Leadership GivingEstablishing the Mentor Society

•Attract gifts of $1000 or more on a recurring basis

•Provide a pathway for current donors to migrate upward

•Attract new donors at higher levels

•Develop and train volunteers for individual gift fundraising

Purpose of Establishing the Mentor Society

•Annual Giving – Direct Mail and BFKS•Leadership Giving – Annual Mentor Society Giving Campaign

•Major Gifts – Natural evolution from Leadership Giving

•Planned Giving – Cultivate relationships that lead to the Ultimate Gift

A Continuum of Donors

•Cultivation Receptions•Direct Asks

Face-to-face personal contacts

Personalized mail requests

“ASK” Strategies

Individually held at a donor’s home or other attractive venue

Lightly touch on fundraising during brief program about the agency

(Include any Challenge/Matching opportunities)

Use as platform for cultivating contacts

Small group networking

Cultivation Reception

One-to-one meeting with host(s) to customize the plan

Formal invitation to reception

Personal letter or telephone follow-up by host who has identified guests

Staff follow-up if necessary to insure attendance

Before the Reception

Personal follow-up by host for gifts not collected at Reception

Immediate “thank you” phone call and hand-written note from CEO for gifts

Information on the number of matches sponsored by the gift, with personalized information re: the Big and Little

A thank you gift – e.g. crystal object, or tile hand-made by match, etc.

After the Reception

•$1,000 Matchmaker Circle

•$2,500 Ambassador Circle•$5,000 Leadership Circle•$10,000 Magic Maker Circle

Mentor Society Recognition

•$25,000 Advocate•$100,000 Strategic Sponsor•$500,000 Venture Partner•$1,000,000 Visionary

Any of these can be donated in multiple year pledges

Major Gifts Recognition

•Find a Board Champion

•Create a Leadership Giving Team

•Set a Stretch Goal

Within reach but still ambitious

Try to double # of gifts of $1000 or more

Implementing the Plan

•Try to secure a challenge or match established by a donor or outside source

•“Sell” the Board

•Identify your Top Prospects:

To host a Reception

To make a Direct Ask

Implementing the Plan

•Assess commitment to Agency

•Track record of recent gifts

•Assess current involvement with Agency

•Analyze stage in life and career

•Determine if their associates have the capacity to give at $1000 or more

•Identify potential venue

How to Identify Top Prospects

•Some Boards move faster than others

•Your Board can only be spread so thin

•Don’t put all your eggs in one basket (or two or three)

•Hosts and Venues don’t always come in one package

•“Heavy Hitters” don’t want to sit on a Committee

•Volunteers need supportive materials

What We’ve Learned So Far