Patrick Sheehy

Over time I have become persuaded about the value of sending a letter. A one-page, meaning concise, letter that is introductory and gives the recipient some idea of why we want to come and see them. A handwritten card is good but I prefer a business letter (outside envelope hand addressed with live stamp). Like everything in this work we don’t want to be obfuscatory about why we want to see them. But we also want to make it clear that we’re not coming to ask for money. Not now. Not yet. You might assure them that the meeting need be no longer than 20 minutes. The letter should leave no doubt about what is going to happen next. WE are going to call THEM so we can find a convenient time for the get-together. The single purpose of this advance letter is to increase our chances the recipient will TAKE our call when it comes; to assure them we’re NOT a telemarketer. In some cases we might mention that we’re going to be in the area within a certain window of time. This is more meaningful when WE have to go out of our way to see them. It’s been shown that we’re more likely to get the meeting when we’re traveling out of our immediate area.

TIME TO MAKE THE CALL. Allow enough time for them to receive and read the letter. In-state you can expect it to arrive the next day in most cases if you get to the Postal Service office in time (it might take longer if the letter has to go through a mail system internal to your or their organization). If you mail on Monday call on Wednesday or Thursday. Don’t let too much time go by. You can make reference to the letter when you call but don’t make a big deal about it. They might not have read the letter yet. When you reference it they’ll know you did them the courtesy of writing them. Now you’ve got them on the phone. Ms. Jones I’m following up on a note we sent to you asking for a brief meeting. Quickly summarize the request without worrying whether they’ve read the letter or not. In this brief interchange you will need a reason they should take the meeting. You always want to thank them for their past giving. You may even want to say the purpose of the meeting is to thank them in person for their past giving. You might also say that because they are such good supporters there are some important things going on at your institution you hope they will find interesting.

Be prepared to meet objections. For example you might be asked to simply send them a brochure about your program. You might press a bit emphasizing the importance of an interactive session. Reiterate the limited amount of time you are requesting. Try to establish a rapport if at all possible. Emphasize that you are getting around to see your most important supporters to thank them and to talk briefly about some important development. Getting across the notion that they are among an elite group and that others are taking the meeting might help. We all like to be flattered after all.

IF THEY’RE GOOD TO GO be ready with dates and times. Make sure you’re thinking far enough out that it is less likely their calendar will be filled. You want to offer enough choices at different times of the day and week so you have a chance of finding a hole in their schedule. Don’t offer so many that it sounds as though you’re own schedule is wide open. They need to know you’re a busy person also. If they can’t find a time to meet with you, they may be telling you “no” or it may be “not now.” Thank them. Let them know you’re not giving up (in other words, it might be easier to just take the meeting and get you out of their hair) and will call the next time you will be in their area. Follow up this contact with a friendly personal letter that references the conversation and includes a few case points. But don’t say so much you are negating the need for the meeting. Allow some time to pass and then try again.

Getting meetings scheduled is so integral to the work we do that you are wise to schedule certain exclusive windows of time during which you will a) prepare letters requesting meetings or b) make phone calls in which you ask for meetings. Don’t let resistance put you off. Keep trying. Track the number of contacts you make and establish a quota for yourself. Eventually you’ll find that if you get out so many letters and make so many follow up calls you’ll get so many meetings. When you know these things all you have left to do is the math. You will learn early that volume matters.

One last thing. Don’t worry a whole lot if they give you a tough time about meeting with you. Keep your head down and plow ahead as thoughtfully as you can. Don’t be afraid to press a bit. Sometimes they’re testing your determination. By giving up too easily you let them off the hook. You will be surprised that even if your meeting request efforts prove a little unpleasant, when you meet in person all of that will be forgotten. They’re giving you a hearing. Make no apologies and get busy!

- Patrick Sheehy

P.S. If you need to get back to this post or want to send it to someone else, here is a short link: http://majorgiftsmt.com/?p=650

Michael J. Fox has a new book (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future) which is partially why he popped out of my radio this  morning on Weekend Edition Saturday with Scott Simon. I say, partially, because he has been on that program before. It is always evident that Scott Simon is moved, no, awed, by the man. It is not the disability that impresses Simon, I think, but what the actor has learned from the disability and which he willingly shares with all of us.

