Video: Securing Your Nonprofit’s Future by Building a Solid Fundraising Infrastructure

Fundraising works best when effective systems are in place and working well. My presentation is focused on the "back office" of fundraising. Make sure your systems are all in place and working, and you’ll raise more money than ever!

Will Virtual Events Replace the Annual Gala? Fundraisers Speak on Virtual Event Planning

by Betsy Steward

Originally posted by the Heller Fundraising Group on July 1, 2020

As a fundraising consultant, I have many clients whose plans for their 2020 annual in-person spring gala were upended by COVID-19. Everyone was forced to either transform, postpone, or cancel their event; the “virtual event” has become, at least for now, the new standard format for fundraising events. 

Who knows if virtual events are here to stay? I hope the Q&A below can be of value as you plan your own virtual event in the months, and perhaps even years, to come.

Two of my clients have agreed to share their experiences, and I am pleased to introduce them here: 

Maureen Natkin is Director of Development at Westhab, Westchester County’s largest provider of housing and services for the homeless and its largest nonprofit developer of affordable and supportive housing. 

Lindsey Coviello Gialanella is Development Officer at the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle, also located in Westchester County, which provides resources that young people need to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Lindsey’s in-person event was originally scheduled for March 19th, canceled just days before and then rescheduled for June 1. Maureen’s virtual event, on May 5th, was held at the same time and date as originally planned.

Question: What platform did you use for your virtual event?

Maureen: We filmed the live portion in a studio and streamed it to YouTube and to Facebook. The YouTube stream was also embedded in our website along with an app that showed the comments from both Facebook and YouTube in real time. Virtual viewers could not comment on the website though, comments were only enabled on Facebook and YouTube.

Lindsey: For ticket sales, we used Network For Good, and to host the event, we put our pre-recorded video on our website.

Question: How did your messaging change as you transitioned from in-person to virtual?

Maureen: The message change had more to do with the circumstances that led to the change: COVID-19. It allowed us to add a sense of urgency – “We need your support now more than ever.”

Lindsey: Our donors received a lot more email-based communication about the event. We made sure to stress that “it’s not canceled, it’s just virtual.”

Question: Did you change your event’s fundraising goals? And did you meet those goals?

Maureen: We were quite far along with our fundraising when we changed to a virtual event, so we did not change our goals. We slightly exceeded the net proceeds from the previous year’s event.

Lindsey: Our goal went from $100,000 to $60,000; as of this writing, we are just about there.

Question: How did you invite people?

Maureen: Our invitation had been printed but not mailed when we made the change, so we included an insert about the switch to a virtual event. Our Executive Director sent out 500 invites to the Facebook event that we created. We also posted on Facebook and sent out 4 or 5 mass emails in the run-up to the event. Our board and staff were provided with an email template that they could easily send to their contact lists. The template included a graphic and all of the relevant links for tuning in to the event.

Lindsey: We sent our invitation out via email and Facebook. We then followed it up with a paperless post invitation from paperlesspost.com. Our board members were provided with an email template, and we reached out individually to our major donors.

Question: How are you following up with donors?

Maureen: Online donors received an email immediately post-donation. All donors received a personalized thank you/tax receipt post-event. Many also received emails from whomever their “solicitor” was at the time of their donation/sponsorship. Some donors also received handwritten thank you notes.

Lindsey: We sent an automated email as soon as online donations arrived, acknowledging the gift and reminding them that our offices are closed, and adding that a more personal note would come once we re-open. After the event, we emailed a thank you video from our Board President, which we also posted on our website.

Question: Do you think you’ll do a virtual event again? Or, do you think an in-person event is best?

Maureen: We plan to return to a full-scale in-person gala next year. However, we do see an opportunity to add regular virtual events to the mix as a means of connecting with donors for whom an in-person event is not the best option (e.g., out-of-state donors and people for whom the dinner ticket price is too steep).

Lindsey: I recommended to our Executive Director that we should think about doing more virtual events. I felt that it got across to more people than an in-person event would have.

Many thanks to Maureen and Lindsey! 

No one knows if the virtual event will be the new standard event, but we’ve all learned about a new tool that is an effective way to engage donors.

Good luck to all the fundraisers, event planners, and nonprofit executives reading my blog who have upcoming events, whether virtual or in-person. Keep your mission central and your spirits up – you can make your event a success! 

Betsy Steward is Senior Consultant at the Heller Fundraising Group. She advises clients on capital campaigns as well as major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. www.HellerFundraisingGroup.com

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group's blog here: https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/will-virtual-events-replace-the-annual-fundraising-gala

What a Nonprofit Development Staffer Does…and why it’s smart to hire one!

by Betsy Steward

Years ago, as Director of Development for a small nonprofit, I was always taken aback when, after a big gift came in, my organization’s board chair would cheerfully announce to the board that “Betsy’s magic” had done it again. Although I know she genuinely meant it as a compliment, I always wanted to yell, “Magic? MAGIC? There’s nothing magic about it! It’s know-how, organization and elbow grease, and did I mention know-how, organization and elbow grease???!!!”

