Make Your Annual Appeal Soar!

Tips to Help Your

School Raise its Pledge Total

James S. Friend, Jr.

Chief Development Officer

September 12, 2014

Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response

What is our unique value proposition? Catholic Philanthropy What is a Christian Steward?

“We receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibility and share them lovingly in justice with others and return them with increase to the Lord.”

Individuals $240.6 B

Bequests $27.73 B

Foundations $48.96 B

Corporations $17.88 B

Total Contributions: $335.17 Billion

Total Contributions: $335.17 Billion

Giving USA 2014 Report

Contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations totaled $335-billion in 2013, a 3-percent increase over 2012

Donations by living Americans grew 2.7% Bequests grew 7.2% Foundations increased their giving 4.2 % Corporate giving dropped 3.2 %.

Giving USA 2014 Report

"Giving USA" researchers revised their view on when giving might surpass its peak of $350-billion in 2007. Donations might reach this mark this year, or at least in 2015, three years sooner than researchers had previously expected.

As the economy improves, now is the right time to woe donors.

To Be Successful You Must…

1. Increase the number of people giving.

2. Increase the amount people give.

Here’s the Catch:

In order to be successful you must do both!

Setting Up Your Appeal

Cultivation – What do you do? Planning Phase Quiet Phase – Leadership Phase – Advanced

Gifts Phase Organize / Train and Solicit Appeal Committee Conduct Board Solicitations Conduct Major Donor Solicitations Conduct Major Donor Receptions

Setting Up Your Appeal

General Phase Direct mailing to entire database Online solicitations / Social Media Major Donor

Follow Up Phase Phone-a-thon Follow up mailer Automated Calls Email

Stewardship – How Many Times do you thank your donors?

What I’ve Learned

You can’t do it alone Engage your President / Staff Need A Compelling Case Statement The Need for Leadership Gifts / personal Touch “God is in the Details”…and you should be there

too! Follow up The Appeal lasts all year

Compelling Case Statement

Sell solutions, not needs. Your Appeal provides solutions to a problem, so don’t go overboard in discussing the problems. Identify the problem/need, then quickly show how your Appeal addresses the need, solves the problem, and why the project needs the readers commitment and support to accomplish the task.

Compelling Case Statement

Make this emotional! Make it brief and choose your words carefully Make it eye catching and compelling Let your narrative lead the read to make a gift Test your Case for Support and edit it heavily

Compelling Case Statement

Exercise: 1-2 Minute Elevator Speech

Leadership in your Appeal

Why do people give to your Appeal?

What is the value proposition of your school?

What motivates your donors?

How do you recognize Major Gifts?

Mailing Basics

Letter Writing Personalize the “ask letter” Who should ask? Ask for:

1. A specific amount (Major Donors)

2. Suggested amount

3. Giving Range

Mailing Basics

Segment your lettersRegular DonorsBoard MembersMajor DonorsAlumni

ParentsBusinessesClergyStaffFriends

Mailing Basics

Not all Alumni are Created EqualSeniorsEmpty NestersWorking ParentsYoung ProfessionalsRecent College GradsRecent High School Grads

Online Giving

Facts Online giving contributed to 6.4% of the total

giving in 2013. Giving online to smaller nonprofits grew tremendously.

Offline Giving continues to dominate More Donors are coming in online every year 4% of Higher Ed Gifts come from online December is the dominant month for online giving.

Based on Blackbaud's online giving data from more than 3,800 customers who received an online donation Tuesday, December 3: Online Giving Tuesday was up 90% compared to 2012.

Blackbaud processed more than $19.2 million in online donations.

The average online gift Tuesday, December 3, was $142.05, which was significantly up from $101.60 in 2012

Online Giving

All letters will be personalized. All letters will have a personalized Ask Amount. Databases will be segmented A Major Donor Component will occur either as a

small gathering or one on one asks. Online giving must be operational Websites and social media must be up to date There must be a follow up plan All schools: Year-round (fiscal) Annual Fund plan.

Annual Fund Requirements

Current Reporting

Annual Fund/General This is a catch all. It includes annual fund gifts, but other things go in here as well and it skews the numbers. You need a more clear picture of what is being raised from the annual appeal.

Current Reporting

Other Donations This is a catch all that includes the total of lots of things, not all of which have to do with the development office. The categories: Donations Booster/Parents Donations Ad/Patron Booklets Donations Ad/patron Parents Donations Scholarships/Memorials Donations Tuition Assistance Donations Grants Donations Other

Current Reporting

Fund Raising This is also a category that includes things that are not the result of our work. That includes certain fees and events that are not organized by the development office.

Reporting for Fiscal 2015

Annual Fund Undesignated- This is the money that comes in from the annual appeal

  Annual Fund Designated- This is less than major

gift threshold that is designated for a specific purpose such as financial aid

Major gifts cash (Designated/Undesignated)- A gift that makes the major gift threshold or the portion of a major gift pledge that is collected in this fiscal year.

Reporting for Fiscal 2015

Major gifts pledged (Designated/Undesignated) The portion of a major gift documented to be collected in future years.

  EITC/OSTC Collected from all sources during

this fiscal year, regardless of the year in which the money is used.

Events Money raised from events run by the development office.

Next Steps

Please send Jim a draft of your Annual Fund materials for review prior to mailing. Please allow 2-3 days for review.

Monthly Reports due the first Friday of the month.

Please contact Jim with questions at ANY TIME!

Final Thoughts

Our Role Teacher Visionary Cheerleader Door Opener Communicator Connector Evaluator Pest…