PLAY BALL!

There has to be a method to our madness in fundraising. Joe Niego, a presenter for Buffini & Company coaching, suggests visualizing lead optimization as a baseball field.

“In the dugout are your leads. And it’s your job to get them, first, into the dugout, then, out and up to bat, and finally all the way home with the close of a successful transaction. How do you do this? By playing what I call ‘small ball.’ It’s not about the homerun …those are few and far between. No, it’s a step-by-step process, one base at a time.”

As in baseball, you have to put in the effort, consistently working the lead. Qualifying each prospect you generate with a WealthEngine-like methodology sets you up for success because it enables you to allocate your time and energy wisely.

Make the most of a yearly development calendar so you can fundraise more proactively. Using a Moves Management philosophy, schedule fundraising activities (written materials, calls, visits) on a regular, even daily basis. Figure out your focus. If you’re an Annual Fund Manager, concentrate on upgrading support. If you are a Major Gifts Officer, spend the majority of your time cultivating your current top donors. Schedule as many face-to-face visits as possible with those who are truly committed to your mission, sequencing the “moves” to shepherd the donor relationship, for they will be your long-term major supporters and, ultimately, planned giving donors.

Make sure you have a system in place for logging and tracking. You should stay in touch and keep sorting and qualifying. Your database is alive and shifting. Send your written material! Make those calls! Set the appointments! Follow-up! Play ball!