Indeed, neither I nor any other development professional has any magical powers. But the myth persists. So, I thought it might be helpful to my readers to share exactly what a development officer does, and why it’s smart to hire one.

Juggler

If I had to describe the development staffer’s activity in one word, it would be juggling. There are really only six ways to raise money, and all six methods should be active, no matter how big or small the nonprofit. Each method involves multiple activities that must also be juggled. That means that the development office has a lot of balls in the air at every moment. 

All methods of soliciting charitable donations fall into one of these six categories, each of which must be managed and maintained:

• Direct Appeals (end-of-year appeal letter, newsletters)

• Events (galas, golf outings, virtual or in-person house parties)

• Grants (from Corporations, Private Foundations, Government)

• Online Fundraising (website, Giving Tuesday, email blasts)

• Major Gift Solicitations (personally asking for 5-6-7-figure gifts) 

• Bequests (aka Planned Giving – asking a donor to put the nonprofit in their estate plans)

Storyteller

The first thing a development officer must do is learn about the nonprofit: why it’s needed, who it serves, its history and its impact. Deeply understanding the problem being addressed and the solution the organization provides affects everything, from appeal letters to grant writing to major gift solicitations and more. A development officer must be able to describe your mission and your methods compellingly, compassionately, and concisely, in person and in writing. Even for a mission that seems straightforward—curing cancer, for example—a development officer needs to do a deep dive on the organization’s specific story, so she can answer a donor whose question—sometimes stated but most often implicit—is, “why should I support you and not some other organization [trying to cure cancer]?”.

Organizer in Chief

If all the income streams are going to work effectively, it means planning, strategizing, adjusting plans and being disciplined about keeping all the details in order. Lack of organization means you’ll fall down on the follow-up—which is the kiss of death for some of the best laid plans. Consider these:

• You say you’ve written a compelling grant proposal? Oops, looks like the deadline was last week. 

• Your end-of-year appeal brought in a lot this year, good for you! What? No time to write thank-you notes?! There go your chances for repeat or increased gifts from those donors next year.

• Your annual fundraising gala is in two months, and you don’t have any sponsors yet? Uh-oh. Too bad you didn’t follow the best practice of beginning work on an annual event the very next day after the last one.

Fundraising Bus Driver

Some of my clients have utterly fantastic boards, who enthusiastically participate in fundraising. But without a bus driver, the fundraising bus can go off the road and over the cliff. An effective development officer will guide board members who are excited to cultivate or solicit—making sure they don’t conflict or overlap with each other, or with strategies already determined by the staff.

Other nonprofits have boards that are just learning about their role in fundraising. In that case, it’s the job of the development officer to educate and inspire board members about fundraising—how it works, their role in it, and how rewarding it can be.

Mother Hen

We know in fundraising that people give to people they trust. A development officer’s job is to build that trust and strengthen the relationship with each donor. A fundraiser must listen and learn to find out a donor’s interests and passions, keep track of that information, and then figure out and execute a strategy for growing each individual donor relationship. Like a mother hen watching her chicks, a good development professional is always aware of her donors—each one’s reasons for being involved, what motivates them to give, and what could engage and inspire them to continue and increase their gifts.

Why You’ll Be Glad You Hired a Development Professional

If you’ve read this far, I hope you’ve gotten the message that magic has nothing to do with professional fundraising. Rather, it’s a combination of intense attention to detail and strategic, big-picture thinking. Without someone focused on it and nothing else, it’s hard to imagine the funds you need coming in.

I often think of fundraising like a tennis match: a donor expresses interest, the fundraiser responds, the donor expresses more interest, and the game goes on. It may start with a simple online donation or an introduction—but if there’s no one in your organization to return the volley, how can your nonprofit possibly win the game?

Successful fundraising requires time, focus, knowledge, energy and compassion. Hiring a professional to give fundraising the attention it needs and deserves is a no-brainer. If you don’t, how can your nonprofit possibly thrive? And remember, if your organization isn’t thriving, the people you serve won’t get what THEY need. Do it for THEM.

Betsy Steward is an independent fundraising consultant. She advises clients on major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, as well as fundraising best practices, back-office organization, board presentations and writing to donors (appeal letters, emails, proposal letters, thank-you notes, etc.). She can be reached at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com.

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group’s blog here: 

https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/why-im-passionate-about-major-gift-fundraising

Fundraising Leadership: Attitude is Everything

by Betsy Steward

As a fundraising consultant, I watch my clients deal with high stress levels on a daily basis. Raising money is a daunting task, especially when the goal is in the millions. Our work offers many opportunities for feeling afraid, dismayed and discouraged.

It’s vitally important that those leading the fundraising effort—whether it’s a capital campaign, an annual fund or a special project—stay aware of the energy and attitude they share with their team. The team takes its cues from its leaders. A critical responsibility of a fundraising leader is to help the team stay focused and positive.

