How To Become a Fundraising Hero

Making Friends and Profits for Your Bowling Center

Marc A. Pitman, CFCC

What would you do?

What would you do?What do you do?

A.Charge them full price on people and rentals?

What would you do?What do you do?

A.Charge them full price on people and rentals?

B.Try to capture names and contact information of participants?

What would you do?What do you do?

A.Charge them full price on people and rentals?

B.Try to capture names and contact information of participants?

C.Risk it all by unilaterally changing the date?

Introduction & Ground Rules– Author of Ask Without Fear!

– Decades of working with nonprofits, including running an coaching others to run fundraising events

• Rules:– Ask questions! – Remember: This is being

recorded

Goals for Session: Mine & Yours

Fundraising in a Nutshell

• 3 Income Needs of Nonprofits

• 1 Big Problem

• 3 Sources of Income

• 3 Ways to Raise Money

3 Income Needs of Nonprofits

• Annual Fund: lights & operating

• Annual Fund: lights & operating

3 Income Needs of Nonprofits

3 Income Needs of Nonprofits

• Annual Fund: lights & operating• Capital Campaigns: bricks-and-mortar• Endowment: Invested funds that throw off

income

1 Big Problem

• They need the money, but wait & wait & wait to ask. Then ask out of desperation.

3 Income Sources

Where would you seek funds?

3 Ways to Raise Money

1. Face-to-face: best (Labor intensive | High Potential)

3 Ways to Raise Money

1. Face-to-face: best (Labor intensive | High Potential)

2. Direct Mail/web/email: good (Labor intensive | High Risk [1% response is “success”]

3 Ways to Raise Money

1. Face-to-face: best (Labor intensive | High Potential)

2. Direct Mail/web/email: good (Labor intensive | High Risk [1% response is “success”]

3. Events: (Labor intensive | Marginal Success) [50% return is normal]

Benefits of Events for Nonprofits

• Takes the edge off the ask– Lower ask amount– Easier to articulate “benefits”

Benefits of Events for Nonprofits

• Takes the edge off the ask– Lower ask amount– Easier to articulate “benefits”

• Allows for wide range of volunteers

Benefits of Events for Nonprofits

• Takes the edge off the ask– Lower ask amount– Easier to articulate “benefits”

• Allows for wide range of volunteers

• Creates opportunity for press coverage

Benefits for Your Bowling Center

• Income

Benefits for Your Bowling Center

• Income

• Relatively low maintenance

Benefits for Your Bowling Center

• Income

• Relatively low maintenance

• Generates word-of-mouth advertising

Benefits for Your Bowling Center

• Income

• Relatively low maintenance

• Generates word-of-mouth advertising

• Gives you access to media

Benefits for Your Bowling Center

• Income

• Relatively low maintenance

• Generates word-of-mouth advertising

• Gives you access to media

• Give you the potential to look like a hero

What would you do? Conclusion

How to Benefit as a Bowling Center

• Be Relational

• Be Proactive

• Be Patient

• Be Generous

Be Relational

• This is about a long-term relationship, not a one-off event

• Find out what the nonprofit – Wants from the event– Hopes to do with the money– Has for scheduling needs

• Be clear on your needs & expectations– (income, fees, sponsorship, etc)

An apology

• Beware: Many of my nonprofit colleagues tend to approach businesses like ATMs, thinking they’ll just get the cash/gift. I’m sorry about that.

• Honestly, many businesses come across as though the nonprofit needs them too.

Be Proactive

What is your goal?

What do you want to get out of the event? Income?Food sales?Wowing potential repeat customers?

Be Patient

• Successful fundraising events take time to grow to full potential

• You and the nonprofit need to work out the kinks

• The nonprofit will need to find out what people respond to

Be Generous

• What comes around, goes around• Don’t give away the store (the nonprofit will

want you to be in business next year! My 1000 books a day vs. a year line)

Be Generous

• Food deals– Even if merely bundles – % of sales to np cause?

• Let them know if you’re giving a discount (we aren’t mind readers)

Be Generous

• Contests– Tickets to every participant/#’s called for gifts/just

have to fill out contact info• Hats, t-shirts, logo-stuff (get’s name in community)• Free bowling (gets people back…and they bring friends)

– Corporate packages for free returns– Social media contests before• Maybe free drinks for team with most “likes” on your

FB page

Be Generous

• Media– Do you know a DJ? Or advertise in some paper?

Introduce them to this cause– Include NP logo/event logo in your ad (It’ll make

you look good and help them!)

Summary and Charge

• Hopefully you’ve:– learned about what nonprofits need– Seen how you can work with them to increase

your income – And seen how to do it in a way that makes you a

fundraising hero in you community!

Summary and Charge

• Hopefully you’ve:– learned about what nonprofits need– Seen how you can work with them to increase

your income – And seen how to do it in a way that makes you a

fundraising hero in you community!

Summary and Charge

• Hopefully you’ve:– learned about what nonprofits need– Seen how you can work with them to increase

your income – And seen how to do it in a way that makes you a

fundraising hero in you community!

• Tool shop including: The Creating Donor Evangelists Program

• Give me your card for a free copy of $100,000 Guide to Email Solicitation e-course

• Free blog, articles, book reviews, and more!

marc@fundraisingcoach.com