This webinar featured the top five easy-to-implement, low-cost techniques for getting more from your current donors: 1. conditional ask strings; 2. matching campaigns; 3. lists and recognition levels; 4. second-gift approaches and 5. sustaining gifts. Implementing just one of these will generate more dollars for your organization.

1. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
FIVE SIMPLE WAYS TO UPGRADE
YOUR DONORS
Join the webinar online. Go to http://fuze.me/24675715
Enter the meeting number: 24675715
To join from a phone: +1-201-479-4595
Participants will be muted during the presentation to
maintain good sound quality. If you have a comment or
question raise your flag and you will be unmuted.
Thanks and welcome to the webinar!

2. Five Simple
Ways to
Upgrade Your
Donors
BLUE STRIKE

3. In this session, we will talk about
techniques to increase giving among
your current donors. The five techniques
were chosen because they can be adopted
quickly using existing resources.
AGENDA
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014

4. This is a 45-minute webinar to help organizations
upgrade giving among current donors.
It has been developed for organizations engaged in
advocacy, civic engagement, policy work, and
public interest law.
The information and call to action are intended for
fundraising staff and executive directors.
WELCOME
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014

5. INSPIRING
SUPPORT FOR
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
BLUE
STRIKE

6. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
WORKING FRAMEWORK
Three parts to an individual giving
program:
1. acquire new donors
2. recapture lapsed donors, and
3. renew & upgrade current donors.
Focus on current donors. Why?

7. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade
Your Donors July 29, 2014
DEEPENING THE BASE
 Deepening the base (upgrading current
donors) will produce the best overall
returns.
 We take current donors for granted.
It’s not as exciting as broadening the
base (acquiring new donors).

8. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade
Your Donors July 29, 2014
WE MAY FACE . . .
 Resistance about “going back” to same
donors.
 Skepticism about the potential for
growth.
 Lack of understanding about the
upgrade strategies.

9. Ask for an
annual
increase or
more than
one gift?
STEP 1: FIVE
UPGRADE
TECHNIQUES

10. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
30-SECOND LOOK AT FIVE OPTIONS
1. Conditional ask strings
2. Challenge/matching opportunities
3. List and recognition levels
4. Second-gift approaches
5. Sustainer program

11. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
1. CONDITIONAL ASK STRING
Ask for an incremental increase based on
previous giving, typically highest
previous contribution (HPC).
If HPC is $80, the ask string would be:
_ $80 _$120 _ $160 _ $200
1 1.5 2 2.5

12. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
1. CONDITIONAL ASK STRING
SUCCESS & OBSTACLES
Conditions for Success:
 Customized solicitation in every mode:
online, mail, personal contact.
 Consistent and careful application.
Obstacles:
 Getting all your systems in sync.

13. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
2. MATCHING OPPORTUNITIES
Announce a special effort to help match
x dollars from a donor or group of
donors who have issued a challenge. Ask
for additional gifts to help reach the
goal. Year end, time limited challenges
work especially well. Capitalizes on
team dynamic.

14. Reach out to
former board
members,
long-time
donors and
others who can
help put the
match in
motion.
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade
Your Donors July 29, 2014
SAMPLE
EMAIL TO
BUILD
MATCH
SUBJECT: Would you help with our challenge?‫‏‬
From: Mary Dillon Kerwin
To: John Miller
Date: 11/01/13
Dear Mr. Miller:
I am working with a handful of long-time members of Advocates in Action to create a year-
end matching gift to help spur individual giving among our members. You have been such a
generous, long-time supporter that I wanted to ask if you would consider joining the
challenge.
We have used this challenge-match campaign for the past two years to great success,
raising more than $50,000 in the final few weeks of the year. The "challengers" simply let us
know by email the maximum they would be willing to match before year end. If you would
be willing to consider a gift of $1,000, or more, we would be very grateful.
We will gather all pledges and issue a joint challenge to our members in mid-
December. Once that match goal is reached, we will notify you so you may then send your
contribution. (The idea is that the challenge gift is withheld until the match is met).
Thank you for your long-time support and belief in our mission. Thank you for considering
our request. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Warm regards,
Mary Dillon Kerwin
marydillonkerwin@msn.com
(703) 399-0855

15. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
2. MATCHING OPPORTUNITIES –
SUCCESS & OBSTACLES
Conditions for Success:
 Tracking and reporting
 Timing to avoid conflict with annual
giving
Obstacles:
 No matching funds!

16. Use recognition as
an incentive to
increase giving.
Use giving levels
such as platinum,
gold, silver and
bronze.
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
3. LIST AND RECOGNITION LEVELS

17. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
3. LIST AND RECOGNITION LEVELS
SUCCESS & OBSTACLES
Conditions for Success:
 Need critical mass of donors at higher
levels, willingness to be listed
 Publication for recognition
Obstacles:
 Sensitivity about giving abilities.

18. The donor’s “first
gift” is an annual
contribution. The
second gift would
be for a special
event, a program-
restricted gift,
honoraria, or gift
to subsidiary.
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
4. SECOND GIFT APPROACHES

19. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
4. SECOND GIFT APPROACHES
SUCCESS & OBSTACLES
Conditions for Success:
 Need a variety of fundraising
opportunities
 Creative and flexible
Obstacles:
 We only solicit once a year.

20. Monthly or
quarterly
contributions of
small gifts to add
up to larger overall
contribution.
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
5. SUSTAINER PROGRAM

21. Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
5. SUSTAINER PROGRAMS
SUCCESS & OBSTACLES
Conditions for Success:
 Should be continuous
 Careful of people falling through the
cracks. Need system for checking on
credit card expiration.
Obstacles:
 Selling the initial sign up.

22. Resources
Research
Articles
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES

23. INSPIRING
SUPPORT FOR
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
BLUE
STRIKE

24. Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors
Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 01:15 PM
Benchmark Studies: Which ones are most
relevant for advocacy groups?
Tuesday, August 26, 2014 at 01:15 PM
Year End Boot Camp
Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 01:15 PM
UPCOMING
BLUE STRIKE WEBINARS
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014

25. Raising Money for Advocacy: How it's
different
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 at 01:15 PM
Major Donor Fundraising
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 01:15 PM
It's Almost New Year's Eve: Do you know
where your donors are?
Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 01:15 PM
MORE UPCOMING
BLUE STRIKE WEBINARS
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014

26. Thank you for
participating today!
From Mary Dillon Kerwin
President of Blue Strike
Check out our other slide shows at
http://www.bluestrike.org/resources
Blue Strike Webinar: Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors July 29, 2014
BLUESTRIKE.ORG

27. THANK YOU!
Blue Strike Webinar: Charity Watchdogs: Managing Your Organization's Profile and Rating - June 24, 2014
BLUESTRIKE.ORG