Fundraising is all about building strategic relationships. Donors and members are passionate about your cause and want to help. Our job is to find out where their interests lie and find a place that makes them successful.
4. Who is involved?
Box Office
House management
Marketing
Development
Executive Director
5. Case Study
MARKET: $77,000 PREVIOUS YEAR
GOAL: $150,000
1. $2,500 in the bank
2. No Chair
3. A few committee members left from last year
6. Case Study
ACTION ITEMS
1. Met with all key volunteers for feedback
2. Made a wish list of Chairs. Found someone
who knew the President of BB&T
3. Made the ask
4. Had the right volunteer follow-up
7. Case Study
RESULT
6 months later: $300k & best year ever!
Thalian Hall: annual campaign is $40k higher
than PYTD
KEY TO SUCCESS?
Build strategic relationships
8. Analyze where you are
Is it major gifts, membership,
sponsorship or all of the above?
PICK ONE PRIORITY!
9. Analyze where you are
LET’S TAKE A POLL…
Where are your opportunities for most growth?
10. Analyze where you are
MINE YOUR DATA
Make a list of who loves your organization most
12. Analyze where you are
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET YOU THERE?
• Restructuring / creating committees
• Power volunteers
• Big-name companies
• Corporate executives
• Well-known philanthropists
• staff
14. Make a plan together
• 6 month plan
• Committee structure
• Cultivation calendar
• Financial goal
15. Cultivate!
• Create a donor experience
• Get to know your donors
• Categorize your donors A–B–C
16. Cultivate!
CREATE A DONOR EXPERIENCE
• Events & tours
• Behind-the-scenes access
• Emails
• Phone calls
• Gifts at their seats
• Provide something they need
17. Cultivate!
GET TO KNOW YOUR DONORS
• Passions, family, hopes, accomplishments
• Make them feel special with every
interaction
18. Cultivate!
CATEGORIZE YOUR DONORS
A. Face-to-face quarterly
B. Phone or mail contact quarterly and face-to-
face 2x a year
C. Emails or mailing once a quarter
23. Elevate!
• Make them successful
• Thank & praise
• Move them up in your organization
• Events, committees, advisory boards, BOD,
consultants
• Life-long relationship
24. Elevate
KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Chairs who recruit a strong committee
• Clear communication of expectations
• Have orientation with Chair AND committee
members
• Track rank & publish
• Provide quick wins
26. Fundraising Committee Chair
Endowment Major gifts
Annual Campaign Chairs
Corporate Sponsorship
Committee
Committee Members
Membership Committee
Committee Members
Special Events
27. Corporate sponsorship
OLD
Why?
A way for a company to show
support for local causes
What?
Logo on materials
Passive
How?
Community Relations Budget
NEW
Why?
To be a part of a movement
What?
Product & Marketing
Activation
Active
How?
Marketing Budget
28. Elevate
CREATE A STRATEGIC, WORKING
COMMITTEE
• Tasks clearly specified
• Official job description
• Timeline w/ date & goals
• Compelling sponsorship opportunities
• Meetings to build prospect pipeline & report
progress
32. Major giving & membership
KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Cultivate first
• Move thru the donor cycle
• Know when to ask and DO NOT FEAR
33. Major giving & membership
Individual vs. Corporate
Motivators • Personal connection
• Desire to make an impact
• Positioning in the market
• Corporate responsibility
Stewardship • Share history/connection
with arts and theatre
• Tell stories
• Engage in local activities
• Share business’s ROI
• Report impressions
• Deliver event benefits
Approach • Dialogue
• Build case for need
• Commit to delivering
mission impact
• Pitch
• Build business case
• Commit to delivering
benefits
34. Donor Cycle
Gift is Received
Thank &
Acknowledge:
within 48 hrs
Set “visit” to
share impact
Engage:
Stewardship &
Cultivation
*Set Goal for Ask
Face to Face:
The Ask
36. Organizing theAsk
PRE-PLANNING IS KEY
• Opening the conversation
• Seek common ground
• Transition/share need
• Stop. Listen. Respond
• Agree on next steps
37. Conversation Starters
• Their knowledge of the organization
• Description of their donor experience
• Possible improvements to the donor
program
• Favorite benefits
FEEDBACK QUESTIONS ARE GREAT
38. “Ask for money, you get
advice. Ask for advice,
you get money.”
39. Cultivate, Motivate & Elevate
KEY TAKE-AWAYS
• Never say no to a donor, sponsor or
committee member!
• Turn a “No” into a “Yes!”