and take down the names and contact information of people. Then "Is there any way you could see yourself becoming more involved in our organization as a result of what you saw and heard last night?"

In short, the nonprofit organization may not be able to use the special event staff, because they're all worn out and frazzled after the event, but they're missing the gravy boat if they don't put someone immediately on the trail of those event guests and sponsors and donors from the night before, to help them translate all their good warm fuzzy feelings into some real hard cash for the organization.

First of all, the names and contact information for anyone who attended the event should be entered into the donor database if it is not there already. And each record should be given a special code indicating that they were a participant in some way in this particular event, whether they just attended, bid on something, donated an auction item, were a sponsor, bought a ticket, etc. etc. A code for the event, then a code for each role a person could play within the event itself.

Next, the staff person (or it might also be a prominent volunteer) makes the above phone call and asks the three questions.

Now it's time to arrange personal visits with those whose commitment to the organization is growing to the point where we want to involve them in the cultivation and solicitation process. There are those we want to talk with about their involvement growing and what they would or could do for our organization. Face-to-face is the best way to handle this. There are those we want to involve in the cultivation of their friends, family, colleagues and associates. Again, a personal meeting is going to keep the motivation, the good feelings from the event, motivating the person longer. Then there are those who have been cultivating gifts who need assistance now in asking those people for money. Once again, a personal visit does more to inspire and motivate, refresh the case for support, than any other means.

Sure it takes a lot of time and work! But not as much time and effort as planning and executing the event. And it is so much more rewarding work! You've got to go out there and make those appointments, see the prospects and donors, motivate them, ask them for money. But, if we don't do this work, we leave so much money on the table! It's money that is there for the asking, and that will be given elsewhere if we don't corral it for our organization.