The Foraker Group shares ideas of how you can focus your strategies with your Pick.Click.Give. donors.

1. Fundraising Series:
Focusing Your Strategies

2. Last session
• We asked you to look at your lists
• Who are your donors?
– Are they new?
– Are they returning at the same amount?
– Did they increase their giving either through
PCG or overall during the year?

3. Questions to focus your work
New Donors
• How many this year?
– Compared to last year?
• Who do they know?
• What is their connection?
• How will you thank them?
• How will you connect
them?
• How will you keep them?
• Who did you lose from
last year?
– How can you get them
back?
Existing Donors
• Who are they?
• Did PCG replace their existing
gift or add to it?
• For replaced giving:
– What message did they
receive? How can it be
tweaked?
– Was it about “donor service?”
• For added gifts:
– Did they move into a new
donor level? What stewardship
is required?
– Will they tell their story?

4. 12/13/2014 Property of The Foraker Group 2011 4
What the science of fundraising tells
us about motivations for giving
• 1st gift: impulse, emotion
• Subsequent annual gifts: habit
• Upgrade: rational choice
• Major/special: thoughtful
• Asset/estate/planned: careful

5. The more donor focused we are the
more successful we will be
• There is no such thing as one-size fits all
fundraising
– Not in the way we communicate
– Not in the way that we build relationship
– Not in the way that we ask
– Not in the way that we acknowledge donors
The more specific your focus on different donor
groups the more engaged the donor will be and the
more successful the organization will be in
maintaining a meaningful relationship

6. Property of The Foraker Group 2013
Expectations of Time to focus on
Donor Relationships
• 30% Research
– Your Case
– Constituency identification
– Plan
• 30% Relationships Building
– Education (mission connect)
– Communication- LISTEN
• 10% Request
– All ways: face-to-face, mail,
phone, web, events,
proposals, Pick.Click.Give.
• 30% recognition / reporting
– Strategic and consistent
Relationship
Building
Request
Recognition /
Reporting
Research
6

7. Property of The Foraker Group 7
Your plan should be donor focused
We are successful when we focus on the donor
• Right Person – Who has the relationship?
• Right time- for your donor, not for the org.
• Right amount of money- for the donor.
• Right way- for the donor.
• Right reason- what is important to the
donor?
Your plan should ensure that there will not be a “one size fits all”
approach
12/13/2014

8. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
STAGE
ALL ABOUT BEING PURPOSEFUL AND
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
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9. 12/13/2014 Property of The Foraker Group 2011 9
Message
• Match the message to the each donor audience :
• Give one clear message at a time
– Know who you are talking to
– Create opportunities to connect to mission
beyond $
• Focus on the donor as more than a “walking
checkbook”
– Provide a clear call to action
– Make it easy to respond
• Stories not stats-feelings not facts
• Create consistent communications

10. 12/13/2014 Property of The Foraker Group 2011 10
As donors increase their giving or intensity of
giving, what do they require of you?
• More engagement/more involvement
• Trust
• Accountability
• Transparency
• Effective implementation/making a
difference
• Appreciation
• Consistent communications
• Overall a commitment to relationships

11. What are some good messages for
each group?
• Always start with who they are
• Then ask:
– What do they know now?
– How can I get to know them better?
– How can they connect more to mission?
– Who is the right messenger?
– What is the right way to deliver the
message?

12. Invite donors to participate actively
in mission
• Offer opportunities for emotional
and/or physical connection
• Not every donor for every
opportunity --be strategic
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Some signs of emotional and physical
involvement:
• We know them! You know what your donor’s
interests are
• They express the organization’s core values
• They react to the information he/she
received
– Asks questions
– Makes comments
– Offers suggestions

14. Ways to engage donors in mission
• Invite them to tell their story of connection (quietly --
publicly – verbal – written)
• Give input
• Share an article- highlighted- signed
• Heads-up when you are going to be in the news
• Ask for an in-kind contribution that it is a no-brainer
• Host a house party or Co-host a gathering
• Attend meetings
• Make calls
• Join a committee
• Help solicit and/or build relationships with other donors or
prospects
• Tours, lunches, presentations, interaction with clients (where
appropriate) and/or staff, small group sessions and individual
opportunities for special attention
• Publications, PR, newsletters, E-outreach, websites
The Foraker Group 1412/13/2014

15. Property of The Foraker Group 2013
Example: New donor through PCG
• 30% Research
– Search existing database or add
– Connect with internal team– who knows the donor?
– Identify what you know about the donor
– Group with others who are similar
– Create a plan
• 30% Relationships Building
– Send a thank you note (immediately)
• Include a newsletter or other one page story sheet
– Offer opportunity to connect – something fun, low-cost/no cost and
mission driven
– Welcome them or if they didn’t come- send a recap
– Later…Offer 3-5 question survey - get to know them
• 10% Request
– Specific donor request in December for Pick.Click.Give.
• 30% recognition / reporting
– Follow your donor communication plan
– Include a special recognition for PCG donors
– Provide updates in your “newsletter” about when you will know who
your donors are for 2016. Stay transparent. Invite donor disclosure.
– Share stories – invite their story
– Be sincere
Relationship
Building
Request
Recognition /
Reporting
Research
15

16. Property of The Foraker Group 2012 16
Keep your focus on the donors
• Keep investing in the relationship:
connect, engage, involve, inform
• Provide follow-through:
– Do what you have told the donor you will do
• Commit your organization to donor service
– Commit the necessary resources to make
donor service work
– Understand that donor service requires a total
systems approach – engage your whole team

17. For More Information
www.pickclickgive.org
Contact Us, Search function, information for
donors and organizations
www.forakergroup.org
info@forakergroup.org
(907) 743-1200 • toll-free (877) 834-5003
Educational Opportunities, Organizational
Development, Shared Services, Advocacy