Grassroots Fundraising Conference

The Brecht Forum

2/20/10

 

 

Fundraising as Organizing

 

A. The same skills that make a good organizer make a good fundraiser!

 

1.     Sensitive people observers

a.     figuring out activists’/members’/donors’ self-interests

b.     LISTEN: why they’re interested, why they care

 

2.     Willing to ask others for commitment

a.     time or money

b.     takes the risk, trusts the organization’s integrity

 

3.     Know how to inspire confidence and interest, show how the organization makes a difference

 

B. What’s important for effective organizing is important for successful fundraising

 

1.     Relationship Building

a.     identify who you’re building relationships with

b.     engage in one-on-ones

2.     Community Building

3.     Acting message out to constituency

4.     Building greater visibility

5.     Acquiring and retaining members/donors – a core, not just revolving door

6.     Integrating politics/program work with generating resources

 

C. Good planning and execution in fundraising

            1. Build a team (critical in organizing too!)

            2. Prospecting

            3. Letter of Inquiry

            4. Call funders/donors, Make a visit

            5. Make an ask

            6. Follow-up

            7. Keep track

 

 

Misc.

 

You want to be able to FAIL FORWARD (ie: it’s okay to fail! move on to next.)

 

How can we avoid making $ taboo?

 

How can we ask more frequently, make it routine?

 

Who else cares about this constituency? Work connections. Reach out to different demographics.

 

Don’t hear no when there’s not a no. Give it 3 shots with each person you ask.

 

Examine your own and others hang-ups with money.

 

Don’t have a scarcity model à have faith in abundance

 

Direct mail works! Longer letters. Everyone reads the opening line and the P.S.

 

Online Fundraising

 

• Email has the highest conversion rate (ie: most likely to be opened, link followed, donations generated!) - subject line is essential

                                    - send on Tuesdays/Thursdays

 

• Micro-giving culture

 

• You are your own publisher (in this social media/online marketing climate)

 

• “I’m a part of your life” messaging (ie: follow-up, thank you’s, relationship cultivation messages)

 

• Get cell #’s! Kept for a long time (compared to email), so reliable long-term way to keep people’s contact information. Gather this data NOW. Also, most people have a phone, but not necessarily a computer (more class-crossing piece of communication technology).

 

• Online AND offline donors check an organization’s website before donating – website is your mark of credibility across the board

 

• Use interns/volunteers to do social media tending (though you’ll need a strategy for them to then enact)

            - lean on your members! activate them as volunteers. tap the resources you have.

 

• Do your research. Explore Twitter and other online communities for connections to people who might be interested in your issue in some way or another. Reach out.

 

Resources:

idealware.org

techsoup.org

nten.org

progressive technology project

beth kanter’s blog

 

Open Discussion

 

-         majority of individuals giving in America are folks making less than $50,000/year

-         higher % of income is donated by people with less money

-         4 key words in fundraising: “Join Me” and “Thank You”

-         first, broaden donor base. seek people who are already gathered, other demographics.

-         down the line, you can seek out the several major donors in that group. but broadening the base is the primary goal.

-         need for well-kept donor database is imperative!