HOW TO WIN FRIENDS DONOR RELATIONS. Nancy Smith (UVU) and McClain Bybee (LDSP)

Transcription

1 HOW TO WIN FRIENDS DONOR RELATIONS Nancy Smith (UVU) and McClain Bybee (LDSP)

2 How to Win Friends Donor Relations Nancy Smith (UVU) and McClain Bybee (LDSP)

3 Greatest Challenges to Higher Education! Business Model: The traditional business model is failing relying solely on philanthropy is not the answer! Mission and Purpose: Failure to communicate a clear, concise, compelling and urgent case statement! Wrong Focused Outcomes: Focusing on money rather than on the donors and community s (friends) desires to change and save lives

4 Definition of Friends Constituency Circle Members Volunteers Executive Staff Major Donors Employees Regular Donors Governing Board and Committees Constituents Former Participants People With Similar Interests Individuals, groups, and organizations that are closer to the center of a cause's Constitutency Circle are much more likely to give of their time, talent, and treasure to that cause

5 Winning Friends! Prospects become donors because of relationships! Quality relationships grow deeper and more rapidly when positive relationship building initiatives are Planned Correlated Reported (tracked and carried out)

6 DONOR RELATIONSHIP CYCLE Phase 0 Identify Prospective Donor Ultimate Donor Prospective Donor Objective: Phase V Remember and Re-engage Initiate experiences that build relationships and help create transformational results Phase IV 1. Assess natural linkage, interest and ability (LIA) 2. Establish Relationship 3. Increase awareness Motivate: 10. Acknowledge gift 11. Continue Relationship with our cause Educate: Phase II Maintain: 12. Ensure ongoing contact Phase I Phase III Gift Definition & Gift Closure: 7. Ensure friend is ready for investment in the cause (by an ask ) 8. Present proposal and ask for gift 9. Arrange for gift completion 4. Increase involvement 5. Increase understanding 6. Increase commitment

7 Two Important Functions For Winning Friends! Donor Engagement (Relations) Donors (people) are not stewarded (Burk) Relationships must be meaningful and honest! Gift Stewardship The stewarding of gifts received: investment, use and accounting has become ever increasingly important. Donors desire to know if their gift had meaning and are the results measurable

8 Technology Brings a New Era to Donor Engagement and Gift Stewardship! Donor-Centric Emphasis Research (analytics) Listen online tools (ClickDimensions, etc.) Respond WCM, Adobe CQ5, Adobe Publisher Engage CRM! Gift Stewardship Acceptance, Receipt, Gratitude - Acknowledgement Gift Agreements or Letters of Understanding Timely Reports Reports that illustrate measurable change

9 Transactional Donor Cycle: The Way We Have Asked Identification of Donor by Organization Qualification (research) Strategy Development Cultivation by INCREASING: Awareness Donor Data Maintenance Stewardship) Knowledge Recognition Acknowledgement Interest Solicitation Involvement

10 Transformational Infinity Loop: The Way We Must Ask Organization further engages donor-investor Donor identifies cause or organization identifies donor Impact of a gift is felt / acknowledged in community Issue / Organization GIFT 1 The investment is made. Evaluation is ongoing. The relationship grows. The investment is renewed. GIFT 2 Donor-investor Community Exchange of information and involvement Benefit of investment is tied to cause and impact Mutual cultivation and information sharing Source: Kay Sprinkel Grace

11 THE ULTIMATE GOAL The experience of giving exceeds donor expectations! q The best new gift prospect is a past donor. q The best way to secure solid future donors is to exceed expectations today. Keys to exceeding Expectations 1. Unwavering integrity, empathy & accountability 2. Firm ethical gift acceptance criteria (is the gift good for the donor and the charity) 3. Effective and efficient acceptance review 4. Efficient processing and asset conversion 5. Accurate evaluation of assets 6. Timely and accurate receipting 7. Personalized, responsive acknowledgements 8. Ongoing expressions of gratitude 9. Ongoing and planned relationship management 10.Ethical use of gifts 11. Regular feedback about the lives changed and saved

12 Winning Friends A Summary Fundraising outcomes should reflect the desires and feelings of the donor, not the needs of the institution alone. There is an abiding need for empathy and sincerity. Donor commitment has more to do with fulfilling donor dreams than fulfilling institutional objectives. Discipline and organization in the donor engagement process is achieved by having one or more development officers and staff assigned to each prospect and donor. By monitoring our prospect s experiences and initiating additional key experiences we deepen ties to our cause. Deep relationships generate repeatable and significant gifts. The objective of prospect/donor engagement is to meaningfully engage prospects/donors so that they see and are motivated by our cause. The gift is a natural result of that process.

13 Winning Friends A Summary (cont.) Prospect/Donor relationship management practices have matured over time with the recognition that donors are more engaged, and therefore more supportive, when they are fully immersed in the life of the cause they represent. They thereby feel the satisfaction, inspiration, and ultimate personal transformation that comes from seeing their philanthropy accomplish noble purposes. The new (more enlightened) view of donor engagement management and gift development work focuses on a transformational (rather than a transactional ) approach. The stewarding of gifts received: investment, use and accounting has become ever increasingly important.

14 Finders Keepers Losers Weepers! Friends forever... Ultimate gifts encompass more than just money. They are estate, intellectual, connections, social they represent the full and complete expression of one s willingness to contribute. (David R. Dunlop)

15 QUESTIONS?