FUNDRAISING AND ADVOCACY OVERVIEW

Transcription

1 FUNDRAISING AND ADVOCACY OVERVIEW All cmmittee members are slicitrs fr the Senir Parent Gifts Prgram, but mst imprtantly, we are all relatinship managers. We are reaching ut t and cnnecting with ther members in ur CA cmmunity, and specifically within the Class f 2015, t prvide ther families with an pprtunity t make a real impact n ur schl s future. Make yur first cntact The first call is always the hardest t make. Once yu have received the prfile sheets in the mail, yu can get underway. Fllwing up n the Senir Scial, Parents Weekend, and recent mailings may give yu a natural entry pint fr cnversatin. Late Octber and early- t mid-nvember (pre-thanksgiving) will be the critical utreach time! Peple give t peple Persnal slicitatins are the mst effective fundraising methd, s please make every effrt t have a persnal cnversatin. If yur gal is t schedule a phne slicitatin, yu may try t send an message in advance t arrange fr a cnvenient time t call. If yu are trying t set up an in-persn visit, call in advance t identify a day and time when bth decisin makers culd be present fr a meeting. If yu can t cnnect n the phne, yu might cnsider writing a persnal nte intrducing yurself and telling them t expect yur call. Start and end with a thank yu It is always meaningful t initiate gift slicitatins by giving thanks fr past cntributins t CA. While CA fficially acknwledges every gift, a persnal thank yu is meaningful and imprtant. It is als imprtant t say thank yu as yu clse a cnversatin, whether yu are thanking smene fr cnsidering a gift r fr making a gift. Peple give t specific needs Yu will want t be familiar with the case fr The Faculty Leadership Fund: Advancing Teaching Excellence at Cncrd Academy, which was mailed t all senir families in September. The case represents the specific need we are targeting with this year s Senir Parent Gift. Ask fr a specific amunt r prvide a gift range and then wait Being specific in yur gift request, rather than requesting a general cntributin, is mre likely t lead t a larger gift, therefre yu will want t be specific in yur wrding. Examples may include: Wuld yu be willing t make a gift f $X t supprt this legacy fund and hnr yur child? Wuld yu jin us and cnsider making a leadership gift in the five figure range? We were hping that yu wuld cnsider a Senir Parent Gift f $X in recgnitin f yur child s experience at CA. Once yu ask, wait patiently fr a respnse. Try t wait until an answer has been given. Try t listen t what is being said befre attempting t address any cncerns r questins that may be raised.

2 Ask abut matching gifts Matching gifts frm cmpanies are added t persnal gifts in determining a dnr s ttal cntributin. Cmpanies will usually match gifts fr the emplyee s spuse, as well as retired emplyees. Mre than ne call r cntact is ften required Many peple will want t take sme time t discuss their gift with their spuse, cnsider the amunt f the cntributin, and hw t make it (i.e. cash, stck, etc.). Since families generally give mre t the Senir Parent Gifts Prgram than their regular annual cntributin, Senir Parent gifts, in particular, can require mre time. Be prepared fr a request fr additinal time and then arrange fr a specific time when yu will be back in tuch. Sliciting is a nble actin Sliciting cntributins fr an rganizatin yu supprt is an admirable undertaking. Yur vlunteering t invite thers t supprt the gift is a strng statement that yu care abut Cncrd Academy, the educatin prvided here, and the impact it has had n yur child (r children!). Yu shuld feel terrific abut what yu are ding! Yur cntacts with parents build relatinships within the schl cmmunity, as well. Please feel free t discuss ther issues. Remember t share questins r cncerns with the Advancement Office. Fllwing-up Regardless f the utcme, fllw up n the cntact. If yur prspect makes a pledge, please send a thank-yu nte. If yur prspect des nt make a specific cmmitment, please set a date t speak again and btain a cnclusive answer. Make yur wn cmmitment early It is much easier t ask thers t make a cntributin nce yu have made yur wn cmmitment. Explaining t ther parents yur reasns fr supprting CA makes yu a cmpelling slicitr. 2

