How a sales-based approach leads to new gifts, upsells, and donor retention

1. Leadership Giving
How a sales-based approach leads to new gifts,
upsells, and donor retention

2. Eric Holderness
AVP, Development
Kansas State University
Foundation
erich@ksufoundation.org
Mike Nagel
Manager, Customer and
Product Marketing
EverTrue
mike.nagel@evertrue.com
Jenny Alstad
Dir, Annual Giving Programs
College of Charleston
gilsonjm@cofc.edu
David Wishart
AVP, Philanthropic
Engagement
Syracuse University
awishart@syr.edu
@EverTrue

3. 1. We’re missing the middle
2. What K-State, ‘Cuse, and Charleston are doing about it
3. How EverTrue helps
4. Imagining a sales-based approach
5. Q & A
Today, we’ll cover...

4. Elements of a Successful LGO Program
Strategy
● Leadership buy-in
● Create handoffs instead
of silos
● Connect with donor
interests
People
● Maximize resources
● Shift positions more
do-ers
● Create avenues for
professional
development
Technology
● The right tools for
discovery, collaboration,
travel
● Use the insights you
have at hand

5. Book a Consultation
mike.nagel@evertrue.com

6. Everything’s good here!

7. The Results
HIGHEST
totals
in history
$43.6
billion
in FY17
3.7%
YOY
increase

8. Let’s look closer...

9. Over-Reliance on the Top
On average, the top 36 donors
contribute 63% of annual fundraising
revenue. So who’s “on deck?”
The average gift from biggest donors
dropped 22%
Source: EAB

10. Missing Prospects in Plain Sight
of high net-worth prospects go
uncultivated
of those don’t ever make it into
a portfolio
80%
43%
Source: EAB
& EverTrue

11. Are we spinning our wheels?

12. Big Gifts *Used To* Take
Decades to Acquire
53%
of donors take
between 10-29 years
of giving before
making their largest
donation
Philanthropy Leadership Council, 2006

13. Yet We Focus Exclusively on the Top
Top 10% of donors
90% of focus
90% of constituents
10% of focus
NOW
THE
FUTURE

14. Where are we in 2029?

15. Movies 2004 Movies 2019

16. Shopping in 2006 Shopping in 2019

17. The world has changed.
Fundraising has not.

18. The Investor/Donor gives with
her heart, and wants to...
● know the ROI
● be involved
● be joined by others
● know they’ve helped solve a problem

19. Fundraising needs to evolve.

20. Alumni & Parent Engagement
Annual Donors
Discovery
MG

21. The Giving Funnel
ENGAGE
QUALIFY
ASSIGN
SOLICIT
Events
Email
Social
Volunteers
Engagement
Affinity
Capacity
Make the
ask… quickly
Mass Outreach
Leadership
Portfolio
Planned Gift

22. Acquire, Retain, Upsell the Middle
NOW

23. How do you structure
your program?

24. College of Charleston
● 1 Exec. Director (Portfolio of 100), 1 Director (200),
3 Leadership Annual Gift Officers (250-350), Integrated
Marketing Specialist, part-time admin
● Key metrics: 100 visits a year (42% first-time visits),
$135k-250k, % of portfolio contacted every 90 days
● FY19: 237 proposals submitted ($727K), +52% over FY18 and
+180% over FY17
149 proposals granted ($226K), +46% over FY18, +97% over
FY17
● Priorities: Donor Choice, Retention, Multi-Year
Commitments, Planned giving for young alumni

25. Syracuse University
● 1 executive director, 4 development associates, 3 LGOs, 5
direct response staff, 1 data analyst
● Key metrics: visits
● FY19: 268 visits by the development associates (245 people)
● Unrestricted dollars are up 91% compared to FY18 ago and
67% across all university accounts
● Currently raising for: Invest Syracuse (a scholarship initiative),
unrestricted support, building pipeline for campaign

26. Kansas State University Foundation
● Staff of seven reports to the AVP of Development and sit
between Strategic Solicitations and Constituent
Development.
● Key metrics: 150 visits/year, 120 qualification visits/year, 50
solicitations added to pipeline (closing in 3 years or less), 10
booked MG proposals, $500K raised
● FY19: 425 qualification visits, 40 booked solicitations, $2M
raised, 231 solicitations added
● Qualify and refer the 9,000+ identified major gift prospects
identified. Also working on special capital projects (library,
performing arts center, and multicultural student center)

27. How do you determine
who to visit?

28. Region-based Gift Alerts

29. Where do social/digital insights
come into play?

30. Social Engagement

31. Participation among
digitally engaged
constituents is
3.4x higher

32. Socially engaged
prospects are
76% more
likely
to respond to cold
outreach
45%
15%
0%
Responded
To “Cold”
Outreach
Non-Engaged
Digitally Engaged
30%

33. If every past donor you engaged
on Facebook last year gave at their
previous level...
300K+ constituents
$3.1 Million more

34. 5% of your donor base is digitally engaged,
BUT HAS NEVER GIVEN
The number increases to 6%
if you have 200K+ Alumni

35. LinkedIn Location and Title
EverTrue shows you where
your people are living and
working today.
(Your database didn’t get the
memo.)

36. What do your prospect visits
look like?

37. Know Who You’re Talking to Today

38. How are you maximizing
efficiency?

39. DIY List-Pulls

40. Drag+Drop Trip-Planning & Execution

41. What’s the post-meeting
follow-up look like?

42. Contact Report Entry & Search

43. To-Do’s and Reminders

44. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve
learned so far?

45. What’s next?

46. In-house
Mid-Tier
MGO

47. Elements of a Successful LGO Program
Strategy
● Leadership buy-in
● Create handoffs instead
of silos
● Connect with donor
interests
People
● Maximize resources
● Shift positions for more
do-ers
● Create avenues for
professional
development
Technology
● Use the right tools for
discovery, collaboration,
travel
● Tap into the insights you
have at hand

48. Book a Consultation
mike.nagel@evertrue.com

49. Thank you!