WE MAY DENY our own mortality.  But there’s no escaping the knowledge of it. Some day we all become ill. Our bodies deteriorate. Michael Fox teaches us that our spirit need not deteriorate as well. He gives testimony to this every time he steps up to the podium; every time he walks into the broadcast studio; every time he talks to anyone he meets. His body fails him but he is not defeated. He has much to do.

Michael Fox has his own foundation that supports Parkinson’s Disease research. He said today he is obtaining help from the same financial titan types who thought him a role model back in the Family Ties sitcom days. He told Simon:

It’s ironic that now as I’m a fund raiser for a foundation, some of our biggest supporters are people on Wall Street and in the financial industry — hedge fund managers and stuff — that grew up idolizing Alex Keaton. So it’s come around in this weird karmic way that these people who I was satirizing ended up being my biggest benefactors.

I don’t doubt he’s very good at asking for money.

WHAT MAKES HIM GOOD? Is it his courage, his cheerful disposition? Those things do help I expect. I think what also is important — that he is willing to surrender himself to the cause. His failings become his strengths. He is not afraid to ask because he has taught himself to not be afraid of being in the public eye. Which is more difficult? I think you know the answer.

The effective fund raiser is not in the least daunted by failure. She learns from it and for that opportunity maybe, briefly, embraces failure. The urgent philanthropic need lives on and we must apply ourselves again the next day and the day after that. Some will not comprehend the opportunity we represent. There are many more not yet found who will. Especially if we keep learning from our failures.

There is no perfect fund raising case and no perfect fund raiser. We can strive for perfection if we so choose by stumbling and learning; stumbling and learning. Michael J. Fox shows us how.

Why?

Three letters and a bit of punctuation within which is captured an inquiry that could easily set us scrambling for information. In our rush we may articulate a reverse justification that begins at that thing we wish to fund. Or so often we can side step the question. The donor gives us the benefit of the doubt, maybe driven by their own emotional connection to the work our non profit is doing. They may even have their own answer to the question and on the strength of that choose to make their gift commitment. But why should we, the fund raising professionals, leave that to chance?

EVEN WHEN THE QUESTION is never asked we can get ourselves into trouble. A bequest comes unexpectedly that is larger than our mid term fund raising aspirations. For one organization the amount is $20 million. For another it is $400 million. While not named here, both are real non profits. Neither can explain to themselves what they will do with their new resource and are set to scrambling for years figuring it out. In view of such an incredible gift what is the justification for continued fund raising? Neither could address that issue and their development programs stagnated for some time.

Development professionals have to know the answer. Every executive director, president, CEO should have it on the tip of his tongue.

You want to know why you should make this gift? You want to know why you should do it now? Our non profit has an answer.

Of course, you won’t be surprised to know the answer has little to do with your organization’s needs and everything to do with your mission.

The donor will have her own reasons for making a gift. But non profit leadership should be prepared. The larger the gift, the better the answer must be. It seems so simple. Why? So innocent. Why? So devastating. Why?

But there is one unrecognized hero in this story. Philanthropy.

The first naturalists and the first great study of wildlife in the parks would not have happened without philanthropy. Grand Teton National Park and the “parkway” connecting it to Yellowstone would not exist in their present forms without it. This program, of course, would not find an audience through PBS without it. Great people. Great wealth. A powerful sense of responsibility. Recognizing the Big Idea. Acting on behalf of the people and of future generations like ours.

From Ken Burns film on the National Parks

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I did leave. Only a few weeks after our second child was born in Havre we moved to Lewiston, Idaho, and then pursued a career that would take us in a great circle leading ultimately back here. That newborn child, my son Dylan, now is 24 years old. He can claim to have been born in Montana but until a year ago when we returned he couldn’t claim residency. He and I drove out here together early last summer from Minnesota. He was not poring over a book or playing a video game. He was seeing. Excited that he was coming here. And I was seeing too this place with new eyes, new wonder and new love. Though I am not a native Montanan (I was born and raised in Pennsylvania) this is the place in which I became a person. This is the place in which imagination reached out and found no boundaries; where I breathed and didn’t choke on the airborne effluent of the nearby steel mill or chemical factory. Now it looks grander even though the mountains are no taller.

