Yippiekiyay Dedicated to helping YOU make the world a better place! CONGRATULATIONS ON SIMPLY READING THIS! You might not think of Woody Allen as a sage business advisor or motivational speaker, but his adage that 80 percent of success is showing up is true in many areas of life especially when doing big things that require one to get outside their comfort zone. And nowhere is it more true than in getting a serious fundraising program off the ground. You are among a very small percentage of the people who think about starting and growing a nonprofit who end up rolling their sleeves up and making fundraising happen via the highly effective method of direct phone calling. Many or most small nonprofits fundraise passively if at all, or do relatively ineffective activities such as selling sugary goods. Your leadership in this area will set the tone for the entire organization as it grows, and you will see others duplicate your efforts therefore this work pays off in spades over time. So get ready to experience an exhilarating, personally satisfying process as you raise money for your nonprofit by phone. A FEW FRIENDLY SUGGESTIONS: ROLE PLAY WITH A FRIENDLY AUDIENCE BEFOREHAND I strongly recommend you role play with a friend before you start making real calls. You want to be confident in your script, your ask, and be prepared for questions. LEARN TO LOVE THE ASK. IF YOU NEVER ASK, YOU'LL NEVER HAVE FUNDS. The main reason people give is because they were asked. People do not necessarily want to give away their money, but people who know you do not want to tell you no and discourage you. That fact is your biggest asset when starting out. Please let us know if this resource has been a help to you, and how we might improve it! Email me anytime at christian@heroes.do. Thanks! - Christian LeFer, Author & Founder 1
10 ESSENTIAL STEPS FOR FUNDRAISING BY PHONE 1. List everyone you know in a house file spreadsheet. Everything you do from Day 1 in fundraising should center around building your "house file". Definition: House file; a list of names and addresses of active and recently lapsed donors and other constituents of an organization (Ass n of Fundraising Professionals, www.afpnet.org ) Unlike longstanding organizations, beginner fundraisers and new nonprofits generally don't have a list of potential donors ready at hand. What you need to do is make a list of everyone (family member, friend, businessman, customer, fellow church or Rotary member, etc.) you can think of to send your first fundraising letter to. Even if you think they don t care about your cause. Start with your Christmas card list or Rolodex - can you top 100? Get out a piece of paper, or download the excel sheet linked at the end of this guide and make a list of the names of your friends, your friends parents, your parents, your parents' friends, aunts and uncles, grandparents, former employers, Scout or sports team leaders, civic group or church members, local leaders, teachers and anyone who has mentored you and anyone else you can think of that has more than zero dollars in their bank account. IMPORTANT: Do not avoid people based upon your perception of their interest in supporting your particular cause. Remember the reason they give is not always because of your cause, but because it s you. These people are your prospects. 2. Write down each prospect s phone number: Yes, your friends and acquaintances are now prospective donors. If you do not have their phone numbers you can look up their place of work online, ask other people who know them, and use sites like Zabasearch, Pipl, Whitepages, etc. 2
3. Write down the amount of money you think each prospect could reasonably give if they were properly motivated (we ll cover the motivation part below, and in future training). If you are having a hard time coming up with an amount, estimate how much you think they spend going out to dinner in a given month and multiply that number by three. Now take that number and double it. Yes, double it. Write down twice as much as you believe that person can reasonably give. That number is your ask amount. 4. Create a call script: You can find plenty of good information on effective call scripts with a simple Google search. The most important thing to remember is to ask for a specific amount of money, for a specific project, to accomplish a demonstrable result. It should also be as brief as possible. You have a lot of calls to make, and people are often busy, so do not waste time. But be careful not to sound hurried on the phone. You want to maintain control of the conversation. Introduction & Rapport: Ask if they have about 5-10 minutes. A. Greet the person and let them know you are representing the organization. B. Ask questions, and be real. If something makes you angry, sad or frustrated, share this with them and ask them if they agree. The Case: What your organization does & why they should donate. A. The problem. These are often emotional topics and problems we re trying to solve with a nonprofit. Don t be afraid to use emotional terms, within reason. B. The solution. Explain how you do what you plan to do, why it s uniquely suited, and cast the vision for how the world will look different when you succeed. C. What your organization does, and why it is unique. Give one example of how it worked. Closing: This is the part most people need to work on. A. Ask for help. As you agreed, we have the solution, but we can t do it without your help. 3