My Dad and Dale Carnegie

One of the best teachers—and a natural leader—that I ever had was my dad. After he died in 2001, we found a short, framed article on his bedtable by Dale Carnegie, the developer of the famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking and interpersonal skills. Dad’s career was in sales, and he had read the books, taken the courses and even taught them. The title of the article was Attitude. The last sentence of the article really struck a chord for me: 

“I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.” 

And so it is with fundraising: your attitude can make or break your team’s fundraising success. 

Admittedly, staying positive is sometimes easier said than done. Some days joy and gratitude are nowhere to be found, and it’s easy to feel hopeless and defeated. But if you are a fundraising leader in your organization—if your title is Executive Director or Director of Development, Board Chair or Development Chair—then an essential part of your job is to stay upbeat and focused on the goal. Why? So that you can keep your team’s spirits up, so that they can keep doing their jobs successfully. By “team,” I refer to everyone involved—staff, board, volunteers—anyone who is an ambassador, connector or solicitor for your organization.

Focus Your Team on the Positive

To lead in fundraising is to keep the team focused on the good and important work you do together, no matter what is happening in the world, on the news, in politics, in the economy or in your life. 

The energy you bring to the table is infectious, whether it’s positive or negative. If you bring eagerness, joy and gratitude, that’s what your team takes away with them. If you bring fear, disappointment and defeat, that’s their take-away. 

That doesn’t mean that feelings of disappointment and anxiety are not legitimate in our business. I’m not recommending denial; candid discussions about real circumstances are certainly necessary and important. And sometimes venting fears and frustrations together can be beneficial and healing for the whole team. 

But complaining is not leading. 

Bitching Doesn’t Help

Indulging in regular bitch sessions with your team is neither beneficial nor productive. It will not help you or your team tap into the genuine enthusiasm you have for your mission—enthusiasm that’s essential in convincing donors to join your efforts. Before you share all of your fears and concerns, ask yourself if sharing them will help your team to excel. 

Think of it this way: which meeting would inspire your team to do better, a meeting run by Eeyore*, or a meeting run by Tigger*?

So keep your eye on the prize, which is the invaluable work your team is doing and the positive difference you are making in the world. When you meet with your team, find your inner Tigger, not Eeyore (we all have both), and focus on the positive. It will help you AND them connect to the joy of the work, and your fundraising results will improve. 

* Tigger and Eeyore are both characters in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. Boisterous and exuberant, Tigger eagerly shares his enthusiasm with others. Eeyore is generally characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, old grey stuffed donkey.

Betsy Steward is an independent fundraising consultant. She advises clients on major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, as well as fundraising best practices, back-office organization, board presentations and writing to donors (appeal letters, emails, proposal letters, thank-you notes, etc.). She can be reached at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com.

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group's blog here: https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/fundraising-leadership-attitude-is-everything

Video: How to Email Major Donors

Summarize, clarify, confirm, and continue building relationships with Major Donors via email! Yep, email. Betsy outlines best practices and highlights common mistakes in email correspondence with your Major Donors.

4 Top Tips for Fundraising During a Recession

by Betsy Steward

I’ve been reading a lot of articles and hearing a lot of discussions that predict a recession in the near future. I’m also aware that many experts talk and write about the current strength of our economy. No one knows for sure what will happen this year. I sincerely hope we don’t experience a repeat of 2008-2009. Not only was my fundraising job extremely stressful, but my husband got laid off in October 2008 as well. So, yeah, I’m not excited about doing THAT again.

That said, I thought this might be a good time to share my experience of raising funds during that awful time known as “The Great Recession.” I certainly don’t claim to have a magic formula, but the small nonprofit where I worked, unlike many other organizations nearby, experienced a steady increase in donated funds instead of a decrease during that time. I’ve been thinking about how that happened.

The Background: Before my current job as a fundraising consultant, I had been hired in 2007 as the nonprofit’s Development Officer. I worked there for ten years, eventually becoming the Director of Development. Early on in my tenure, I made a couple of changes to the existing fundraising strategy. All of my changes had to do with building and strengthening relationships with our donors. The changes paid off, and the results started showing almost immediately. 

Tip #1: First, I set a policy of never, ever sending another letter that starts, “Dear Friend.” It is not a good way to build a relationship, and there’s really no excuse for it in the 21st century. All databases are capable of personalizing a salutation field, even if you’re using Excel as your database and Word as your letter-generator. If you don’t know how to make your system produce a letter that starts, “Dear Joan,” or “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” then find someone to help you figure it out. It’s not that hard, and it will be worth your time.

Tip #2: Second, I set an ambitious policy for acknowledging donations. Upon receipt of a donation, we would call or send a handwritten note to the donor within three days, and our official acknowledgement letter on our letterhead with official tax language would be sent within two weeks. This policy applied to every single donation, regardless of the size. I wrote notes to EVERYONE, even people who sent us $10. I must admit that we didn’t always manage to keep up with my 3-day deadline, but we came close enough that donors felt they were thanked immediately, which is critically important. A note sent when a donor can’t even remember writing the check is almost as bad as no note at all—maybe worse, since it makes your nonprofit look so careless and disorganized. 

