If you are not familiar with this phenomenon, ask some of your colleagues about it.  When I started at International House, I made a point to read through recent correspondence from my boss and the President, as I knew that I would be responsible for preparing document drafts (appeal letters, acknowledgments, stewardship reports, etc.) and wanted to get an idea of their respective voices.  After that, I jumped into my writing assignments and got their direct feedback along the way to learn those subtle nuances (e.g. which words they never use, which phrases are their favorites, what they only say to donors with whom they have close or personal relationships).  I think that it took me about a full year to feel reasonably confident writing in the voices of the Director of Development and President, though even after being at I-House for almost three years they still surprise me every now and then with very particular edits for outgoing correspondence.

How have you honed this skill during your fundraising career?  Do you think that non-profit organizations effectively identify people with this skill?

While coming through customs, the customs agent asked me why I was coming into the country and of course I told him about the conference.  He was very curious about professional fundraising . . . it was a nice change to have someone genuinely interested in our work after learning what I do for a living.  After I gave him the 15-second intro on International House and he stamped my passport, the agent asked me what was “the one trick to fundraising” and after briefly considering the question, I told him that there wasn’t a silver bullet.

But as I left the customs area and proceeded to grab my bag, I realized that I know the one trick to fundraising (wait for it) . . . . KNOW YOUR DONORS!  Now I cannot claim that I came up with this bright idea, so I must acknowledge Lynne Wester and the recent ADRP NYC Regional Conference for really bringing this point to the surface for me.  It’s a very simple idea and one that should really be at the heart of all of our fundraising programs.

If you don’t know your donors, you can’t:

• effectively engage them in your organization’s mission and work, as you don’t know what first attracted them to it or how they prefer to be engaged;
• easily cultivate them for major and planned gifts; or
• personalize your messages based on their interest areas.

As I write, I am preparing for the 2012 Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference in Vancouver, Canada.  I am proud to be one the AFPeeps, a group of fundraisers who are helping provide social media coverage of the conference and some short training sessions for the attendees.

I will be live-tweeting and live-blogging from some of the sessions and doing a brief session on using Twitter for professional development (with the always impressive Beth Ann Locke).

If you are going to be in Vancouver for the conference, please let me know — I’d love to meet a few of you dear readers!  If you cannot make it, be sure to keep your eyes on this blog and the Twitter hashtag #afpmeet.  I’m really looking forward to the experience and to sharing it with you here.

There are many reasons that professional development is critical for fundraisers, but here are my top three reasons:

1. Time to recharge — We all can benefit from some time away from the office, which allows us to see the bigger picture and return to our work refocused.
2. Source of new ideas and inspiration — Conferences and workshops are always full of the latest and greatest ideas and strategies.  As Lynne Wester reminded us at the ADRP Regional Workshop, we can all learn from each other and borrow ideas  that will help our fundraising efforts.
3. Expand your network — Being able to pick up the phone or send a quick e-mail to a few fellow fundraisers with a question or issue is absolutely priceless.  Professional development events are the best place to make these connections and you should capitalize upon these opportunities to meet and get to know your colleagues.

What professional development events and associations have been useful in your fundraising career?  What events will you be attending this year?

For your information, I’ll be attending AFP’s International Conference in Vancouver next month (which I’ll be writing more about very soon), the New York Philanthropic Planning Symposium in May and Fundraising Day in New York this June.  I look forward to sharing some of the lessons I glean from these upcoming events with you.

Near the end of the chat, I asked for any great stewardship ideas that Ian and Nathan may have, with a special focus on after the capital campaign has been completed (full disclosure: I am working on re-engaging some past CC donors and am always looking to hear what others are doing).  I thought that it would be worthwhile to share some of those ideas with you, my dear readers, so here it goes . . .

• Invite EVERY donor to the ribbon cutting. Use DM and other means to tell them about the magic happening inside the walls they built. Turn them on to a particular program or need w/in the building. (Nathan)
• Stewardship is key to keeping the donor well after a ribbon is cut. People like to know that organizations are good stewards of their money. I like to hold thank-a-thons just to let them know we appreciate their help and update them on everything going on. (Ian)
• Have a 5 and 10 year reunion party. Invite some of those that ‘shined’ in the process to explore board/committee roles down the road…  (Nathan) // A great way to include them in the long term is to have anniversary parties where you invite them back to see what they were able to accomplish for the community. These are just thank you events – no asking whatsoever.
  Have those using facility tell what it has meant to them and show donors around to see programs and activities. (Ian) // Find pictures of the ribbon cutting and ID people in it, send a copy of the pic with their face circled in red sharpie – ‘Is this you??’ Join us for our 10th bday! (Nathan)
• Most buildings get finished in the nice weather. Send campaign supporters a holiday card w/ a pic of the building in the snow – so they remember what they accomplished (Nathan)
• Have your populations give thank you’s as well. I can say it all day, but when it comes from some of the children we serve the donor never forgets that moment. (Ian)

To see more of the strategies that Ian and Nathan shared in the chat, check out the transcript here.

