Using Volunteers in Cultivation and Solicitation – Part 4

Let’s say, for example that you’ve succeeded in identifying 150 or so prospective "C/S" volunteers (Cultivation and Solicitation volunteers) from your database, based on their giving and any preference data you happen to have on them, and that you’ve vetted this list with board or other volunteers to get even more information about them. Now you’ve winnowed out the first batch of 20 and you’re anxious and ready to get them in the field tackling that long list of major gift people you THINK could be major gift prospects. So, what do we do now?

First off you’ll need to inform them, then you’ll need to bring their expectation levels up, and then you’ll need to give them some orientation and training in the fine sport of cultivation and solicitation of major gifts donors. At first blush, when these volunteers see what you’ve got in mind, they’re going to say “No way, Hose! and run the other way. So you’ve got to at least be careful if not cagey in how you approach these folks.

You might invite your 20 C/S prospects to a general information meeting and there you could given them their information and orientation all together. That sure would be a savings of time. But if you do it that way, you’re probably going to double your “fallout” rate. They’ll be in shock, and they’ll be in a group for the first time, and the number of people who will want to drop out will still include some who really do have the talent and experience to do this assignment but they’re either cowed by the group or motivated by a sort of “group shock.”

My preference is to meet with each of these volunteers personally. At most two at a time. This way, you start the whole venture out on a very personal note, which is symbolic of the fact that the whole major gifts enterprise is highly personal in nature. But more than that, you have the opportunity to “look-‘em-in-they-eye” and notice those nonverbals, and therefore minutely tweak and adjust your “pitch” to meet their needs right away. Some of these people you’ve chosen are going to be keenly sensitive to any kind of pressure, but they are curious, have experience, have great ideas and abilities, and you want them on the team. So get with them personally and start by encouraging them to use their proclivities and talents for the benefit of your organization and the furtherance of its mission.

Your first job with these about-to-be-recruited C/S prospects is to get down through their list of objections. So the first item of business when you meet with them is to let the cat out of the bag carefully and gradually, but nevertheless straighforwardly. You can say, “Mary, there ‘s a very special job we’re asking just a few volunteers to undertake on our behalf, and this is the cultivation and ultimate solicitation of some fairly large gifts for our organization. WE know you’ve been a long-time and vigorous supporter of ours and we believe that your influence with certain people you know could be very beneficial in our being able to gather some special gifts for our work. We have a carefully conceived plan for this work and have devised a set of specific information inputs and action steps that will make your job pretty easy, and we think you have the motivation, experience and skills to make this happen.

The first objection is going to be “Why me?” So you’re going to open up with something that makes them feel special but not “singled out.” You’re going to say, “Mary, we’re looking for some specially talented people who we believe have the kind of cognitive and people skills to do a very special job for ABC Charity. Bill and Susan Smith, your neighbors (and you know Bill is one of our Board members), suggested you would be such a person.

The second objection is going to be “I don’t know anybody.” So you’re going to help them feel at ease with the fact that you’ve already figured out that they probably know only a few of your major gifts prospects, and those only superficially. But you’re going to let them know that the job includes a “getting-to-know-you” component and you’re fully prepared to show them how to go about this part of the task, too. You’re going to be sensitive to their issues and their objections, but you’re also going to use “feel, felt, found” with them so as to assure them that their objections are heard but easily overcome.

By the way “feel, felt, found” runs like this: “Yes, I know you feel that way, and in fact, over the years, we’ve found that lots of people have shared your concern. But our experience tells us that...” And here you give them the exact opposite of what they are thinking. So the volunteer says “I’m afraid that I don’t really know any of the people on your list.” And you’ll say, “Yes, that’s true, and I know that might feel sort of awkward at first, but we’ve found that this is a better situation than knowing them too well. In reality, the very fact that you don’t know them adds a greater sense of acceptance with most donor prospects than if you were part of their inner circle. You’ll be much more effective if you’re not that close.”

The third objection is going to be “I don’t have any time for this; I’m already too busy.” Here you’ve got to tread carefully, because most good people ARE too busy and they’re rightfully protective of their time because they have priorities on everything they are now doing. So your task is to work with them to pull out the inner motivations that have made them good donors over the years and make those motivations work for you. You’re going to heighten those motivations and lift them up in a way that, from inside themselves, the prospective volunteer will understand how much of a priority this work is for them. In other words, you’re going to make their inner motivations do your persuasion work for you. Put them in touch with the things that move them and they’re all yours, you might say.

The fourth objection is going to be “I don’t know enough about the organization to do this.” This one’s easy, because you can assure them that you have already figured that out and have prepared an orientation session and an information packet, plus some hands-on volunteer experiences that will close this information gap quickly and easily. When you’re done with this part of the work the prospective volunteer will be panting to get started. Why? Because you’ve previously connected with the emotional “hook” that connects them to your organization and your work; now you’ve shown them just how easy and possible it is; and you’ve filled them with excitement that they can achieve something really remarkable in terms of financial support, and they’re going to be rarin’ to go!

Now the rest is easy. You give them the orientation session; you give them the information; you bring them into a short-term volunteering role to let them see the “inner workings” of mission delivery, and these inputs give the typical volunteer just about all they need. The only other ingredient you can provide for the few who are not yet experienced in cultivation activity is a bit of role-play to let them get used to the face-to-face cultivation situation. Not a lot of your volunteers are going to need that, but you should have it at the ready in case there are a few who do.

Now you’re off and running.