3 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, FREQUENTLY RAISED CONCERNS Questin: Am I ging t be asked fr a Senir Parent Gift and an Annual Fund gift? Respnse: N, yu are being asked ne time nly this year and that is fr the Senir Parent Gift. 25% f yur verall Senir Parent Gift will be directed t the Annual Fund. Cncern: That amunt is much mre than I had thught f giving. Respnse: Ask if the parent culd make a gift at the level yu have prpsed if it were spread ver mre than ne tax year in several payments (e.g. they can pledge the full amunt nw, pay a prtin befre December 31, and the rest by Cmmencement), r if it were made thrugh stcks r ther securities. D nt immediately reduce the size f yur request. Questin: Will my small dnatin, a significant sacrifice t me, make any difference t CA? Respnse: Gifts f all sizes are extremely imprtant. In fact, many majr gift prspects and fundatins lk fr strng verall supprt frm the current parents and alumnae/i befre they will cmmit t supprting CA. Because participatin is s critical, ne f ur gals is t achieve 100 percent participatin. Cncern: I am paying multiple tuitins fr several children at this time. Respnse: I understand. Many f us are paying mre than ne tuitin and that is why it is pssible t spread yur cmmitment ver three t five tax years. Yur pledge will help cnvince thers t give. Even a small amunt matters. Cncern: We re nt interested in the Faculty Leadership Fund. We d rather supprt the arts, etc Respnse: Try t explain the imprtance f supprting this prject as a class and the legacy it leaves fr future students. In additin, stress that this is nt simply a gift t faculty supprt, but a gift t the schl and t the schl s future because all students are impacted by the adults f the CA cmmunity. If they respnd that they will nly cntribute n the cnditin that their gift supprt anther bjective, let the dnr knw that the Advancement Office can cntact them t discuss their particular interest (then call Brendan and infrm him f the specifics f the cnversatin). Cncern: CA. (Cmplaint abut the schl) Respnse: Let the parent knw that yu hear their cncern and wuld like t try t find an answer fr them. Make sure yu understand what they re saying and arrange fr a specific time t call back. Then cntact Brendan and discuss the cncern with him s that he can help yu address the issue. 3

4 GIVING METHODS The tremendus participatin f the past few senir classes has illustrated that the Senir Parent Gifts Prgram warrants special cnsideratin and callers shuld apprach their cnversatins with enthusiasm and patience. When yu have a parent prepared t make a gift decisin, yu can take their pledge n the phne. Belw is an easy reference guide: Checks Checks are ur mst ppular frm f giving. Checks shuld be made payable t: Cncrd Academy Checks shuld be mailed t: Cncrd Academy Senir Parent Gifts Prgram 166 Main Street Cncrd, MA Gifts f Stck r Wire Transfers If a cnstituent wishes t make a gift f stck r wire transfers, please refer her/him t: Advancement Services, (978) , hilary_wirtz@cncrdacademy.rg Please nte n the cnstituent s call sheet that she/he is planning t make a gift f stck. Matching Gifts Many parents, grandparents, and/r their spuses are emplyed by cmpanies that will match their gift t the schl n a 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, r 4:1 basis. Please ask prspects if they wrk fr a matching gift cmpany. Matching gifts are a wnderful resurce f supprt fr CA and can multiply the size f a dnr s gift. Matching gifts applicatins can be btained frm their emplyer and submitted t: Cncrd Academy Senir Parent Gifts Prgram 166 Main Street Cncrd, MA Please recrd the ttal pledge n the call sheet as the amunt the family/individual will pay themselves and then indicate the matching gift in parentheses next t the pledge amunt (e.g. Pledge amunt: $500 (Matching gift: $500 )). Credit Cards CA accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discver, and American Express. This is a great tl t use, as it is a way t secure a gift instantly. If yu receive a credit card dnatin, be sure t write dwn what type f card it is, the name as it appears n the card, the full accunt number, and the card s expiratin date. Yu may want t read the accunt number back t the cnstituent t verify that all numbers are crrect. Families can als dnate nline themselves at Questins? We re available t answer any questins yu may have, prvide supprt and feedback, as well as recrd any pledges r cmments yu receive frm parents. Brendan Shepard, Advancement Office, (978) , brendan_shepard@cncrdacademy.rg 4

