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You’ve completed thorough prospect research, cultivated and provided a site visit, prepared a first-rate proposal and secured a meeting to make a solicitation, but the major donor prospect responds with a “no.” This scenario occurs every day. Winning fundraisers know how to handle it.

Bottom line: Fundraisers typically hear one out of three responses to an ask: Yes, No, or Maybe. With the exception of Yes, the other two responses can be nuanced and convey different meanings. It’s up to nonprofit leaders to be tuned in and sensitive to the complexity of donor words and feelings.

After a fundraising career of making solicitations for three different institutions of higher education and now serving as a trainer/consultant for a wide range of nonprofits, I’d like to share several fundraising lessons on what to do after your major gift ask is turned down. 

1. First and foremost, hearing no is all part of the fundraising business.

In baseball if a player gets a hit one out of three appearances at the plate, they could be headed to the Hall of Fame. You can apply the same rationale to fundraisers. You are going to hear no even when taking all the right steps, and if you make frequent solicitations you are going to hear it often. You’ll come to understand that it isn’t a personal rejection because you’re not asking for yourself, but for a grander cause — a mission that touches, improves, and saves more lives. To successfully secure gifts of time and money you have to be ready to hear no. And if you hear no, I promise it’s not the end of the world. Let’s face it we hear no all the time in our personal and business lives.

2. Typically donors, especially when being asked for major gifts (think at least $10,000 or more) don’t respond favorably right out of the gate.

It takes tact, homework, and most importantly, persistence, to follow-up and bring closure to major gift asks.

3. Very often donor prospects will ask for more time.

They might want to confer with family members, financial advisors, or others to gain the benefit of their advice and counsel on readiness to take on new financial commitments. Now this part is crucial: when a donor asks for more time, mutually set a convenient date, time, and place to continue discussion of the request. Not setting a specific date and time can place you in a Bermuda Triangle of sorts, with all sense of urgency lost.

4. When you hear no, be thoughtful and sensitive, but try to find out the donor’s motivation in declining.

Is the amount too much? Is it a bad time for the donor to make a new financial commitment? Or is there a lack of understanding and/or interest in the challenges being addressed by the nonprofit? I actually think it works to our advantage when the donor prospect has questions or information that they want researched. This provides an ideal rationale for getting back together and resuming discussion.

5. If the reluctance is based on gift size, a natural response is to ask what amount would be appropriate?

Unlike others, I’m not afraid of under-asking. Receiving a gift in any amount provides the perfect opportunity to steward the donor and share information on progress achieving the mission. If the donor is pleased with these results, you always can go back later to ask for another or larger gift.

6. If timing is a problem, you always can explore a payment schedule over a mutually agreed period.

Large capital campaign gifts are often paid out over three to five years. A best practice is getting the donor prospect to sign a letter of intent pledging when payments will be made. Such letters are not legally binding but when executed usually result in gift fulfillment.

7. Another strategy to empower donor prospects to contribute in larger amounts are gifts structured with both current and deferred payment components.

The most popular deferred or planned giving options are charitable bequests, retirement plans, and life insurance policies that postpone out of pocket expenditures. Most people can be much more generous giving from their estates than from their income.

8. To obtain a major gift, you need to genuinely tap the donor prospect’s passion.

Is the project the best fit with the donor prospect? If not, you might want to discuss other funding priorities that might provide a better fit.

9. Do the personalities of the donor and solicitor click?

A tricky problem can be when the donor prospect simply doesn’t get along with the CEO, executive director, or board chairperson. In this case the ask will be more fruitful if leadership steps aside and lets the request be made by the director of development or another board member who gets along better with the donor prospect.

10. If information is difficult to obtain, it’s worth the effort to ask a friend of the nonprofit who is close to the donor prospect to discreetly inquire what might be holding up the gift.

Of course, it makes sense to have that individual engaged in the solicitation process.

11. Asking for gift upgrades from current donors can be a slippery slope.

You want to be genuinely grateful for their current gift, but be sure they’re enthusiastic about the nonprofit’s momentum and are aware of the growing needs to be met.

12. If possible, always leave doors open.

If you’re turned down, thank the prospect for their time and ask for permission to share communications about future opportunities and challenges facing the nonprofit. With change being the only constant in the world, a year or two later the donor prospect might be in a very different position to consider a request from your nonprofit.

Finally, it could be possible that your nonprofit won’t receive any support from this individual. Think of it this way: your current donors aren’t going to be receptive to every other good cause.

There’s nothing wrong with being turned down, especially if you understand the donor prospect’s rationale for doing so. It’s very difficult to be a donor who has to make choices about their finite resources, not between the good and the bad, but between the good and the good. Fundraisers can’t control outcomes. The best we can do is nurture friendships, engage donor prospects, and make our best efforts in asking for gifts of time and money. If we consistently apply the principles of the art and science of fundraising, present a compelling case, follow through on best practices — and ask — our solicitations will succeed enough of the time to move our nonprofits’ mission forward.