Tip #3: Another action I took wasn’t a change to the fundraising strategy, but rather a continuation of it. Following the rule of “rain or shine, keep your friends close,” I continued to reach out to our major donors. Some development professionals take the approach of “OMG, it’s a recession, I better not bother my donors!” That’s a mistake that comes from thinking about your donors as your financiers instead of your partners. Your donors believe in your mission, and it matters to them if you’re successful or not in making the changes to the world that they want to see. If you leave them out of the conversation during hard times—especially when they are well aware you’re facing a major challenge beyond your control—how does that build the relationship? If anything, a recession offers an excuse to engage donors even further, especially when you remember that they’re donating because they, too, believe passionately in your mission and want you to succeed.

Tip #4: I did something else that I think is worth mentioning: I ignored the recession. That’s right, I ignored it. Instead of wringing my hands and worrying about what if, what if, WHAT IF…., I kept my mind on my job and made sure I did everything I was supposed to do as a development professional. Many of my colleagues (including, and maybe especially, my board members) were quite nervous about fundraising in such a bleak economy, spending a lot of their time and energy talking about how awful it was for fundraising. I made every effort to avoid doing that. If someone started complaining about the economy, I would change the subject or find some reason to leave the discussion without being rude. When it was just too distracting, I pushed myself to refocus on the task at hand—sometimes more successfully than others. 

Of course I wasn’t oblivious to it—believe me, it was challenging for my whole family when my husband lost his job, and I can’t claim that I didn’t worry at all about raising funds in such an environment. But I worked at being disciplined about keeping my attention on my job. As a result, I was able to keep up with my rigorous acknowledgement policy and all the other tasks that one-person-development-office professionals have before them.

I mean, that’s all you can do, isn’t it? Keeping your nose to the grindstone usually pays off. Worrying and complaining about things beyond your control just makes you miserable, and you STILL have to do your job. 

Here’s a glimpse of my organization’s donations from individuals during that time:

So if we are indeed headed for a recession—or even if we’re not!—try some of these things. Maybe your organization is well beyond sending “Dear Friend” letters, but I still receive them, so somebody out there hasn’t upped their game yet! And what is your acknowledgement policy? Could it be better? I recommend you take a look at all of your processes to make sure you’re doing everything you can to build successful relationships with your donors. 

Recessions come and go, but relationships are what we fundraisers and our nonprofits depend on. That doesn’t change, whether the economy is thriving or diving.

Betsy Steward is an independent fundraising consultant. She advises clients on major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, as well as fundraising best practices, back-office organization, board presentations and writing to donors (appeal letters, emails, proposal letters, thank-you notes, etc.). She can be reached at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com.

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group's blog here: https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/4-helpful-tips-for-fundraising-during-a-recession

Major Gift Fundraising is Still the Same (COVID or not)!

by Betsy Steward

COVID has turned things upside down. But many fundraising truths remain true! Most notably, major gift fundraising is still a contact sport—though now at an appropriate distance. What I mean is that every major donor—or prospective major donor—needs and deserves a strategy that is thoughtfully and personally customized. 

Crowdfunding, email blasts, and Giving Tuesday were never intended for major donors.

Some out-of-the-box thinking that paid off

I’m pleased to share the following story—which proves my point—from one of my clients, whom I’ll call “Jen.” Jen is new to fundraising. Last year, her Executive Director, “Diane”, noticed that whenever donors called the office, they always wanted to talk with Jen, Diane’s longtime administrative assistant. When the organization’s previous development officer moved away, Diane approached me with an out-of-the-box idea: she suspected that Jen had the instincts, organizational skills and personality to succeed in fundraising, even though she had no background or experience in it. I was hired to train and mentor Jen, a job that started in August 2019, and that I’ve enjoyed very much.

A customized ask during the pandemic

Fast forward to COVID time. Like so many nonprofits, Jen’s organization was badly affected by the pandemic. Jen’s town, just north of NYC, has been severely hit, with a high death toll. Diane had to shut down all programs, depriving many people of valuable and needed services, and eliminating the regular earned income the organization usually gets from their clients. 

Diane knew the organization would be facing a $15K shortfall by the end of April. 

Jen and I had been putting together the organization’s first major gift program. Pre-COVID, our plan was that she would have started soliciting big gifts during the first quarter of 2020. But that plan was derailed when the gala was postponed and all businesses in town were closed for social distancing. Not a great environment to be asking for special gifts.

With a $15K deficit looming, Diane called Jen to ask if she had any idea whom they might approach for a gift this big—a bigger amount than they’ve ever solicited outside of a grant proposal. Jen immediately thought of Dan, a past board member with deep pockets, and with whom Jen has a warm, candid and longtime relationship.

Jen knows Dan very well. She knows he hates meetings, long explanations, long letters—he’s a cut-to-the-chase kind of guy, with a sense of humor similar to Jen’s. And she knows he strongly believes in the work her organization does. So, she sent him the following email:

Jen clicked SEND, helped her kids with their homework, and found the following email from Dan waiting for her when she got back to her desk an hour later:

What a perfect example of a customized strategy! This was the best way for Jen to approach Dan—although probably not the way to approach anyone else, and not the way Diane or anyone else should have approached him. 

