This skills lab will focus on strategies, techniques, and best practices for identifying and qualifying prospects for that next gift. Emphasis will be placed on identifying how to segment for annual, mid-level, and major gifts using internal data mining, evaluation of donor pipelines, moves management, and prospect research. We will also highlight aspects of prospect relationship management techniques and how those can assist you in making that next ask.

1. t How to Ask for that Next Gift? Page Bullington, M.P.A andKristin Ludwig, PhD

2. Agenda Common Terms Annual Fund Best Practices Major and Planned Giving Tips and Tricks Prospect Research 101 Toolbox Review

3. Commons terms

4. Development Cycle

6. Actions – are recorded in the “Action Tab” in RE and are considered “Secondary Moves” which may include a phone call to set up or confirm an appointment, or a chance meeting where you had a conversation.

7. Visit – a face to face visit

10. Solicitation Plan – filed in proposal notes in RE, this should include a description of the purpose of the gift, the dollar amount (“Expected Ask”) and an approximate deadline for making the ask (“Ask Date”). The solicitation plan may be modified or edited as needed going forward with explanatory information entered in “Notes” on the Solicitation Plan.

12. ID Prospect

13. Assessment

14. Cultivation

15. Solicitation

16. Gift closure

18. Annual fund

20. RFM stands for

21. Recency - When was the donation?

22. Frequency - How many donations have been made?

24. Example:

25. Recency attribute might be broken into three categories:

26. Donors with donations within the last fiscal year

27. Donors with donations last two fiscal years

28. Donors with donations last three fiscal years

29. Frequency might be broken into two categories:

30. Donors with monthly gifts

31. Donors with yearly gifts

32. Value can be segmented at many levels:

33. $1-$50

34. $51-$100

36. If there were three categories for each attribute, then the resulting matrix would have twenty-seven possible combinations

37. We may also decide to collapse certain sub-segments. If the gradations appear too small to be useful.

38. The resulting segments can be ordered from most valuable (highest recency, frequency, and value) to least valuable (lowest recency, frequency, and marketing).

40. Review trends that occur in several ways

41. Pull data on $25 donors –

42. Look for common constituency codes

43. Look for events occurring before gifts

44. Monitor successful solicitation

45. Pull data on specific constituency codes

46. Do all alumni typically give a $25 gift first or is it $50

47. Reviewing data in this manner can help with both major and annual gifts

50. Activity may be assessed in terms of visits, solicitations, qualifications, active movement of all portfolio prospects.

53. A minimum of 12 visits per month for assessment and/or cultivation (130 annually) (This factors in vacation, holidays, etc.)

54. Add five new prospects to the portfolio through officer discovery and identification

55. Remove unqualified prospects each month through assessment.

57. Database Team – query support and training; biographical data updating; targeted mailing lists

58. Director of Development – strategic portfolio planning; trouble shooting and coordination of multiple contact situations; monthly review of portfolio activity

60. Optimum is 60 minutes

61. No good work happens after 90 minutes

62. Frequency

63. Depends on need for new prospects

64. When demand is high, meet weekly

65. As prospect portfolios fill out, reduce frequency

66. No less than monthly

67. Roles

68. Moderator keeps the meeting moving

69. Note taker records minutes and distributes them by the beginning of the next business day

71. Clear and specific procedures and criteria for establishing an assignment

72. Assignment to a development area is driven by donor interest

73. One prospect manager per prospect

74. Prospect research establishes potential and inclination

76. Prospect manager controls and monitors contact with the prospect

77. Solicitors may be other than prospect manager

78. Meaningful reports

79. Assigned prospects

80. System for succession of assignments

81. Contact reports are mandatory

83. 20-30 moves per month

84. 10 – 18 face-to-face visits per month

85. Portfolio size: 150 – 200 prospects

86. Identification – 25%

87. Cultivation – 50%

88. Solicitation – 25%

89. Portfolio size influenced by

90. Ask amount

91. Geography

92. Job responsibilities

94. Passing it Along – Sample profile

96. Charitable giving

97. Frequency of giving – to your organization and other non-profits

98. Average gift size

99. Current relationships

100. Alumni, Membership Status

101. Peer relationships

103. Outstanding Proposal Report – by Solicitor

104. Proposal Analysis Report

105. Proposal Pipeline