The post 12 Lessons For Fundraisers After Hearing “No” From A Major Donor Prospect appeared first on Bloomerang.

This article originally appeared in Bloomerang. See the original article here.

Our Ask An Expert series features real questions answered by Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE, our very own Fundraising Coach, also known as Charity Clairity.

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on whether it’s okay to apply for a corporate grant and sponsorship at the same time:

Is it okay to make an ask for a sponsorship (say, for an event) from a corporation AND separately to that corporation’s independent charitable foundation? I can see there might be an issue with the optics of this situation, but also know companies set up foundations to advance initiatives and work they align with and care about.

–– Too Greedy?

Dear Too Greedy,

First, stop worrying that you’re being greedy. This comes from the “tin cup” model of fundraising, where we come from a place of begging. You’re not a beggar! Rather, you’re seeking critical investment in work that will make your community and world a better place.

The goal is to find alignment between the values you enact and the values the corporation espouses and shares. Some, but not all, businesses buy into the notion of corporate social responsibility. They understand the research showing consumers/people will buy more products, or even switch brands, if a brand supports a cause they care about. Those values are the basis for what companies today aim to integrate into their cultures and across their business channels. “Doing well by doing good” is not only good for a company’s reputation; it’s also good for business.

As you suggest, generally there is more than one place to look to within any business. That’s because, while values dominate corporate decision-making, decision-makers are also saddled with short-term initiatives and directives. At one point in time, enacting their value to address homelessness in your area may translate to grants to homeless shelters. At another point in time, it may translate to work development programs. At yet another juncture, it may translate to mental health programs. So, you need to do your research!

Different departments within a business will have different objectives. For example:

• The Foundation has grant guidelines. These change over time, and cover:
  • Grant category (e.g., operating; specific projects; capital; endowment; capacity-building; challenge grant; sponsorship, etc.).
  • Types of organizations to which they’ll give.
  • Purpose of the grant (e.g., emergency response; prevention; early intervention; research; seed funding, and so forth).
  • Grant size, which may be an average or a range.
• The Marketing or Community Relations Department has business and branding objectives. 
  • They may be seeking inroads into a particular market, and perhaps your constituents represent that market. 
  • They may wish to build good will with their employees, clients, or the general public. 
  • They may need to whitewash their reputation, especially if they’ve recently received negative press. 
• The Human Resources Department has different business objectives. 
  • They may be looking for employee education and enrichment options with which your staff may offer expertise.
  • They may seek volunteer opportunities your organization can offer. 
  • They may be pursuing affiliation with values they believe will attract new staff.

Consider the value you have to offer. For example, if pitching a sponsorship, what are your constituent demographics? How many people are on your mailing lists? What’s your geographic reach. What type of media opportunities can you offer?

BOTTOM LINE

1.  Submitting a foundation proposal is straightforward. You can generally discern the foundation priorities doing online research; if not, you can call foundation personnel and have a conversation to assess how you fit.

2.  Pitching a request for a sponsorship or business partnership requires understanding a particular corporation’s challenges, and how you can help address them. Sometimes you can figure this out from the news, social media, or even the business’s own website. Or perhaps you know some people who work there, and they’ve given you a clue. And, of course, there’s plenty you can infer just from the nature of the business. For example, you might anticipate:

• Gymboree would be receptive to donating clothing, money, and time to local and national organizations that support children and families.
• Union Bank would be interested in attracting investors ranging from high-net-worth individuals to small and large businesses, and promoting economic development in the communities it serves. 

I’m just guessing at all of the above, but you can certainly confirm your guesses by doing an internet search to find out what types of philanthropic, marketing, advertising, and volunteer initiatives these businesses have engaged in. I gave this a try for Gymboree, and found this and this. For Union Bank I found this (on their own website) and this. Now you not only have ideas to pitch to these particular corporations, but also know what you might pitch to a local organization that serves similar clients. 

3. Back to your worry about “optics.” All you need is transparency. Let the foundation know you are also in conversation with marketing regarding event sponsorship or with human resources regarding volunteer opportunities. And let these departments know you’ve also submitted a foundation proposal. Sometimes the departments will even work together on your behalf!

4. Remember: all philanthropy is a value-for-value exchange. Communicate a strong value proposition to corporate partners, clarifying how working together will both bring positive social impact, and improve their bottom line.

Hope this win/win strategy helps you move forward!

–– Charity Clairity

Have a question for our Fundraising Coach?

Please submit your question here. Remember, there are no stupid questions! If you need an answer, it’s likely someone else does too. So help your colleagues by asking away. Please use a pseudonym, like “Too Greedy” did, if you prefer to be anonymous.

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“Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.” – Hank Rosso

Many times, as fundraisers, the role we’re really playing is that of an educator. 

Don’t worry: You don’t have to explain everything there is to know about how your nonprofit operates. For example, there are internal matters that, if shared, likely won’t do anything to win a donor’s support.

However, there are things your supporters must know. And because they don’t know what they don’t know, it’s up to us to educate them.

