The Transactional Moment: Optimizing the “Ask”

Jana Byington-Smith, CFRE jana@secondgift.infoSecond Gift Twitter: JForTheMoney

Robert Weiner robert@rlweiner.comRobert L. Weiner Consulting Twitter: robert_weiner

Katya Andresen katya.andresen@networkforgood.orgNetwork for Good Twitter: katyaN4G

Friday, April 10, 20101:30 – 3:00 p.m.International Ballroom B

Session 155 #10NTC.Ask

What do you want to learn during this session?

3 ideas to start a discussion

• Prepare to ask, but ask!• Gather money, donors and

information, but ask!• Say thanks to the donor as the donor

would like, then get ready to ask again!

Session Premise: Donor Retention

• Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP)• Retaining dollars• Retaining donors

So we’re on the same page

• Lybunts, sybunts and the never-givers • Retain, grow, loss• What is an ‘ask’?

Know your prospects and donors, but…

• Proactive research• Predictive analytics• …do not wait for perfect information to

make the ask!

Who gets your best ask?

• C• C

• A• A

• D• D

• B• B

• F• F

• E• E

• G• G

© Jana Byington-Smith

The best technology for the best ask

• Meeting in person• Phone• E-mail• Skype• SMS mobile• Direct mail• E-solicit• Event

• E-letter link• Newsletter by mail• Website link• Poster• Billboard• Brochure• Work campaign• PURL

The Four Stories of a Great Ask

Answer the questions:• Why are you asking me to give?• What is the impact of my gift?• Why now?• Who says I should give?

Info to collect if you can

• Biographic targeted for audience (don’t forget the nuns!)

• How much and how will they give• How do they want to be recognized• How will they know you used their

gifts well

But recognize you can’t always get it

• Proliferating ways to give online• You’re not the messenger all the time• Third parties may be handling the

transaction

The gift hole

• Deal with it• Access the reports you can• Recognize how/where the donor gave

You’ve asked – now what?

• Did you get a gift commitment?• Did you get a maybe?• Did you get an outright ‘no’?• Did you get no response at all?

Gift Commitment• Outright gift• “sustained” – multi-payment pledge• Pledge (and when is it in default?)

• Who, what, when, where, how to say thanks

Thank You Basics

• Say thanks right away• Be personal (segment)• Give the donor the credit (his or her

achievement, not yours)• Show (don’t tell) where the donor’s

money went• Repeat. And again. All year long.

Development Services Post-Ask

Critical to donor relations and retention.– Correct, timely receipt or thank-you letter?– Name(s) spelled correctly?– Properly handling pledges, honorary &

memorial, or event donations?– Any donor restrictions on how $$ can be

used?– Any policy issues? Can you actually accept &

use the gift?

Development Services Post-Ask

– Any follow-up evaluation/reporting (to funders, endowment donors, scholarship donors)?

– Will fundraisers be notified that their prospects gave?

– Will donors be resolicited at the right level? At the right time? Using the channel they respond to (email, direct mail, phone)?

– Can you analyze what worked? How did your donors give (online, offline) & to which appeals, messages, channels?

The Circle of (Ask) Life

© Jana Byington-Smith

Questions? Clarifications?Ideas?

Thanks!More resources:• Twitter: katyaN4G, robert_weiner,

JForTheMoney• Network for Good’s fundraising123.org,

SecondGift.info and RLWeiner.com for additional reading lists and research

• Your own providers’ research• FEP site

Evaluation Code: 155

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