Major Gift Solicitation Guide for Volunteers Wetlands for Tomorrow is a conservation fundraising initiative of. Your investment can help save our wetlands for tomorrow - today.
Effective Gift Solicitation Being successful in obtaining a gift is dependant on knowing your prospect through the process of cultivation. Often, much of this cultivation has been done through the work you have done in your community through the years, your network of contacts, and the ever increasing knowledge that people have of Ducks conservation work. It is important to understand that our staff and senior volunteers are available to help you refine your approach.this includes doing research on prospects, which can be very useful in understanding a potential donor s giving capacity, support for environmental and other causes, and their affinity to Ducks. Prospect cultivation takes some time, but is almost always the most effective way to be successful. No special skills or super salesmanship abilities are required. However, understanding some basic fundraising principles, the Ducks Story and the goals of the Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign will help ensure success. Remember that these apply to both individual and corporate prospects. Key Principles Face-to-Face Conversations As a general rule, major gifts are not obtained through the mail or over the telephone. By personally meeting with a potential donor you convey the importance of your request.and, it is a much better way for you to use the people skills that make you an effective Ducks volunteer. Someone once said that asking for money is an unnatural act, and for many of us it is. While we are comfortable talking to our colleagues about many things, financial affairs are seldom a topic of discussion. That said, Ducks volunteers already do a terrific job of requesting support from their communities, families and friends. For many volunteers, soliciting major gifts (gifts over $5,000) is a logical next step in their efforts to support habitat conservation. This guide is designed to help make you comfortable in making requests for major gifts, which like all your efforts, will benefit Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Canada s wetlands and waterfowl. It can take more than one face to face meeting to be successful. During a visit, be sure the prospect is able to give their undivided attention to your story.arranging a meeting can take some time. Call the prospect to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet. After the initial pleasantries, use a phrase such as: I am a volunteer with Ducks Unlimited helping with the Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign and I d like to meet with you to bring you up to speed on the campaign and talk about some of the opportunities that exist. Would it be convenient to sit down for a half hour in the next week or so? Try to avoid getting into detailed discussions on the phone. In response to queries for details, it is usually best to simply suggest that this is what I would like to discuss at our meeting and continue to ask for an appointment. Please be respectful of the prospect s time; we all know how busy life is. Page 2
At Your Meeting... Know the Story Make sure you read the campaign materials that describe the Ducks story and the campaign. If there is a presentation or proposal be familiar with the content: don t hesitate to talk with staff about support material and information you feel you require. Many prospects for major gifts have been approached at one time or another to support a cause with a significant donation. Being able to effectively convey the urgency of the Ducks story and the effectiveness of the huge effort that is the Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign can be an important part of a successful request. Your prospects may look to you to be an expert on Ducks.You do not have to be an expert. If there are any questions that you are unable to answer it is usually a simple matter of saying so and promising to provide the information in a timely manner.again, staff can assist in these situations. Being a Ducks volunteer and a supporter of Wetlands for Tomorrow gives you tremendous credibility with your prospect. is an important and worthy charity and that is why you support it. Inviting the prospect to join you as a donor rather than simply asking for a gift works very well. Remember, you are not begging in any sense of the word.you are offering prospective donors an opportunity to invest in the future of Canada s wetlands and the work of. Listen to the Prospect - Understand Their Needs Part of the cultivation process occurs at the face-to-face meetings, even those where an ask is planned.we often gain greater understanding of the wishes or needs of a potential donor at these meetings.these needs are the key to providing a proposal that aligns with their thinking. This learning can sometimes alter the outcome of the meeting, and may result in you not presenting your proposal as planned because you have learned something that indicates the proposal is not quite right for the donor. This is more than acceptable, the right proposal presented at a subsequent meeting is almost always the approach to success. Seek a Specific Amount In your presentation it is proper to recommend a specific ask amount. Fundraising and Development staff can assist you in developing this amount based on an assessment of the donor s capacity to give, affinity to DUC, and past donations to other causes. For Chapter Challenge, the amount is usually $5,000 or $10,000, however there may be many instances where an ask amount should be higher than this. Regardless of the amount, the gift will always be significant to the donor. An approach to verbalizing the ask can be as simple as: Would you consider making a Major Gift of $10,000 to the Wetlands For Tomorrow campaign? Posing this question usually serves as the beginning of further dialogue about the gift and does not usually signal the end of the conversation. Use it as a transition to a more specific discussion about the gift commitment. Sponsor Levels Sponsorship Level Platinum Sponsor Life Sponsor Diamond Life Sponsor Sponsor in Perpetuity Diamond Sponsor in Perpetuity Heritage Sponsor Diamond Heritage Sponsor Benefactor Sponsor Legacy Sponsor Gold Legacy Sponsor Platinum Legacy Sponsor Diamond Legacy Sponsor Notes: Amount ($) 5,000 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 75,000 100,000 250,000 500,000 750,000 1,000,000 1. The recommended ask level in the solicitation materials may be based upon the prospect s lifetime giving history. If they have given previously to Ducks, the amount required to attain the suggested sponsorship level may be less than the full amount required by a first time donor. 