How to Get Donors to a Yes - Revenue Boosting New Year's Resolutions for Fundraisers

How to Get Donors  
To A Yes!  
Revenue Boosting  
New Year’s Resolutions
for Fundraisers 
 
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Our guest presenter »
Rachel Muir, CFRE
• founded Girlstart at 26 yrs old
• has raised over 10 million dollars
• featured on Oprah, CNN, and the
Today show
• winner of Oprah Winfrey’s Use
Your Life award
• 3x finalist for Ernst & Young’s
Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• “Outstanding Fundraising Executive
of the Year” by AFP
• one of Fast Company Magazines
“Fast 50″ Champions of Innovation

HOW TO GET DONORS
TO A YES
Feb 1, 2018 | Bloomerang

Superpowers:
Founder, Girlstart
Fundraising,
mom of twins
Weakness:
Chips & Queso
@rachelmuir
rachel@rachelmuir.com

What Rachel does:
Custom training
Keynotes
Webinars
Workshops
Speaking
All on fundraising…
Learn more at www.rachelmuir.com
Board retreats

Join my list = free help with your fundraising

▪ Which donors
should I focus on?
▪ How much can I
actually raise?
▪ I can’t get a donor
visit
▪ Hamster wheel of
grants/events
▪ Board members
aren’t fundraising
Is this you?
Facebook.com/RachelMuirFundraising

▪ Map to your best
prospects
▪ Donors say YES to a
visit with you
▪ You’re confidently
asking for 4, 5, 6, even
7 figure gifts
▪ You have a plan &
realistic goals
▪ Board members
engage in fundraising
How nice would this be?
Facebook.com/RachelMuirFundraising

How to Get Donors to a Yes
2
7 things
GREAT
fundraisers
do differently
Strategies+
tools to
get visit
Upgrading,
prospecting
& portfolio
tips
Q & A
THE BEST
discovery
questions
you can ask
@rachelmuir Facebook.com/RachelMuirFundraising

Set a Revenue Goal & Cultivation Plan for Portfolio
Ask Donors their Opinions Often
Are Intensely Curious
Make Donors (and everyone else) Feel like Heroes
Do Great Stewardship
Prioritize Donors
Focus on Highest Fundraising ROI
What great fundraisers do differently

It’s about them. NOT you.
X
“I want to update
you on what
we are up to.”

Donors want to be the hero of their own story

We don’t buy cars b/c dealer needs the $

The goal isn’t to impress people
but to let them impress you.
“
Marty Neumeier,
The Brand Flip:
Why Customers Now Run Companies

Opening Discovery Questions
Do you have any feedback for us?
Is there any way we can make your
experience more positive?
How can we get you more
involved?
May I invite you to _________?
Can I introduce you to _______?

“First Date” Discovery Questions
• What motivated you to make your first gift to
us?
• What is the most satisfying philanthropic gift
you ever made and why?
• Of all the great agencies you’re involved with,
who does the best job of keeping you involved?
How?
• What legacy do you most want your giving to
have in the world?
• What do you love about what you do?

“Deserted Island” Discovery Questions
• Which do you wish you had more of…time or
money? What would you do with it if you got it?
• What makes you happy despite anything?
• What is something new you’d like to try or
learn?
• What mistake or failure in your life taught you
the most?
• What was the hardest choice you ever had to
make?

“I am neither clever nor especially
gifted. I am only very, very
curious.” Albert Einstein

The best way to have a meaningful relationship
with a donor is to be meaningful to them.

Strategies & Tools to Get the Visit

Strategies to Getting the Visit
Call to say thanks
Call to invite them to event
Set up visit to get their advice
LinkedIn message “I’m going to contact you
to set up a visit/invite you to…”
Email
Phone
Introduction by neighbor, coworker,
member of church…

If you can get the visit you have an
85% chance of getting the gift.
“
Jerry Panas, Asking

Tips for calls
SMILE theWHOLE time
“I’m calling our most loyal
(faithful, generous) donors
to thank (discover, invite) …
“I’m inviting my favorite
(closest, smartest) friends
to come discover (meet)…

What to say to get the meeting
ADVICE VISIT
• “I want your input on a
project we’re planning”
• “We want to get your take
on something”
• “We are trying to figure
out a way to do xxx. I’d
love your input!
• “I want to give you a sneak
peek”
THANK YOU/GET TO KNOW
YOU VISIT
• “Every donor has a story
and I want to hear yours”
• “I want to personally
thank you and update you
on your project”
• “My job is to get to know
our loyal friends.”

Email tracking: www.bananatag.com

3 Tips to Upgrade, Prospect
and Build a Portfolio

Focus on the greatest profit.
@rachelmuir @bloomerangtech

Major Gift
Fundraising
boosts
highest ROI
Cost per Dollar Raised
Activity Cost
Acquisition Mail $1.50
Events $0.50
Renewal Mail $0.25
Major Gifts $0.12
Souce: Fundraising Resource Group & Supporting advancement.com

Build your portfolio
Start here

Not here.
(Unless you
guys are BFF’s)

General Fund
Mid-Level Gifts
Major Gifts
Prospecting vs. Magical thinking
Image credit:
Network for Good

Set a revenue goal and plan for
each major donor in a portfolio.
@rachelmuir @bloomerangtech

▪ Resolve to
learn from your
data
New Years Resolutions I want you to start
@rachelmuir

All donors are equal as human beings.
They are not equal as revenue sources.”
“
Jeff Brooks, The Money Raising Nonprofit Brand
@rachelmuir rachelmuir.com/guides

What is LTV (Lifetime Value)?
The total net contribution that a customer generates
during his/her lifetime on a house list.

Which type of acquisition yields you YOUR BEST donors?
1) Direct response: email, direct mail, and lists.
2) Collecting names wherever possible, i.e. events.
3) Referrals: asking board, staff, and donors for names.
4) Using my website and/or social to drive sign ups.
5) Other (please type answer into questions box)
@rachelmuir
Where do you get your best donors?

Stop bringing in the wrong donors.

Study Donor Lifetime Value
“I can spend $100 to acquire a new
annual fund donor because their
lifetime value is $500.”
What is the lifespan of your donors
by acquisition channel?

Acquisition is
like
cupcakeTHIS

45
ACQUISITION IS LIKE PRETTY PEOPLE
AT A PARTY

Retention is like
this up a hillPushing

Do you know your retention rate?

Gifts from donors giving in
one calendar year (i.e. 2017)
÷
Gifts from same donors the
previous year
Simple donor retention math
@rachelmuir rachelmuir.com/guides

Ok that looks horrible, now what?

Craft stewardship business rules.
@rachelmuir www.rachelmuir.com

What happens to your donors after they give?

Non Donor Centered Stewardship Plan

Fundraisers rely too heavily on gift value as
a determinant of future potential. ”
“
Penelope Burk,The 2014 Burk Donor Survey
@rachelmuir rachel@rachelmuir.com

Download at
RachelMuir.com/
Guides

The biggest mistake you may
not know you’re making…

The donor is more
interested in the good
she can do than in the
good the organization
has done.”
Steven Screen
“

Free webinars:
rachelmuir.com
Sign up for free fundraising resources
Rachel@rachelmuir.com

https://bloomerang.co/resources
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How to Get Donors to a Yes - Revenue Boosting New Year's Resolutions for Fundraisers

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