5 NOTES ON THE SPGP PROCESS (first created by SPGP vlunteer Grdn Hffstein P 03, 05) 1) Intrduce yurself Parent f a CA student and vlunteer status are KEY 2) Request permissin t take sme time D yu have a mment t discuss If nt: When wuld be a better time that I can call back? 3) Make a cnnectin I nticed (smething abut their sn r daughter) Talk t yur kids, see if they re friends See where their lder children went t cllege Cnnect as Senir Parents: cllege prcess, senir chapel, Hw are yu hlding up? 4) Segue t infrmatin n SPGP Past traditin f SPGP (see histry) permanent legacy This year s gift Supprts the Faculty Leadership Fund: Advancing Teaching Excellence at Cncrd Academy Hw imprtant it is t supprt this prject fr CA s future What a huge difference this will fr the entire CA cmmunity. (What yu see as essential impact) Yu think it s a great idea because (make it persnal) Senir Parent Gifts Prgram is different frm the Annual Fund Up t five tax years t pay N additinal request fr Annual Fund this year this is a campaign gift! Of benefit: appreciated securities r ther prperty Family gift and ther cnnectins t fundatins/matching Our gals We want t send an emphatic message f gratitude and ensure ur gift has the greatest impact pssible. Already, a few families have stepped up in an extrardinary way t supprt this gift t the schl. 100 percent class participatin The last several classes set a high bar fr us with 98 percent, 99 percent, and 100 percent participatin. As ur class legacy gift, we want all families t be a part f this gift. Every family s gift is imprtant. A prtin f the Senir Parent Gifts Prgram supprts the Annual Fund and CA s prgrams and peratins fr ur children s senir year. 5) Segue t ask (gift slicitatin r a meeting t present SPGP) This is where we need yur help. Every single dnr is a leader. It is imprtant nw mre then ever t supprt the schl as ur day-t-day needs are nt changing. Ask in an upbeat (nt aplgetic vice). Will yu and spuse name jin me in supprt f CA and this year s SPGP by making a gift f $X (target amunt)? Fr families with targets f $10,000 and up: Wuld yu cnsider a family gift f $X? 5

6 DON T SPEAK UNTIL THE PARENT SPEAKS. 6) Respnse t gift ask OK Thank parent(s) prfusely and prmise t fllw-up with a pledge frm. Brendan with utcme. Brendan will send a thank yu and the pledge and gift frm. Send the parent(s) a thank yu nte. Wants t think abut it (mst likely scenari) Ask if there is anything yu need t clarify. Arrange fr a time fr a fllw-up call; dn t leave it pen-ended fr them t get back t yu. N Prbe (dn t push) the issue and see if yu can get them t recnsider. Mentin the time variable (i.e. up t three years). Review the imprtance f the SPGP t the annual budget and t leave a class legacy. Review the imprtance f 100 percent participatin: I understand what yu re saying. Can we cunt n yu t at least participate? Suggest that yu call a week hence t review their decisin. 7) Miscellaneus thughts Dn t leave yur message n an answering machine it s nt a great first impressin. Try t always arrange a time when yu can call back. If the parent insists they will call yu and dn t, call them back in ne week. Keep gd ntes n every cntact. Yu want every parent t think they are the mst imprtant parent, s shw them yu are listening t their issues and cncerns n yur call back. When I spke with yu last week yu mentined yu needed t meet with yur financial advisr befre yu made a decisin n SPGP hw did that g? Enthusiasm is cntagius. If YOU are enthusiastic and supprtive f CA and the SPGP, that will resnate with the parent(s) yu are calling. REMEMBER Call r Brendan if yu feel yu need additinal infrmatin prir t an initial call. Reprt and keep Brendan infrmed f yur prgress. Reprt verbal pledges s Brendan can send the parent(s) a pledge and gift frm. Send yur persnal thank yu. Use Brendan r the c-chairs as sunding-bards fr fllw-up strategies. 6