Best Practices on Managing a Face to Face Fundraising Program

Transcription

1 Best Practices on Managing a Face to Face Fundraising Program *** Jerome Cheung Ashley Bloom

2 What is Face?

3 Evolution of Face to Face That s never going to work Door to door evolved to street One-time donations evolved to monthly donations Clipboards evolved to tablets Canvassing evolved into a career path

4 Why Face to Face?

5 Advantages of F2F Test quickly and cheaply Easily alter your message Generate and receive a steady flow of donors throughout the year Fundraise without pre-existing leads or lists

6 Branding Does it Matter? Small Women s Shelter in Toronto s west end Fundraised door to door for monthly supporters in 5 campaign over 5 yrs. Recruited 1,936 monthly donors Raised almost $29,000 monthly Retention nearly 80% at 24 months Found a major donor Small local non profit fighting for decriminalization of drugs and ending mass incarceration Fundraised door to door in DC on behalf of VOCAL as part of a training Team of 5 canvassers.21 member per hour $18 average gift A national network made up of small, local non profits that stand for social and economic justice Year round street canvass in Chicago Team of 8 canvassers on avg..25 member per hour $21 average gift

7 Key Elements to a Successful Program Good Fundraising Leadership Good Fundraising Staff Good Case for Support Human Resource Infrastructure Training and Evaluation Clear Wage Structure Clear Targets (KPIs) and Progressive Discipline Employee Protection System Donor Communication Plan Clear understanding of the expected ROI Retention and Return on Investment Metrics Cost per Donor or Cost per Dollar Volume vs. Value Calculation Monthly Payments Processing Infrastructure Data Management and Reporting Quality and Canvasser Integrity Assurance System

8 Why You Shouldn t Use a Commission Model It s Not Ethical some of the canvasser can end up earning less than a minimum or living wage. May even be at odds with the anti-poverty mission of certain organizations such as international development agencies It s Illegal IRS has ruled that charitable fundraisers cannot be hired as independent contractors. Dept. of Labor has issued opinion that charitable fundraisers cannot be exempt from Fair Labor Act and must be paid minimum wage and over-time pay Harder to Recruit more attractive value proposition to quality applicants Lower Donor Satisfaction commission sales often leads to aggressive and/or deceptive persuasion tactics leading to poor donor experience

9 In-House vs. External Programs In-House Program High Risk, High Reward + Integrate staff into organization (develop for alternative roles in org.) + Higher motivation and loyalty to org. + Easier quality control for training, messaging, and org. representation + Easier to test and make program changes + Decrease Cost per Donor as you scale External Program Low Risk, Low Reward + Instant capacity - Provides infrastructure and canvass staff + Instant institutional knowledge + Limited upfront costs (smaller startup costs, and pay for what you get) + Limited liability (staff employed by 3 rd party) + Easier to scale

10 Improving Fundraising Response

11 Improving Fundraising Response Essential Canvasser KPIs Stops / Contact Rate Member per Hour Average Gift Month 0-2 Retention Volume: Sign-Ups & Gift Size Retention: 3 mo. 6 mo. 12 mo. Essential Retention KPIs Age Payment Method Donation Frequency % of Cancellation Calls & Reasons

12 Canvasser Performance in the Field Who you Hire Passionate, motivated and driven to succeed Skills Implementing Training in the field Motivation Determination to succeed Mindset A belief not based on fact Foundations The program s structure fundamentals Increased Volume A Closer Look: Foundations Clear Performance Targets and Behavioral Standards Management Systems and Processes HR and Policy Manual Materials: o Uniforms o Tablets: Working and Charged o Training Materials and Handouts Payroll: Correct and On-Time Health and Safety Budget

13 Donor Retention A Closer Look: Integrity Correct Donor Contact Details Correct Donor Age Clearly Communicates Membership o Recurring Donation o Does Not Say: Call and Cancel or Lower Donation Does Not Use Pressure Tactics Represents the Org. as an Ambassador Does Not forge Sign-Ups Signs Up Friends/Family to make Quota Increased Retention Who you Hire Passionate, motivated and driven to succeed Training & Management Executing skills & holding accountable Integrity Check Collecting correct & quality donor info. Cancel Reasons Why donors call to cancel in first 3 months Donor Experience & Loyalty How they feel towards canvasser & org.

14 Who you Hire Passionate, motivated and driven to succeed Who you Hire Passionate, motivated and driven to succeed Skills Implementing Training in the field Training & Management Executing skills & holding accountable Motivation Determination to succeed Mindset A belief not based on fact Increased Volume Improved FR Response Increased Retention Integrity Check Collecting correct & quality donor info. Cancel Reasons Why donors call to cancel in first 3 months Foundations The program s structure fundamentals Donor Experience & Loyalty How they feel towards canvasser & org.

15 In Conclusion Face to Face is an important channel to have in your fundraising portfolio Face to Face works whether your org. is small and mighty or large and well known Improve your Fundraising Response by keeping volume and retention in balance Contact Details: Jerome Cheung Public Outreach Ashley Bloom Membership Drive