Following our happy return to Montana my vision has quickly evolved. The state has made great progress over the decades. The population has jumped a bit to 900 thousand something from 750 thousand back in the Day. But there is so much that needs to be done. With one of the greatest wildlife resources in North America, the Montana Audubon Society has about six employees. It’s counterpart in California has hundreds. Habitat for Humanity Mid Yellowstone is building two or three houses a year. No small achievement. But the need for affordable housing in Yellowstone County is sobering. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Helena serves just under 400 young people, an achievement over 40 years of growth. But research they cite illustrates they are meeting only a fraction of the need. There is so much that CAN be done. And philanthropy can help.

THIS IS THE TIME for small to medium sized nonprofits in Montana to graduate. Special events, annual funds, raffles, foundation grants cannot begin to meet the gaping need that has been made evident to me in conversations with executive directors and their board members. Organizations such as those mentioned above deliver great value for every dollar invested through philanthropy. They have the capacity to do so much more. Money is standing in their way.

In California’s urban areas the local food bank or homeless shelter are seeking to hire major and planned gift professionals. Even in this down economy there remains a shortage of development talent because many smaller organizations have come to realize what they can do in partnership with the right backers. True, there is more money in California and, of course, many, many more people (the city of San Jose having a larger population than the entire state of Montana). On the other hand, addressing the great needs in California will take billions. The problems are overwhelming. Here in Montana is different. A major gift in Montana can move, well, mountains.

WE CAN SAVE critical bird habitat in Montana. It won’t cost that much. We can see that every child who needs one can have a Big Brother or Big Sister in Helena or Butte. We can assure that persons with disabilities in Billings will have access to world class recreational facilities. The orchestra can reach more school children.  We can improve forest management; protect our rivers; feed more hungry families; increase alternative transportation options. These things are within the collective grasp of our prospective partners. But we have to show them how. We have to find them first; help them to get to know us; demonstrate our ability to have an impact on the problem; create opportunities through which they can become a part of the solution.

This is not so grandiose a notion.

It won’t happen overnight. But it will never happen if we don’t get started.

The struggle in Montana has always been about money. All of our institutions are starved for it in different degrees. They were in the 70s and 80s and they are today. University faculty members, nonprofit staff members, executive directors are stretched thin and seriously underpaid. But never have I seen such determined people. Such a strong sense of mission. Doing so much with the resources at hand. Open the spigot a bit and see great things happening. Water and money are scarce in the West and we know here how to do much with what we have.

Philanthropy can make the desert bloom. But the non profit sector has to lead the way. It can’t happen by itself.

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Photo W O’Leary | Sunrise over the Bridgers

IF YOUR ORGANIZATION is interested in having us consult with you here is a brief description of how we do things. We don’t have an off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all, program for you. We start working on a proposal after we’ve had a chance to talk with you a few times. Every organization doesn’t want the same thing and every organization isn’t in the same place. So we start where you are now. Most of the folks we talk with do not at present have a major and planned gifts program in place. Most are living on earned income, special events, grants and a bit of annual fund. A few have done some major gifts work.  

After we’ve gathered a bit of information we ask to be invited to prepare an Engagement document. It takes time to prepare these and we don’t want to do it unless the prospective client seriously wants to contemplate the possibility of working with us. This document introduces our group, briefly describes the major and planned gift development sub-specialty and then goes into a “problem statement” containing a bit of organizational history and the challenges that make the charity want to consider our services. There’s more, of course. Each one of these is about 10 pages long. We also write a one or two page executive summary.

This becomes a discussion document. Most of our clients find it useful as a tool to educate their staffs and engage their boards. We’re not just selling ourselves, we’re also selling the idea of getting into the whole major gifts development universe. Do you want to know more? Contact us by clicking HERE >>

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So often development work is reduced to this notion of ego. What the donor wants. The recognition the donor wants. The entertainment the donor wants. And probably this is not entirely wrong. But these are not things upon which one can build an entire major gift development effort. So what is it that motivates the big gift? And some not so big gifts.

Like so many stories in fund raising lore, the following may be apocryphal. But I don’t care; it’s illustrative. And who knows, maybe true:

A successful business person in Texas makes a $100 million-gift to a major medical center. The president of his alma mater is stunned by this remarkable gesture and comes to him with this question: Why not us? A thin smile crosses the gentleman’s face. He pauses a moment. Looks straight into the eyes of his questioner and says: You never presented me with a $100 million idea.

Now here is something that definitely is not apocryphal.  This week’s episode of This American Life on public radio. Here is a big idea that has the likely potential of changing the prospects of an entire neighborhood of New York City. The prospects not of this generation but the one coming up. Click here or on the image above. Montana take note.