This worked because it was so personal. I doubt Dan would have responded to an email blast.

Taking the easy way out—sending an email blast to everyone on your list—might seem like a good idea when you’re panicking about your funding. But Covid-19 hasn’t changed the way major gift fundraising must be approached: thoughtfully, respectfully and personally.

Betsy Steward is an independent fundraising consultant. She advises clients on major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, as well as fundraising best practices, back-office organization, board presentations and writing to donors (appeal letters, emails, proposal letters, thank-you notes, etc.). She can be reached at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com.

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group's blog here: https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/major-gift-fundraising-is-still-the-same-covid-or-not

Why I’m Passionate About Major Gift Fundraising

by Betsy Steward

I love major gift fundraising and I’m excited to tell you why!

Major gift fundraisers are the spoons that stir the soup. We connect people with deep pockets… to people who know how to address problems… to people who are facing overwhelming challenges. It’s very rewarding and enjoyable! 

I didn’t always feel this way. Fundraising was not my first career. Twenty years ago, if someone had told me to ask someone for a big gift, I would have said, “huh? Nope, I can’t do that, are you KIDDING?” I wouldn’t have known even how to begin, and I would have been way too scared to even try. I was raised to think it was inappropriate to talk about money at all, much less ASK someone for some! Asking people for money—"rewarding and enjoyable”? Inconceivable. 

So, what’s happened to me since then? Two things:

1. I’ve learned about the techniques of fundraising, and how development works. There is a method to asking for money, it’s not just haphazard luck or some kind of magic. There are tools and best practices that lead to success.

2. I’ve had wonderful experiences asking people to support causes that resonate for them and for me! I’ve learned that there is almost nothing so gratifying as articulating a need with compassion, explaining a solution with enough clarity to open the eyes of a caring donor—and having that donor give generously. It’s a wonderful experience.

Asking brings out good things in me.

Asking for money requires courage and compassion: Compassion for people who need someone to speak on their behalf, and courage to ask someone who may intimidate me for an amount of money that may intimidate me, too. 

The right mindset makes all the difference. I am, by nature, an optimist, which comes in handy when you’re, say, living through a pandemic. It’s also quite helpful in fundraising, because it means I’m in the habit of imagining the future through a hopeful, positive lens. 

An exercise I often use when I’m preparing for a solicitation is to imagine the effect of a major gift. For example, one of my current clients is nearing the completion of a campaign to build a new children’s center. It will provide high-quality childcare and enrichment programs to low-income families. To get my clients ready to make a big ask, I recommend they imagine—right before the meeting is to start—the completed building, full of happy, thriving children spilling out into the new playground. That image is very compelling! When a fundraiser goes into a major donor meeting with an image like that at the forefront of their thinking, “asking” gets much easier.

Wealthy people can be intimidating, and so can asking for multiples of my annual salary! But when I get in touch with my compassion for those who will benefit, I’m able to transcend my fears. My compassion leads me to my courage.

Major gift fundraisers help everybody: those in need, and those who want to help.

It’s so easy to think of major donors as completely self-sufficient, not needing help from anyone. But imagine what it must be like to be a philanthropist: it’s a great responsibility, isn’t it? With so many compelling causes and deserving nonprofits, how do they choose? I see my role as showing them opportunities and helping them decide the best way for them, with their particular likes and dislikes, values and ideals, to make a difference. I think of myself—and I encourage my fundraising clients to think of themselves—as a “giving coach for donors” rather than as a solicitor. My goal is to encourage donors to give in a way that will not only help others, but will make them feel good, too.

Learning floats my boat.

Of course, I am inspired by the missions and the potential difference I can help to make. But I’m also excited by the mental preparation and personal growth that major gift fundraising demands. Storytelling is a critical part of successful fundraising, so my job provides me with the privilege of learning about current issues and needs, and the solutions that nonprofits provide. The “tools and best practices” that I mentioned are constantly evolving, which means fundraisers have to continually learn, listen, read and think. For lifelong learners like me—and, I suspect, YOU, since you’re reading a blog like this one—major gift fundraising provides endless opportunities for exploration, contemplation and growth. I love that! 

And finally, joy and gratitude.

I find joy in major gift fundraising because I see problems that philanthropy can solve. That excites me. I see major gift fundraising not as an obstacle but rather as an opportunity—for the donor, for the mission and for the people the mission serves. I’m so grateful that my journey has included learning how to fundraise and then asking for big gifts. It’s made a huge difference for me personally, and, I hope, for the major donors and nonprofit missions I’ve served.

Betsy Steward is a Fundraising Mentor who advises clients on major gift cultivation and stewardship, communicating with donors through the written word, and back-office organization. In addition, she coaches boards on fundraising and their role in it, and guides development staff in making board presentations. Email Betsy at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com and learn more about her experience from her LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/betsysteward

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group’s blog here: https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/why-im-passionate-about-major-gift-fundraising

Video: How to Write Thank You Notes to Major Donors

Does it really make a difference to send a handwritten thank-you note to donors? Absolutely! Research shows that a handwritten thank-you note sent immediately after you receive a gift helps ensure a repeated — and often increased — gift. Watch this short video to learn how to take your fundraising to the next level!

