1. How to be behinda successful fundraiser
Thursday,April.4th,2013
GuestSpeakers:
Micheal Bacon,Founderand Principal of BaconLee & Associates
JimEskin,Executive Director,AlamoColleges, Office of Institutional Advancement
Location:BrightShawl
Didyou knowthat 75% of all familiesgiveinthe UnitedStates? While thismightbe true,there are a lot
of resourcesavailable thatare notusedbecause people simply are tooafraidordon’tknow how to ask
for them. The realityis,whenaskingfora donation there willbe timeswhenyouwill be told “no”,but
rememberthat“no” can meannot at thistime,or there’ssimplynomoneytogive atthat moment.
Special guestspeakers, JimEskinand Michael Bacon,talkedabouthow tobe behindasuccessful
fundraiser. Michael Baconputit intoperspectivewhen he said“checkyouregoat the door,because it’s
not aboutyou,it isabout the missionandfundsthatyouraise”.In otherwords,don’ttake anything
personal,whetherit’s the amountgivenorif a donationisreceived.Sowithall worriesaside,here are a
few pointerstoleadyouinthe right directionof creatingasuccessful fundraisingplan.
What to expect:
-People don’tgiveunlessasked
- Noteveryone willdonate
- You have nocontrol overthe amountof donationsreceived
- It’sbetterto askfor part of the whole desiredamount insteadof the entireamount
- Donorsmightdonate a small amountat first, before theygive abiggergifttosee whatyou will dowith
the initial investment
Planningyour ask:
What we know:
- The listof donors
- Amountsreceived

2. Where to ask:
-Bestplacesare in a person’s home oroffice,notata restaurantbecause itisinan uncontrolled
environment(ex.interruptionsbywaiters)
How to ask:
-Face to face is the best,phone call if you have already metand spokentothat person
- Don’t“spill all the beans”of your proposal overthe phone
- Most likelythere will be agate keeper;itishelpfultohave a friendof the donorinitially call tosetup
an appointment, sothe call will gothrough
-Setan appointmentwiththe clearpurpose of sharingagiftproposal, give nosurprises
-Whensettingupan appointment, askif the donorwouldlike anyone toattend,soeveryone isthere at
once (ex.spouse,CertifiedPublicAccountant,etc.)
-Getas many people whoare partof the donor’steamto alsosupportyour missionwhenyouaskfora
donation(ex.donor’sstaff members,peervolunteers,boardmembers),itwill give more reasonforthe
donorto say “yes!”
-Summarize and askforthe stepsnexttaken, forinstance, “how doyoufeel aboutme callingyou inX
monthsfor a donation of X amount?”or “can we count on youfor a giftof X?”
Materialsyou need:
- Provide anexample where youreceivedadonation inthe past
-Specificproposal withcostestimatesorbenefitsnoted, forexample,mentioningthe donor’starget
audience isalsothe audience youwillbe serving
- Financial orfundraisingprogressreports; donorswanttoknow aboutothercontributors
Things to remember:
-Don’tjudge a bookby itscover. You neverknow whoyournext supporterwill be
-Be conversational
-Practice inthe mirror
-Alwayshave aPlanB

3. One lastthing,keepinmindthat listeningis critical,itis75% of the work and the other25% isyou
leadingthe conversation.Bybeinganeffective listener youwill be able toshape yourproposal tobetter
fitthe donor’sinterestsandethics.Thiswill helpyougaintheirtrust. Hopefully thisinformation helps
youbuildthe confidence toaskandhelpsyouplana successful fundraiser.Goodluckinyourventures!
SharonDaniel