2. All major gifts may be paid over a period of five years. You may want to illustrate the payments annually or monthly. For example: your $5,000 platinum sponsorship may be paid with a payment of $1,000 per year over five years or about $84 per month for five years. 3. The sponsor may pay monthly, annually or all at once by credit card, direct deposit or cheque. 4. Ducks will also accept the transfer of appreciated assets (i.e. publicly listed securities or other real assets such as property). Should a prospect wish to discuss the structuring of a special gift involving real assets, development staff are available to assist in planning such gifts. Page 3
Your prospect may ask if their gift can be directed to a specific program or project. Donor desires are paramount and it is certainly their perogative to direct their gift as they see fit.we should however, be able to convey to the donor that unrestricted or general donations are very valuable and provide Ducks with the flexibility to effectively respond to emerging opportunities and to ensure our science-based program priorities are met. Responses There are generally only four responses that a prospect will give to a request for a gift: Yes; Yes, but at a different level; Maybe and No. Yes If the prospect agrees to the request, express your thanks, and ask them to complete the pledge form. It is important to obtain a signed pledge form to ensure the donor receives proper and timely recognition for their donation. Now is also the time to discuss the type of recognition the donor may expect. You should be aware of how Ducks recognizes gifts (please discuss this with staff beforehand). Yes, but at a different level In some cases the donor may agree to make a gift but at a different level than that requested. Again, express your thanks, and have them complete the pledge form. Maybe There are number of potential maybe answers.the prospect may wish the opportunity to consider the request with input from their spouse, family or others.they may simply wish some time to consider the proposal. Should this occur, thank them for meeting with you and for entertaining your proposal. Gently ask if there is any further information you can provide and let them know that you are available to answer any questions they may think of. It is always a good idea to establish a time to follow-up, and the best type of follow-up is done through a face-to-face meeting.this is all part of the cultivation process. No Giving is an individual and highly personal decision.we have no way of knowing, nor should we know, the financial health or personal priorities of our prospects. If you receive a no, please thank the prospect and ask if they would consider a token gift at any level. Resources We have created a number of resources that you will find helpful in preparing for your meeting. The following are available under Chapter Materials in the volunteer area of our website at www.ducks.ca. 1. Wetlands for Tomorrow brochure: this pdf file provides general information about the campaign. 2. General Letter Sample: can help build a general letter to introduce yourself and the campaign, be an initial step in setting up a meeting, etc. 3. Major Gift Proposal Sample - can help develop a tailored proposal. 4. How to Ask Form - a handy checklist that will ensure you are ready to make an ask. 5. Pledge Forms - there are both individual and corporate pledge forms to help you write up and submit the pledge. Also available are planned giving scenarios, tax saving charts, an assortment of Wetlands for Tomorrow case for support documents, a full color brochure, presentation folders, powerpoint presentations and fact sheets. Ask your FM or DM if you would like to use any of these. Do Not Press for an Immediate Decision It is usually best not to push a prospect into a decision. In fact, your prospect may wish to consult with family members or advisors before making a final decision which is why they have been provided with a written proposal. Your visit is aimed primarily at providing information, stimulating interest, presenting the proposal, and laying the foundation for a thoughtful and proportionate gift. Page 4
Potential Tax Advantages Assume that all prospective donors will support the campaign because of their belief in Ducks and our mission. Gifts can provide income tax benefits, but these are often not the primary motivator in a donor s decision to make a gift.we wish to convey to the donor that all gifts made to the campaign are eligible for an official charitable receipt that may provide a tax benefit. Again, it is usually best to avoid trying to be an expert.tax benefits are specific to an individual s circumstances.the best advice you can give is to direct the donor to his or her own tax expert.again, staff can provide advice on how to effectively convey this recommendation. Confidentiality It will be important to indicate to your prospect that your discussions will be kept in confidence. Per s privacy policy, individual giving information must be kept private.at no time should someone s giving decision, positive or negative, be discussed with anyone beyond our Fundraising or Development staff. Contact Information If you have any questions or concerns regarding major gift solicitation please do not hesitate to give your Fundraising Manager or Development Manager a call. National Contact for Fundraising: Perry McCormick E-mail: p_mccormick@ducks.ca Phone 1 (403) 476-1873 National Contact for Development: Frank Viti e-mail: f_viti@ducks.ca phone: 1 (204) 467-3324 Anything Else? YES! Be patient Be persistent Be aware you are playing an important role... Be someone who works with staff and other volunteers to be successful 09012009/JB Page 5