Would your Nonprofit pass a Development Audit?A 10-Point Checklist with Tips

by Betsy Steward

As a fundraising consultant, I see a wide variety of development offices. Some are one-person departments, some have a handful of dedicated fundraising staff, and still others have a dozen or more full-time active fundraising team members. Development offices come in all sizes!

No matter the size of your development office, the essentials remain the same. Ignore them at your peril! Below is a list of fundraising fundamentals that will help you determine how effective your development office is, and how you could make some improvements to grow support for your mission. 

How would your organization do? Would you pass a development audit?

I hope you will conclude that your development office would pass. But if not, don’t despair. Every nonprofit needs to recognize where they are, and work to grow from there. If you are feeling panicked that some elements listed below are missing at your shop, now’s a good time to change that! There are so many resources available just by googling, and of course you can always email me if you have questions or want to discuss how I might help you move your development office forward. Good luck!

Betsy Steward is an independent fundraising consultant. She advises clients on major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, as well as fundraising best practices, back-office organization, board presentations and writing to donors (appeal letters, emails, proposal letters, thank-you notes, etc.). She can be reached at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com.

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group’g blog here: https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/what-a-nonprofit-development-staffer-does-and-why-its-smart-to-hire-one

Nonprofit Major Gift Solicitation as Performance: Personal Preparation and More Fundraising Skills I Learned in My Opera Career

by Betsy Steward

I’ve been a fundraising professional since I was hired for my first development job in 2007. In the first chapter of my work life, though, I was a professional opera singer for nearly 20 years. In a previous blog , I wrote about lessons I learned in my opera career that apply to fundraising—in particular, how to handle rejection. 

In today’s blog, I’ll write about the way singers mentally prepare for performance. Similar preparation can help you succeed when you ask for a gift.

Because “asking” is just that… a performance.

Today’s blog is not about thoroughly researching your donors or structuring your talking points, although both of those activities are critically important, too.

No, today’s blog is about your solicitation performance, focusing on your personal, internal preparation. Covid lockdowns don’t get you off the hook! Asking is asking, whether in person, over the phone, or on a video call. Personal preparation is critical.

See your donor as your partner, not your adversary

You both share the goal of making the world a better place. You’re on the same side. As a singer, it often helped me to remember that the audience wanted me to sing well. No one wants to suffer through a painful performance. It’s the same with donors… no one wants to watch you squirm and fumble for the right words, and no one wants their time wasted. Donors want you to succeed when you ask.

Use your imagination to visualize success 

Like many performers, before any performance, I used the technique of visualizing myself singing magnificently on stage. I use that same technique before asking for a big gift. I imagine the donor saying yes to my request and getting excited about my project. Visualizing helps relax me so that my body language and tone of voice communicate joy, gratitude and generosity. 

Practice, practice, practice…

The words we use when asking for big gifts are not words that normally come out of our mouths, are they? I mean, how often in your life have you said (with a straight face), “And do you think you could give us fifty thousand dollars?” 

The solution is to practice saying it, just like singers practice before they get up onstage.

Once you have your talking points prepared, practice saying them out loud, with the person who will go to the meeting with you, or, if you’ll be going alone, with a helpful colleague. 

Rather than memorizing the exact talking points, make sure you know the gist of them in the right order. As you practice, play around with language to find the most authentic way of making your case. “Talking points” often evolve in this process to something much more genuine and inspiring than the original script you created. Finding different ways to say them will keep it fresh.

There’s one exception: the ask itself. I recommend that you memorize and practice the ask, and don’t stray from the language you have decided on. The nervousness of the moment can throw you off—but not if you’ve said the ask out loud one hundred times.

Let your talking points evolve and get yourself prepared with a process like this one:

4 days before the meeting: 20-minute exercise with a partner

• Read the talking points (including the ask) out loud to each other, with one person playing the role of the donor (by asking questions) and the other playing the solicitor

• Switch parts and repeat

• Do it enough times to feel ready to do it without looking at the script

• Say (instead of reading) the talking points out loud to each other, switching roles 

The second and third days before the meeting: 10-minute exercise by yourself

• Read the talking points out loud to yourself

• Say the talking points out loud without looking at the script, perhaps in front of a mirror 

1 day before the meeting: 20-minute exercise with a partner

• Meet to read and say the talking points out loud to each other, again switching roles

Right before the meeting, read through the talking points one final time. And then you can relax and enjoy the conversation, knowing you’re fully prepared to “pop the question” when the right moment arrives.

Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare 

An extraordinary thing happens to performers. We practice and then go about our day. When we come back the next day, we’re just better at whatever we practiced. Even if we skip a few days, it’s better. It’s what I call “baking time”: there is something that happens deep within us that improves just because we “slept on it.” My theory is that our brains and energy sources “digest” whatever it is that we practice, and it just naturally improves. So, when it’s possible, start your preparation well in advance of the meeting. Just like learning to play an instrument or speaking a new language, it’s more effective to practice 10 minutes every day than it is to practice for an hour once a week.