How have you stewarded capital campaign donors in the short- and long-term?

How did you get into fundraising?

Entering my first year as a graduate student at NYUWagner, I joined the Youth, I.N.C.’s  staff as an intern.  My program of study was a Master of Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy.  I was thankful to obtain the position at Youth, I.N.C. because the organization worked with many small youth-serving non-profit organizations to help build their fiscal and managerial capacities to be successful in fulfilling their missions. Thus, I had a firsthand opportunity to work directly with executive directors, participate in trainings that focused on management, board development and of course strategic fundraising among many other topics. Working at Youth, I.N.C. was an invaluable experience, where I was able to learn the essentials of supporting start-up/small NPO’s and how to raise funds through one-on-one solicitations, direct mail solicitations, events and board development.

I decided to stay within the fundraising field because I realized it was an essential skill to have in the non-profit sector. Furthermore, there is always a demand and need for individuals to take on the responsibility of soliciting funds, whether through fundraising events or one-on-one interactions.  I also believed that I would develop a skill set that would be transferable in many other professions (e.g. policy and campaign management, program and event management, communications, executive leadership positions in public and or non-profit organizations and the like).  To the same extent, I really enjoy my daily activities as a fundraiser because it fits my personality — I get to plan events, meet new people, do research and make a real difference that has an immediate effect. Closing and stewarding a $10,000 gift and what that $10,000 can provide for an organization gives you an awesome feeling.

Based on your experience at Iona College, what are some pros and cons of higher education fundraising?

I’m not sure if my answer will be unique, but typically institutions of higher education have larger and more dynamic fundraising programs and capacities.  One of the biggest opportunities is that you have a larger pool of people to solicit.  It’s a great arena for someone to start their career; you can test materials, events, approaches, etc.  An obvious con is that higher ed (in my experience) is more bureaucratic and there may be too many “cooks” in the kitchen (for example, Vice Presidents, Assistant Vice Presidents, Directors, Associate Directors, Campaign Managers, etc.) with roles that can be very segmented or overly cloudy.  Some may also suggest that it’s harder (depending if you are raising unrestricted or restricted funds) to build a case and/or illustrate the impact of funds raised.

Nevertheless, I loved my experience at Iona because it was dynamic and there were so many opportunities to develop my skill set as a fundraiser.  The catch to any fundraising program is assessing if it has sufficient capacity and enough resources to effectively take advantage of those opportunities.

I think a larger conversation can be had on the pros and cons of working for a small or large fundraising team, though it really depends upon what you want to accomplish in your career as a fundraiser.

In your non-fundraising life, what are you passionate about?

Oh, this is thought-provoking!  I make an earnest attempt to just enjoy life.  I am very social and truly enjoy interacting with people.  There are so many beautiful places, tasty foods, fun adventures to experience — why not be passionate about experiencing it all with friends and family.

Where do you see the future of fundraising in the next 10 years?

I think the field is on an upward trajectory. However, I believe that raising/soliciting money is also becoming very personal.  We all know that people give to people, but donors are becoming much more strategic in the organizations they support and supporting organizations that are personal to them, have meaning to them, relate to them, and have an effect on them.  As a result, fundraising has to become more creative and interactive.  It will be interesting to see if nonprofits with similar missions will compete or collaborate as they grow to make impact.

I also think that fundraisers who are in senior leadership positions are more inclined to stay in their positions than ever before.  I imagine this will have a negative impact on junior and mid-level fundraisers who are trying to advance their careers.  Nevertheless I think fundraisers will always be in demand and they will become an invaluable source to an organization the longer they are there raising funds.

If you didn’t have a chance to read last week’s Fundraising Mentor Profile, check it out here.

Do you have any questions for Leticia?  Has your fundraising career been similar to hers?  Do you see the future of fundraising in the same way?

How did you get into fundraising?  Why did you build a career in this field?

This year I chose to make a transition out of professional fundraising in order to focus on Higher Education administration more broadly, but I am still deeply committed to and involved with philanthropy and the advancement field.  I’m co-editing a book for CASE on donor education, which will be a resource for advancement professionals who want to understand better how to organize a family philanthropy program, a giving circle, or activities that will help donors become more confident, informed and effective in their philanthropy.  I also serve on the Leadership Council of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and as a steering committee member for the Women’s Funding Network’s “Millions Give Back: A Black Women’s Philanthropy Campaign” project.  And I try to keep my development skills from getting rusty by doing some fundraising for local causes.

