Our webinar will focus on addressing the essence of a non-profit leader’s job function – fundraising. This is ironic because the overwhelming majority of executive directors we’ve surveyed tell us it’s the part of the job they enjoy the least. We’ll focus on why EDs struggle with this most essential of tasks and what they can do to significantly direct sufficient time and effort to ensuring organizational sustainability.

1. What Executive Directors Desperately
Need to Know About Fundraising
Ron and Sue Rescigno
February 12, 2013
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5. What the Executive
Director/President/CEO Desperately
Needs to Know About Fundraising
Ron and Susan Rescigno

6. Scenario
Your Solicitation is just
like everyone else’s…
…Whose fault is that??

7. “It’s the economy… that’s why the
results weren’t what we hoped for.”
 The current state of the
economy looms large in the
minds and words of the
average executive director
and president
 If you are pointing to the
economy to explain financial
shortcomings, you’re
skipping the real problem
and the real solution

8. Let’s take a step back
How much of your day do you spend
fundraising??
0-25% of time
26-50% of time
51-75% of time
76-100% of time

9. The essence of most non-profits is...
FUNDRAISING
Then shouldn’t you be spending the better
part of your workday on this function?

10. Major Sources of Non-profit Revenue
1. Corporate
2. Foundations
3. Government
4. Individuals

11. Corporate
•65% gave more than in ’07, ’08, and ’09
combined
•40% increased giving by 10%
•53% are giving more now than before
the recession in 2007
•Blaming lack of corporate contributions
does not hold up!

12. FOUNDATIONS: a misplaced blame
The average foundation has reached deep
into its pockets to minimize the pain of
leaders of non-profits.
…so stop complaining!! Foundations have
been, and are continuing, to do their part.
-Foundation Center & Daring to Lead Survey

13. the GOVERNMENT is set in its giving ways
 Government contracts = Executives being more
involved in policy activities
 Budget Shortfall = less government funding
 Government funding pain will not go away with
any economic recovery
It is what it is… and you can’t change it!

14. Where, then, will the
average executive
director of an
average non-profit
have to go to
make the
difference…?

15. That’s right… INDIVIDUALS
 Their support makes
any cutback by the
government,
corporations, or
foundations seem
insignificant.
 80% of all philanthropic
contributions come
from individuals.

16.  This current economic time is
different from those in the past in
that INDIVIDUAL giving is down.
 How do YOU explain the relative
weakness of individual giving at
this time?

17. Relationship Building is Vital
To RAISE MONEY the Executive director needs to:
•really like to meet new people
•understand their donors’ motivations
•communicate passion
•make the ask and want to chat about what the donor is
interested in

18. Relationship Building is Vital
 If you can’t meet these requirements, your
fundraising will continue to fall.
 60% of high net worth donors who stop
giving to an organization do so because they
feel a “loss of connection” with the
organization.
 So if this is you… RETHINK your strategy!

19. How to Build your Donor relationships
 Get to KNOW your donors on a personal
level
 Donors are willing to give greater amounts
when they know you are grateful to receive.
 Grant writing is not the answer here
 Invest your time in the INDIVIDUAL
 Remember… quality results in quantity.

20. Individual giving is down because
it’s the Board’s Fault…They’re Weak
The
 This is not true. An effective GIVING
fundraising board does not Planned Pyramid
just happen... &
Deferred Givers
…UNLESS the executive
director (YOU) takes the Major Givers
time and effort to cultivate
this skill
 Train your board members
Annual/Recurrent Givers
to enjoy fundraising to avoid
negative attitude and to
promote strong fundraising
Occasional Givers & Event Participants

21. The Board and YOU… it can be tricky
PROBLEM
•Executive time invested in working with board
members is low
•16% of executives reported spending fewer
that 5 hours per MONTH on board related
activity
•39% of executives spend between 5-10 hours
per month on board related activities

22. The Board and YOU… it can be tricky
SOLUTION
 Recruit motivated board members
 Articulate fundraising expectations
 Provide the board with a clear and reviewable plan
 Offer training to board members
 …after all, board members rarely have the time to do the leg
work necessary to build an entire individual donor base

23. Executive Director Time Management
Spend your time: How many actual in person visits
Building public awareness with potential donors have you made
Meeting new potential in the last fiscal quarter??
donors It is your responsibility to
Making asks and upgrade prioritize fundraising and
requests make the painful choices of
We know you’re busy… but if you re-allocating how you use
protest that you have 1,000 things your time
to do and not enough time,
remember: 999 of those things The Average ED spends under 5%
cannot happen without money! of time on individual fundraising… a
prescription for disaster!

24. Failure to invest time directly affects giving
 60% of high net donors stopped giving because they felt a loss
of connection
 While it is true that the recession is making us more careful
about giving, donors have not stopped giving entirely
then… why aren’t they giving to you??
 Because EDs don’t spend the time cultivating individual
donors?
 Are other parts of their job too demanding?
 Because it’s quicker to write a corporate, foundation, or
government grant application than networking with prospects?
 Is there a lack of training and infrastructure for individual
fundraising?

25. Know THIS
•½ of chief fundraisers plan to leave their jobs in 2 years or less
•More than ½ of EDs reported they cannot find qualified people to
run their fundraising staffs
What is the problem here..?
…possibly a lack of philanthropic tradition??
•If this is true, should we blame the ED?
•Do YOU expect fundraisers to possess contradictory traits?
•Being BOLD, ASSERTIVE, and GOOD at asking for money
doesn’t mean you’re also going to be good at writing a grant
There are different skills that require different fundraiser types

26. Steps Charity Leaders Can Take
•Spread accountability for fundraising throughout
the organization
•Elevate the fundraising profession by promoting
it as a rewarding career
•Strengthen and diversify the talent pool
•Train board members more thoroughly,
emphasizing partnerships with the charity’s EDs
•Take a more active role in the fundraising
process… if needed, take a class; hire counsel
to guide you and your team

27. “Charities that succeed at
fundraising differ from those that
struggle in one key way: those
that succeed have leaders who
are deeply involved in
fundraising.” –W. Sturtevant

28. Thank You!
We’d love for you to share
some of your ideas or
secrets for success as far as
what you do to build
relationships and engage
with your donors, as well as
any questions.

29. Find listings for our current season
of webinars and register at:
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