Replace fearful thinking with a mantra…and don’t forget to BREATHE

Singers and fundraisers both have to learn to handle stage fright. Performing—whether on stage or in a donor’s living room—takes a lot of guts! Fear can be unconscious…but I could always tell I was scared when I noticed I wasn’t breathing! Remembering to breathe… and knowing you’re prepared helps immensely. 

Acknowledging fear helps diminish it. Repeating a mantra helped drown it out and calm me down. Here’s one that has worked well for me: “I am asking on behalf of people who cannot ask.” Fear can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to dominate. So you’re scared. So what. Ask anyway.

Practice actually does “make perfect.” Remember what Abraham Lincoln said: “I will prepare and someday my chance will come.”

Good luck! And enjoy yourself! Asking, like singing, is rewarding in so many ways.

Betsy Steward is an independent fundraising consultant. She advises clients on major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, as well as fundraising best practices, back-office organization, board presentations and writing to donors (appeal letters, emails, proposal letters, thank-you notes, etc.). She can be reached at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com.

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group's blog here: 

https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/nonprofit-major-gift-solicitation-as-performance-personal-preparation-and-more-fundraising-skills-i-learned-in-my-opera-career

How to Handle “No” from a Nonprofit Donor: Fundraising Skills I Learned in my Opera Career

by Betsy Steward

I’ve been a fundraising professional since I was hired for my first development job in 2007, after earning my Certificate in Fundraising from NYU in 2006. Before the current chapter of my work life started, I was a professional opera singer for nearly 20 years. (If you’re interested, you can learn about my singing experiences here.)

You might be surprised to learn that my experience in opera provided me with many of the most valuable tools and perspectives that I bring to my fundraising clients. 

At the top of my list of transferrable skills is knowing how to handle rejection. In the opera world, conventional wisdom says that, if you sing ten auditions and get one job, you’re ahead of the game. Think about that: “ten auditions resulting in one job” means NINE rejections. 

I sang a lot of auditions and got hired a lot, but I got rejected a lot more. Hearing “no” so many times inspires a person to either give up or get tough. Rejection teaches valuable lessons, like these: 

Everyone is entitled to an opinion…but it’s just an opinion.

Opinions are not “right” or “wrong”: they are subjective. Just because the person I sang for didn’t choose me is no reason to conclude that no one else will, or even that the same person never will. In fact, I auditioned annually for one prestigious company four years in a row before I was hired. I learned perspective and perseverance—fundamental tools in both singing and fundraising.

Translated to fundraising: Opinions abound, in opera AND in philanthropy. When viewed from a philanthropist’s vantage point, some charitable opportunities resonate more strongly than others. Your well-run nonprofit may have a terrific mission, but maybe it’s not the mission that meets the need or passion of your philanthropist right at this moment. It doesn’t mean your mission and nonprofit aren’t worthy, or that no one will ever support you. If you knock on a door and get the wrong answer, knock again… or knock on another door.

Don’t assume rejection is your fault. 

You don’t get feedback from an audition. You either get hired or you don’t—the phone rings with good news, or the phone just doesn’t ring. Of course, I had to constantly evaluate my own singing. Just as important, though, was making sure my mind didn’t work overtime trying to justify or make sense of rejections. Accepting that “no” rarely comes with an explanation is part of the discipline of performing.

I came to realize that rejection often had very little to do with my personal performance: Perhaps the tenor who had already been cast was shorter than I am—not a good look on stage. Or maybe the director had a headache the day I sang for him. Or it could have been what I liked to call “the ex-wife” problem: you killed it at the audition, you were obviously perfect for the role, but you didn’t get cast… because you look just like the conductor’s ex-wife. 

Translated to fundraising: There are countless reasons that a donor might say no to a solicitation or a meeting request that are beyond your control. You may never know their reasons, but it may or may not have anything at all to do with you or your nonprofit. Don’t overthink it.

Don’t assume you know the outcome till you know for sure.

I once made a costly mistake by jumping to a negative conclusion. I had auditioned several times for the same important opera company. After my last audition, I was convinced I had sung badly, and that they were NEVER going to hire me. So, rather than giving them time to reach out to me, I signed a contract with another, less distinguished company. Imagine my dismay when I arrived home from the post office after mailing my signed contract to the smaller company to find a better offer for the same summer season from the more esteemed company in my mailbox! Damn.

Translated to fundraising: When a donor doesn’t answer your call, resist the temptation to jump to a conclusion. You don’t know what’s going on in the donor’s life. Until they actually tell you they’re not interested in hearing from you, you don’t know how they feel about your request. Perhaps the donor is on vacation. Maybe she’s down with the flu. Possibly they’re just BUSY. Unless the donor actually expresses concrete negative opinions about you or your nonprofit, you should not assume anything, no matter how long it takes for your call to be returned or your email answered. Don’t jump to a conclusion!