So, what do they need to know? One of the most important things they need to know is how they can support your nonprofit. That means they need to know the ways they can give to your organization.

This goes beyond putting a donation button or form on your website. Why? Because people will want to give in ways that go beyond making a donation with their credit card via your website.

One way to educate supporters on how to give is to create a giving guide that you can easily share with them. 

In this article, you’ll find step-by-step instructions on how to do that and what to include in your nonprofit’s giving guide. 

We’ve also included Morning Light’s giving guide below that you can reference as you create one for your organization. Morning Light is a grassroots organization out of Indianapolis that offers a free home to “terminally ill patients of low income.” 

If you think that your team doesn’t have the capacity to put something like this together, you should know that Morning Light’s development team only has two people. If they can do it, you can do it too!

Step 1: Identify the ways your supporters can give to your nonprofit.

The first step to take when creating a successful giving guide is to identify how, you guessed it, people can give to your nonprofit. When coming up with this list of giving opportunities, be sure to include those that go beyond the individual directly making a financial gift via a credit card or check.

For example, you might want to include a section on legacy giving or in-kind donations. This is also a great place to mention opportunities like creating a Facebook fundraiser.

Once you have your list of giving opportunities, look at it from the perspective of your supporters and ask yourself if you’re explaining things in a way that they will understand.

One way to educate supporters is by defining terms or giving opportunities they may not have heard of before. For example, your donors who give monthly via credit card may not know what a Mutual Fund Transfer or Bequest Acquisition is or why those things matter to your nonprofit. This is a good place to briefly explain that to them.

Another way to educate supporters is by including information that you think will make a giving option more attractive to them. For example, ask yourself questions like:

• Are donors aware of the various tax breaks for different types of donations? 
• Do donors know that giving food or supplies to your nonprofit is tax deductible?
• Do donors know that they can leave property or real estate to our nonprofit as a gift? 
• Do donors know that they can allocate money in their will to leave a legacy gift to your nonprofit? 

Step 2: Decide what to include in your giving guide.

If you’re overwhelmed by the many ways people can give to your organization and are unsure of what to include in the guide, that’s OK. Just remember that this is one resource.

You don’t have to share every single piece of information you have—or every giving option. You may just want to choose the top 5-7 options you want to focus on this year.

For example, if you need more in-kind donations but aren’t ready to receive donations via text yet, don’t stress about the latter. If it’s not a high priority for your organization, you can leave it out.

Looking for ideas on what to include in your giving guide? Here are a few: 

• Event sponsorships 
• Bequests or legacy gifts
• Facebook fundraisers 
• Employer gift matching options 
• Real estate donations
• Major giving circles 
• Monthly or recurring giving programs
• Capital campaigns

You can also include giving options that aren’t tied to financial donations like in-kind donations or services, board or committee participation, and other volunteer opportunities. 

Step 3: Draft your giving guide.

Once you know what you’re including in your giving guide, it’s time to create it.

Your guide should reflect your nonprofit’s brand and tone, and it can take any format you want. That said, here are a few things we recommend including:

• Cover page: This tells people who aren’t familiar with your resource what it is. It also makes the giving guide look more professional and legitimate.
• Table of contents: Give readers a way to easily skim your giving guide. Some donors may only be interested in contributing in one way. Including a table of contents lets them easily find information about that one specific avenue of giving. 
• Giving options: Create a one-page description for each giving option. Yes, there’s so much more that you can include. Just remember that this giving guide is meant to quickly educate readers on how they can give to your nonprofit. They don’t need all of the information in this one resource. They just need to know what their options are and how they can give.
• Website and contact information: Assume that this is the only information someone has about your nonprofit. What will they need to know in order to reach out and give via one of the options in your guide? Include links to your website and relevant pages, as well as contact information for the team member they can reach out to if they have questions.

For every giving option, you should include what the giving option is, why they should take advantage of that specific one, and how they can do so. 

When thinking about the “why,” think about the short stories you can tell about how previous donations were used to carry out your mission. This is also a great place to include a few testimonials or photos that help tell your nonprofit’s story. 

Step 4: Create and distribute your giving guide.

Once you know what to include in your giving guide, it’s time to turn it into something you can send to your supporters. For people who would prefer a digital copy, you can turn it into a PDF that you can put on your website, link to on social media, and share via email.

If you can, print a hard copy—physical copies—of your giving guide to distribute to your team and board members and supporters who will want that version of the guide. It’ll be much easier for them to make an ask if they have all of the information compiled in one place.

The bottom line

The more information you share with donors, the easier it is for them to make a donation to your organization. Compile the giving options you most want to promote into one resource and you’ll have an effective fundraising tool at your fingertips!   

Click here to see Morning Light’s Giving Guide. 

Find other free resources here.

The post 4 Steps To Create A Giving Guide That Will Increase Your Fundraising Success appeared first on Bloomerang.

This article originally appeared in Bloomerang. See the original article here.