SYMPOSIUM NOTES: FUNDRAISING

We are sharing some of what we learned at the Fundraising in This Economic Crisis: Unearth Potential symposium. For a full copy of minutes, email kamblake@aol.com.

Addressing the handouts, Yours Truly, consultant to nonprofits at Public Interest Fundraising, discussed how to develop a Donor Base. Individuals are the largest and most loyal group of support. At the center of your donor universe will be people who have Linkage of some sort to the organization, Interest in what you do and the Ability to do it. In the outer reaches of the universe is where you prospect to acquire donors through cold, direct mail.

Use a Donor Pyramid to analyze and conduct your fundraising program. It gives you a clear snapshot of where your donors lie and the rational relationship between different sizes of financial contribution, different levels of donor commitment and different means of appealing to those donors…. Organizations must constantly be searching for new donors that form the base of the pyramid. Direct mail has been a tried and true, yet expensive means of acquisition; less expensive are e-Philanthropy online options for fundraising. You can't rely on one type of fundraising; you need to have a diverse set of fundraising mechanisms, especially in this economy.

Events and high dollar mail form the mid-level of the giving pyramid…. Track your responses each year – total dollars, average gift, and response time – so you know what works.

At the top of the Pyramid are individual donors. This is where the best use of Board and staff comes into play…. Every Board member needs to participate in major gift fundraising. The multiplier effect and equal responsibility for Board members make a stronger organization….