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WE WANT THE BOARD to help Major Gifts development work. But what are they supposed to do? There is the slightly cynical observation … the role of the Board is to “give, get or get off.” But there is a bit more to it than that. The Board creates the context for a Major Gifts development effort. Seeing as Major Gifts development is a strategic function, the Board must be involved at some level. In all things the Board of a non profit organization — whether it be a college, university, hospital or local humane society — is there to act on behalf of the community that is being served. We want the Board to be fully invested in everything their non profit does. If the non profit wishes to go to a community and solicit large gifts, the Board must give its blessing. In effect authorize it. And in so doing understand why these requests for large gifts are going to help the non profit better serve the community. Board members should be able to articulate the case both for the organization itself and for the Major Gifts effort. When the CEO, a staff member or non-board volunteer approaches a donor and asks for a large gift, this is being done in the name of the Board.

If one assumes that the Board is fully engaged as described above, it is not unreasonable to expect that Board members will be involved. Open doors when needed. Identify people who could be interested in the Major Gifts program. Endorse the efforts of the non profit both in program and fund development at every opportunity. Board members do have to give but not uniformly. Board financial support is in proportion to their capacity and unique circumstances. A non profit that launches any kind of Major Gifts effort — special gifts campaign, capital campaign, endowment campaign — must enjoy the financial support of the Board. They are the models. They should represent the very best response that can be expected from the community.

Here are some specific things the board can/should do:

1. Evaluate and affirm the case for the non profit they represent.
2. Evaluate and affirm the fund raising case.
3. Review the way in which the non profit represents itself to the community.
4. Ask the CEO to provide information on best practices.
5. If Moves Management is being employed as the system for advancing the relationship with the prospective donor, ask for information and training on the way in which this non profit is implementing it.
6. Review and affirm fund raising policies and procedures.
7. Look for opportunities to advocate for the non profit (presentation to service club).
8. Evaluate the list of individuals the non profit is considering for solicitation.
9. Help discover new names of persons who can be approached by participating in a peer review process.
10. Be prepared and willing to help the non profit with approaches to individuals whom the board member knows including persons they consider to be friends.
11. Participate in actual field development work usually by accompanying the CEO, a senior staff member, a fund raising volunteer or another Board member on a development call.
12. Cooperate fully with professionals advising leadership on the Major Gifts process (Board members acting outside the regular Board process are not acting on the Board’s behalf but as a volunteer under the direction of the CEO and/or his/her staff).
13. Celebrate success and affirm the contributions of all involved.

Like all persons involved in the fund raising enterprise, it is important that Board members understand that no matter how they are helping, it is the non profit and its aspirations and vision for the future that is doing the asking. It is true that people give to people. But what they give goes to the non profit. If they say yes, they are saying yes to the non profit. If they say no, they are saying no to the non profit. In short, it’s not about the person doing the asking. Either response by the prospective donor is acceptable because it is that person’s philanthropy. The folks doing the asking are facilitators. Our job is to help people gain an understanding of the opportunity to have an impact in a special way. To give themselves, as donor, a little bit of immortality in a way that no business enterprise ever can. It doesn’t take a named building to give this kind of experience to the donor. There are many things that motivate a gift. Among them is the belief that through their gift the donor is making a difference, changing lives, making the world a better place. Philanthropy makes that possible. Giving makes that possible. Asking makes that possible.

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MOST NON PROFITS EXPERIENCE BAD PATCHES. A few bumps in the road. It’s to be expected. So how does one handle the bad bits without ending up closing the store? Well first off, don’t panic. To quote Winnie the Pooh’s Eyeore: it’s what would ‘appen. Think of it as a management problem. So often cash flow (lack thereof) can be the crisis precipitator. While we will concentrate on the cash issue here, the general advice we can offer about organizational crisis is this: a) assess the situation; b) make a plan; c) do the whole Teddy Roosevelt thing in responding … be vigorous … act; d) communicate with your stakeholders (especially staff); and e) be appropriately concerned and at the same time be cool, be in charge.

