School Fundraising Capacity BuildingKay Sprinkel Grace

January – June, 2014

January 8, 7:00pm – 8:00pm & 23, 2014 @ 3:30pm – 4:30pm

Webinar slides should be up and running at your school – gather as many as you can around the monitor so the level of engagement grows at your school

There will be time for call in or email with questions during the webinar, and Kay will answer them as they collect

At the end (don’t leave early) you will get your assignment for Webinar #2, which is on case and messaging

Why do people hate to ask? Why does it feel like begging instead of

“investing?” How do our messages get in the way of our

vision? Why do we revert to special event fund

raising rather than growing our base of individual donors?

How can we become more capable at generating the resources we need to increase our impact?

Basic principles of successful fund raising Fund raising as a values-based marketing or

exchange process Positioning your school as an “investment

vehicle” rather than as a needy organization Understanding donor motivation, behavior

and needs: Giving USA giving trends, 2012 Creating key partnerships internally (why

everyone needs to be on the development team) and externally

Why we have to “put away the tin cup”

Building a culture of philanthropy in your school

Taking the fear out of fund raising

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People give because you meet needs, not because you have needs

A gift to your school is a gift through your school into the community (your school is not the end user of the gift)

Fundraising is not about money, it is about relationships

All philanthropy (giving, asking, joining, serving) is based in (shared) values and is increasingly about issues and impact, not institutions (it is not about you…)

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Philanthropy

Based in values

DevelopmentUncovers shared values

Fund Raising

Gives people opportunities to act on their values

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Before the ask…. The ask and after…

Identification Qualification Development of

strategy Cultivation Evaluation Assignment

Solicitation Follow up Acknowledgement

and/or recognition Stewardship Renewal

Team of two meeting with one or two prospects is the best (face to face)

Personal letter followed by personal phone call

Personal phone call followed by letter Email (which can be very effective with

some prospects, although there are cautions) followed by phone call

Special Events Advertising

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Special events: Plus Factors◦ Can raise money quickly◦ Raise your school’s visibility◦ Fun ◦ Opportunity to engage new prospects

Special events: Minus Factors◦ Costly (50 cent yield on $1 spent is considered

good)◦ Often exhausting for staff and volunteers◦ If considered as a “one off” do not contribute to

the long term growth of donors to donor-investors◦ Follow up is often slow, spotty or neglected

Build lasting relationships that will create a solid base of donor-investors and volunteers

Create messages that focus on impact, not need and send them widely into the community (Webinar #2)

Raise sufficient funds to meet current program needs and to create a surplus to fund innovation and unexpected needs

Engage entire school (staff, faculty, others) in the development program through their willingness to build relationships

Move from transaction to transformation

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High Impact PhilanthropyKay Sprinkel Grace, Alan Wendroff

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High Impact PhilanthropyKay Sprinkel Grace, Alan Wendroff

Slides from Giving USALilly Family School of Philanthropy,

Indiana University, Indianapolis

It truly takes a village….In your school, and in the

community

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Connection (Linkage)◦ Direct experience or someone they know is

involved with or benefits from your educational programs (alumni, parents, students)

Concern (Interest)◦ An interest in the kinds of programs you

support in the community (support for Catholic education)

Capacity (Ability)◦ Absolute and relative: seldom a motivation to

give on its own

Impact – connectors convey the results to the investor (Mission)

Ideas – through connections, we are able to communicate our new and best ideas (Vision)

Issues – through relationship building we learn what people care about (Values)

Investment – messages about “return on investment” are delivered by peers and friends

Involvement – board members help keep donors involved

◦ Kay Sprinkel Grace and Alan Wendroff, 2001 High Impact Philanthropy (John Wiley & Sons)

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Volunteers (beginning with the board) who are committed to relationship building and understand that fundraising is not about money, but about relationships

Faculty/staff committed to the importance of donors and intentionally engaged in relationship-building

Systems for managing annual and major donors Tailored messages Communication in the medium the donor wants The end of “one size fits all” programs for

building donor relationships

At the front desk when a parent or community member comes in

On the telephone (“We imagine that every call we receive is from a donor” (Development officer at hospital foundation)

In the quality of academics and faculty attitudes towards students and parents

Through board member outreach and engagement

Ken Blanchard had it right

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Parents and other family members Alumni Donors Volunteers Community partners Vendors Internal (faculty, staff) External (alumni and friends) Eternal! (Or at least long-lasting)

◦ All relationships are based on/in values

They are motivated by connection, concern and capacity (to give)

Giving is mission/vision/values driven People give to make a difference and because

they believe in the cause – but are also looking for leadership in the organizations they support

They want to be appreciated They want to know how their money has been

spent They need an experience with the organization,

the issue, or the people in the organization

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Big reason: their kids leave and we have not become part of their “philanthropy” -- they no longer think we are dealing effectively with “their” issues

Failure to communicate the value of the school in the community beyond their time of involvement

Failure to keep them in a consistent messaging program after their kids leave – especially those who gave time and/or money while their children were there

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An engaged board and other volunteers A school staff that is committed to creating

a culture of philanthropy A commitment to on-going data analysis Stories to tell around the larger mission People to tell them to Transparency, accountability and candor A belief that the only urgency is the need

you are meeting, not the needs you have

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Critical part of fund raising successHow do we do it?

Needy organizations “Charities” in the sense of needing a

handout (“charity” is a tax designation; “nonprofit” is also a tax designation, not a management style!)

Desperate (even if we feel that way) Other things you are not?

Capable and proven institutions providing quality education to children who are the future of our communities

Worthy of investment – both short and long-term– by those whose vision is for a community filled with opportunity

A positive alternative for many parents who wish their children to have a nurturing faith-based yet rigorous educational experience

Other?

February 10 and 26, 2014Mission, vision, values and case

development: messaging for investment and sustainability

Review and complete the Internal Case Materials Checklist (it will be sent to you at the end of this Webinar); meet with staff and volunteers to review each item

Review your mission, vision and values statements and discuss them relative to insights about donors and investment positioning we discussed in Webinar #1

Using the Checklist, develop an internal plan for revitalizing your “MVV” if needed

Until February!