Stay tuned for next week’s profile, which will be of an impressive young fundraiser that I have been fortunate to mentor over the last few years.

Do you have any questions for Michele?  Did anything in Michele’s experience stick out to you or resonate with you?  How have you benefited from mentors in your fundraising career?

While looking through Lynne Wester’s website last year, I came across a sample donor survey that she used and this inspired me to integrate these surveys into my stewardship efforts.  As a result, I included a survey and return envelope with the annual President’s Report to Donors (which went out in hard copy and via e-mail), and was mailed to a few hundred donors last Fall.  Of the approximately 400 surveys that were distributed, I received about 7% of the surveys back (between hard copies mailed in and web submissions).

While I was primarily interested in gathering feedback from our donors on this stewardship piece that was just in its second year, I was also able to:

• deepen relationships with donors based on their responses to a question about what areas of our work they would like to learn more about
• gather more information about the donors through follow-up phone calls and letters

Because of the survey, I identified donors who are interested in I-House’s music programming and its history (which provided a way to connect with a donor who is a second-generation alumnus).  It also resulted in a donor making an Annual Fund gift twice as large as what she usually gives (which helped us with the multi-year challenge grant we completed at the end of last month — and about which I will be sharing in a future post).  I found this to be a really great way to touch donors without making an ask and provide a rare opportunity to get their input.  If you can, you should definitely integrate surveys into your stewardship strategy.

To learn about an interesting donor survey strategy, check out Pamela Grow’s blog post — Could You Borrow the Smartest Thing I Ever Did?

Have you used donor surveys before?  What kind of response did you get?  Did you find them useful?

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Happy New Year TGS Readers!  I hope that your new year is off to a great start; mine has been very busy and chock full of experiences that are leading to plenty of new ideas to share with you this year.

I cannot come into 2012 without thanking you for affirming me by reading this blog and joining in the community that I have been building here for fundraisers to learn from each other.  This has been an amazing experience in the last year and I cannot wait to see where this journey will take us in 2012.

The big developments to come in 2012 will include: some interesting opportunities, profiles of some accomplished and up-and-coming fundraising professionals, more great guest posts showcasing great strategies from which we can all learn.

I have also left some room for what you are interested in learning about here on The Good Steward, so please take a moment and leave a comment with anything you would love to see covered here in 2012 that would deepen your fundraising knowledge base.  I look forward to making this year more informative for you.

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1. Acknowledge every gift
   All non-profit organizations should be sending an acknowledgment letter for every gift that they receive in a very timely manner (some advocate for a 24- or 48-hour turnaround, though I believe it should be done within a few days to avoid falling out of the donor’s memory); these should not simply be the standard form letter, but include some sense of authenticity and a handwritten note from the author.  In addition, it is particularly useful to call or e-mail donors when a gift is received to extend a more personal and immediate thank you; this interaction also provides an opportunity to directly engage the donor in conversation about your work, his/her interests, upcoming events, etc.  During my career in fundraising, I am continually surprised by how few donors get some sort of thank you and how appreciative people are for such a small act.  If your organization does this, you will definitely stand out more to your donors, who will then have another reason to support your mission.
2. Clearly reiterate key points from solicitation to acknowledgment
   Whether you are at an organization with one annual appeal and one special event or a fundraising shop with multiple appeals and events, it is imperative that you maintain the appropriate message across your communications.  For example, we sent out targeted appeals earlier this year to the alumnae of our Women’s International Leadership Program in commemoration of the program’s 20th anniversary, so I made sure that the celebratory tone was carried through from the acknowledgments, to the thank you e-mails that went out and the gift acknowledgment letters.  By maintaining your message this way, you will not confuse your donors and keep them engaged by invoking what originally inspired them to make a gift.
3. Connect donors with beneficiaries of your organization’s work
   You should take full advantage of any and all opportunities to bring your donors and the beneficiaries of your work together, whether or not in person, so that they can “see” how their giving is making a difference.  A few examples of this strategy from my work in the last few years have included: inviting a small group residents to I-House’s annual gala (and other special events) to interact with the major donors, honorees and guests to let them see firsthand who benefits from their generosity; regular reports to named room & scholarship donors to provide regular assurance that their gift continues to positively affect our resident community; and the use of a resident-produced video at our 2011 gala to provide a clear perspective of the resident experience, which we have been able to re-purpose for friend-raising and more awareness-building efforts.

As I said earlier, saying thank you should only be the first step in the process of stewarding your donors.  I hope that these three strategies can help you improve your thank yous and overall donor stewardship efforts.  What are some other simple and impactful ways that you have thanked your donors?