by Patrick Carlove
One of the most challenging parts of fundraising is developing a culture of peer-to-peer request in any fund-raising endeavor. It is widely known that having one supporter engaging another supporter is often more powerful and successful than staff members doing all the solicitation. In addition, small teams do not have enough manpower to make sure everyone has a chance to participate. Whether it is the annual, capital, or legacy giving, people often times do not like to be in a position of “fundraiser.” They feel as if they may damage a relationship with someone they care about and respect. Here are a couple strategies that have helped people overcome some of these fears.
Participation vs Fundraising
Frequently people feel that fundraising is about taking when it is really about giving. They seem to forget that everyone directs where their money goes all the time. Whether it is food, shelter, transportation, or fun everyone makes choices about money. Instead of being nervous to ask someone if they want to be involved, we should fear the day in which someone we know says, “I wish I would have known about this opportunity. This person, place, or program made a difference in my life, and I would have loved to participate in making this happen.” Most people want to be part of inspiring visions for a better future and volunteers who share the story are giving people this chance to decide their level of involvement.
Ask for feedback
There is an age-old quote in fundraising that says, “ask for money and you get advice, but if you ask for advise you will get money.” Although this is not always true, it is a great method to use in order to build relationships and find out passions. In the Christian school context, I often use a model of 12-3-1. Jesus had twelve disciples. Inside the twelve, Peter, James and John were set apart and involved at a deeper level. In addition, John was referred to as the disciple that Jesus loved. The participation strategy simplifies this by stating that Jesus had twelve disciples, three close, and one best friend.
The concept is to ask volunteers to develop a list of people who they think may be interested in the vision or project. Then have them meet with the three people they respect the most to get feedback and suggestions. If their conversation is positive, they can ask if they would like to hear more and/or be involved. If conversations are negative, they commit to sharing these concerns with the staff. Regardless, have them come back and report to the staff what they discovered. This information can be valuable in planning future materials or adjusting goals. The next goal will be to reach out to the other nine people and follow the same process. This exercise is a great way to get volunteers launched or initiated in the fundraising endeavor in a way that is incremental and non-threating. These conversations will organically lead to greater involvement and gifts from the community.
How do I determine twelve people to seek feedback?
Often volunteers are concerned that they do not know how to determine who would be a good candidate for a conversation around support. One acrostic that has been helpful in many cases is ACT PAT.
A – Ability to participate
C – Commitment to mission in the past through time, talent, and/or treasure
T – Track record of philanthropy
P – Project aligns with their passion
A – Amount of request is in line with their ability to support
T - Timing is good in their life to participate
Volunteers do a personal mine mapping exercise around each of these statements and try to come up with three to five names. From that list they can narrow it down to the three people to meet with first. Generally, this group of people will be receptive to a conversation because they have some level of connection to the school and the volunteer.
This method of discovery, cultivation, and solicitation is not as scientific as reviewing database history for candidates, but it is more personable and relationship oriented. If volunteers have success in this type of discovery activity, they may be more enthusiastic about reaching out to less familiar people in the future.
I wish all of you the absolute best in your LUHI ministries. Please reach out with any questions or comments. Looking forward to serving alongside you into the future.
Patrick Carlove is the Vice President of the Office of Philanthropy at Concordia University Texas. He can be reached at Patrick.Carlove@concordia.edu.