B. Tell them how they can help. Be specific in amount and that it needs to happen NOW. On average, others are doing about XXXX dollars. Can you do that amount? Then DO NOT SPEAK. Do not say anything until they speak first. 5. Ask each prospect for the amount you came up with in Step 3. Since you ve prepared by setting yourself up with a reward and a quiet place without kids, dogs, or other distractions, it s time to pick up the phone and dial! Place the reward (melting ice cream, cigar, whisky, those booties you re almost done knitting...) in front of you. Don t touch the reward until you have completed your SECOND call. Do not hint at your need for money; ask directly, as in that s why I am asking for your support of five hundred dollars. End your ask with the exact amount. Now, do not say anything. They must speak next. That is the key. No matter how long and awkward it becomes, just wait. 6. If they say no, politely follow up and ask for your original amount. If they say no again, say I understand, repeat their objection back to them (if they give one). Then tell them that any amount can make a big difference and ask if there is an amount that would work for them. 7. If the final answer is no, thank them anyway. A thank you costs you nothing; it is good manners, and it is a verbal recognition of your gratefulness. Be very generous with "thank yous". They might yet donate in the future. 8. If the answer is "yes" or "maybe", immediately thank them. I have to think about it and I have to talk to my spouse means maybe, so thank them, and tell them you will send something in the mail to receive their donation right away. IMPORTANT: I highly recommend you have the means to process a credit card online (even if PayPal), and if you set this up, ALWAYS take their donation over the phone, right on the spot. I can t emphasize this enough! 4
9. Use a Reply Device. Make it easy for givers to give. This is the hardest part. This is a two-part process. Twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, you MUST lick envelopes and affix stamps to invoice style remittance forms. You must also follow up with phone calls to those who have pledged or have asked you to call back. Mail them a letter with a stamped return envelope and a reply device - The reply device is a one-page form you will create (or download), to include all the information the prospect needs to send you a donation. Items should include the address to mail the donation to, the amount they pledged to give, whom to write the check to, and any other relevant information. You should have a bank account for your organization if you are going to take donations. 10. Donors MUST get a personal Thank You. When donations come in, thank your donors right away: Send them a hand-written thank you letter as quickly as you can so they know you received their donation, and appreciate it fully. Moving forward, always send them updates, pictures, thank you letters, and any other proof of the return on their investment in you. Want to learn more about how to launch your 501(c)(3) nonprofit from A to Z in 1 to 3 hours, without dealing with an attorney or government agency? Yes, I m in! I want to start a Tax-Exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit now. Take me to the page where I can sign up and get it all done for me. Yes, I m interested in starting a 501(c)(3)and would like to learn more about how this all works. Book me for a complimentary consultation. 5
About Yippiekiyay Nonprofit Solutions Our Mission: We empower emerging community heroes by eliminating obstacles to doing social good through automated online solutions, easy-to-use tools, and training. Our Mandate: The team at Yippiekiyay innovates every day with the belief that allowing obstacles to stand between those called to social good and a world in need is morally unacceptable. That s why we focus on eliminating needless bureaucratic barriers and connect community heroes to their mission because it shouldn t be hard to do good. Our Vision: We envision a new generation of nonprofit leaders who take advantage of technology and proven startup -type innovation to run lean, responsive organizations so that needs may be met more effectively than ever before. Our Passion: Our clients are nonprofit founders & managers; some use the term social entrepreneurs. We call them heroes. The desire to do social good is driven by a vision for a better world: reducing suffering, unlocking human potential, bringing greater love, harmony, and peace. If you are reading this, you likely share such a vision. Our Method: By bringing technology together with a caring human touch, Yippiekiyay saves heroes so they can save the world. How can we help YOU? We d love your feedback! Tell us what you like to see here. To find out more about our products and services, or to schedule a consulting call to see how we may help further your charitable goals, please visit our main company website at http://www.heroes.do 6