Rejection teaches resilience. 

A singer gets a lot of practice trying, failing, and trying again—and that’s a really important skill, in singing, in fundraising, and in life. Just like a toddler learning to walk—which involves falling many times before successfully walking—you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, get ready for the next audition, and move closer to your goal.

Translated to fundraising: When a donor says “no”, you should try to find out why, if that’s possible, but if it’s not—and it often isn’t—move on. It’s your job to keep working to find support for your mission. So, when one donor doesn’t respond or doesn’t say what you hoped to hear, put your focus on the next potential donor rather than on your disappointment.

Passion isn’t affected by rejection. 

Rejection—unpleasant as it was—never altered my passion for singing or my love of music. It never changed my motivation to perform.

Translated to fundraising: “No” from a donor doesn’t have anything to do with your organization’s mission, or the needs of the people you serve. Does a donor’s rejection really change your thinking about your work or their needs? I hope not.

Find Your Courage.

It takes a lot of courage to sing. Imagine standing on a stage, singing by yourself, with no microphone—opera singers generally don’t use them, except to record—with anywhere from a handful to several thousand people in the audience, singing very complicated and difficult music, memorized and in a language that is not your native tongue. How do you spell S-T-R-E-S-S-F-U-L. The only way I ever had the nerve to do it was through extensive preparation…and staying in touch with the joy of it. 

Translated to fundraising: It takes a lot of courage to ask for money, too. Just like in singing, preparation is key. Knowing the compelling reasons that will inspire your donor—and practicing until you feel comfortable saying “the ask” out loud—allow you to overcome your fears and tap into your genuine belief in the mission. You can thrive in the solicitation meeting, if you’re prepared and you stay in touch with the joy of fundraising. 

Singers choose to deal with the stress because music is so important to them. For me, any fear of performing was always outweighed by the joy of singing. It’s a blast. Just like the rewards in singing, the rewards in fundraising—changing lives—far outweigh the fear of asking for support. Fundraising is a blast, too.

Betsy Steward is an independent fundraising consultant. She advises clients on major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, as well as fundraising best practices, back-office organization, board presentations and writing to donors (appeal letters, emails, proposal letters, thank-you notes, etc.). She can be reached at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com.

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group's blog here: https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/how-to-handle-no-from-a-nonprofit-donor-fundraising-skills-i-learned-in-my-opera-career

Handwritten Notes, the Secret Weapon in Fundraising

by Betsy Steward

Research shows that a handwritten thank-you note sent immediately after you receive a gift helps ensure a repeated—and often increased—gift. We live in a time when everything is automated: you buy something online and immediately you get an email saying how important your business is… yeah, yeah, yeah.

A handwritten note is personal. And therefore powerful. At the non-profit where I worked during the 2008-2009 economic crisis, I set a policy of sending a handwritten note within three days of receiving a gift. I believe it’s one reason why, unlike most of the other nonprofits where I live, our donation total increased instead of decreasing or staying flat during that awful time.

“But,” you say, “my handwriting isn’t good.” I won’t suggest taking a class because, really? Who has time for a handwriting class. Not I, and probably not you, either. 

But… there are simple things you can do improve your handwritten notes. First of all, block out time for this task. Notes take focus, concentration, and…time.

Secondly, close your door so you won’t be distracted or disturbed. It’s not mindless! You need to focus on it, otherwise you write half of it, make a mistake and have to start over.

Third: SLOW. DOWN. These days, we all type really fast and we all multitask. Most of us are out of practice in writing carefully and legibly. Slow down to give your hand the time it needs to write clearly.

Last, write big! Bigger than you usually write. It will slow you down, look better, and the donor will have a better chance of being able to read it.

What should you write? Something simple but sincere, like “How kind of you to send such a generous gift! You made my day. Thanks very much.” Short but sweet, and genuine.

It’s important to keep track of what you wrote, when you sent it and who signed the note. Your technique for keeping track may be determined by the database you use. 

Here’s a method that has worked well for me: Whenever a donation arrived, I created a Word document named with the donor’s name, which I stored in a folder called “Handwritten Notes.” I put in the date, typed out what I would later write by hand, and included the initials of whoever was to sign it. When another donation from the same donor arrived, I’d go back to the same document to record the next note. This way, my organization had a record of what I wrote to each donor; I could see my previous notes so I could avoid wording it the same way again; and once I figured out the wording for any particular appeal, I could copy and paste it to other donors’ documents.

Whatever method you use, don’t ignore the power of the handwritten thank-you note. When’s the last time you got one? And how did it make you feel? Sincerely thanked, I bet.

Betsy Steward is an independent fundraising consultant. She advises clients on major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, as well as fundraising best practices, back-office organization, board presentations and writing to donors (appeal letters, emails, proposal letters, thank-you notes, etc.). She can be reached at BetsyVSteward@gmail.com.

This article was originally posted on Heller Fundraising Group's blog here: https://hellerfundraisinggroup.com/blog/handwritten-notes-the-secret-weapon-in-fundraising