If money is your problem (and these days who isn’t having that kind of trouble) remember that as a non profit you’re not supposed to make money. The dollars coming in the door quite often equal the dollars going out the door. The margins are pretty skinny. And if they weren’t, well, theoretically a for-profit organization would want in on your business. It might not be too hard to answer this question but one does need to figure out exactly why cash flow is an issue. It could be as simple as the fact that a grant has come to the end and whoever was in charge before you didn’t plan for a transition to other funding. Shame on them. Maybe you have a special event that is reaching the end of its life cycle. Maybe you are experiencing a sudden rise in your costs. Whatever the reason, you have to nail it becuase you may have some explaining to do … like to your Board, some of your big funders, and prospective donors.

REDUCE COSTS, INCREASE REVENUE. Of course, the next reasonable question everyone is going to ask you is this: What are you going to do about it? Staff and your Board are looking to you for leadership. Sit down with your books and think in two directions at once. Is there any place where you can save money and what fund development opportunities have you not examined. If you are not in the Major Gifts development arena just yet, this is probably not the moment to think about going there. You don’t have time (we’ll be more specific about crisis fundraising in a moment). It’s important that you cobble together a plan of action and begin communicating it to your stakeholders in order of importance (first, staff; second, Board; third, important funders; fourth, prospective funders; fifth, you get the idea).

Why is it important to be vigorous like Teddy Roosevelt? At a time like this, your staff and others associated with your mission are going to be watching you like a hawk. They’re going to be checking your pulse every day. They want it to be high but not off the charts. You have to arrive early and stay late. Spend a lot of time on the phone and even more time out of your office seeing people who can help you. You need to delegate anything you can. Do not allow yourself to get sidetracked so easily with the reassuring stuff of every day. You have to lead the charge. Your staff are more than willing to follow and want to do anything they can to help you succeed. The word has got to get to your Board that you are on the case and working it hard. You are going to need their help and your credibility with them is more important now than ever.

CRISIS FUND RAISING. If you are so fortunate to have a development professional on your staff, this is a really good time to become extra responsive to their direction. Very, very responsive. Almost invariably your fund development professional is trying to get you to do more things than you feel you have time for. If they are good, they are forever prioritizing the things they want you to pursue. Now will be a great time to tell them … BRING IT ON. Their pitches right now must, of course, be focused on the problem at hand. They can’t stop working on other things they need to do to raise budgeted dollars. But you can ask them to task you with actions aimed at your immediate challenge.

What does crisis fund raising look like? Maybe like a mini-capital campaign. Get key people involved but no more than are needed to help you solve your immediate problem. Your Board always has to have the inside skinny. You may want to call an emergency Board meeting to sort things out. Then quickly create a kitchen cabinet consisting of volunteers who are highly involved with your non profit — select Board members, business leaders, key funders, influential service recipients. People who care deeply about your mission. Get them into a room and start reviewing lists. Who can they/you go see about your time of need? It is good right now to think about foundations and corporations. If you present your case correctly some of these entities might be persuaded to provide you with “bridge” funding. It will be important to let them know how much and for how long. They might like to know your plan for assuring this won’t happen again in the immediate future (you don’t want to be like the boy who cried wolf).

OPPORTUNITIES. Every event in the life of a non profit presents opportunities and this is no exception. A funding crisis provides opportunities to look at and reaffirm your mission and importance to the community you serve. You may decide it’s time to make a few adjustments. Keep in mind that the philanthropic marketplace votes with dollars on the importance of your work. This situation might bring to your attention something you are missing. It also gives you an opportunity to energize your base, maybe recruit support from places you hadn’t thought of before. Finally it gives you a chance to practice aspects of the Major Gifts development process — like seeing individuals and asking for larger gifts.

BULLY!

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WE BELIEVE MOST NON PROFITS have what it takes to attract Major Gifts to their organization. Is yours ready? As Executive Director here are some questions you might consider going ahead:

1. Do you have a core group of individuals who have been making gifts to your non profit for five or more years? Do some give every year?
2. Do you have good information on these people? Name, current address, giving history?
3. Can you, as Executive Director, commit to making a certain number of visits a month with these folks? How many visits are you willing to make — two, four, six?
4. Does the case for your non profit warrant major gifts support? By that we mean, will the donor be able to imagine how their five-figure commitment is going to affect the work your organization is doing?
5. What does your Board think about Major Gifts fund raising?
6. What is your time horizon?

If you’re honest with yourself in responding to questions such as these, you should be able to draw your own conclusions about whether your non profit is ready to move ahead.

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