Fund Raising Seminar:Donor Recognition and Gift Clubs

RESEARCH FOR THE ANNUAL FUND

This presentation was given by Scott Lange
at the APRA (Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement),
Pittsburgh Chapter, meeting on May 14,1997.

**The Annual Fund Goal**
Current Operating Revenue

**Annual Fund Objectives**
• New Donors
• Upgraded Donor
• Renewed Donors
• Identified Major Gift, Planned Gift, or Campaign Prospects

Gift Range	Method	Objective

$1,000+	Personal Solicitaion	New Upgrade + Renewal
$100 - 999+	Tele-marketing	New Upgrade + Renewal
$1 - 99	Tele-marketing, Direct Mail	New New + Renewal
	Direct Mail	New

**Basic Requirements**
• Correct address
• Correct phone number
• Correct gift history
• Level of engagement with organization

**Personal Solicitation Requirements**
• Knowledge of personal interests
• Knowledge of personal relationships
• Knowledge of income range
• Knowledge of solicitation history

Step One:
Existing Donors
• Confirm, correct or collect
- name - address - phone
• Confirm
- date of gift - amount of gift - frequency of gift

Step Two:
Find New Donors
• Correlate donors with non-donors from database
- street - zip code - age - sex - class, (by degree, by major) - patient, (by doctor, by specialty) - business titles - industry types

Step Three:
Add Public Information
• Find new information from standard library tools:
- Standard & Poors Executives - Dunn & Bradstreet - Martindale Hubbell Law Directory - ABMS Medical Specialists Plus - Marquis Who's Who - Corporate Affiliations

Step Four:
More External Information
• Other philanthropic interest:
- political donors - donors to other non profits
• Electronic Screening
- statistical model - Securities and Exchange Commission - demographic model - catalogue shoppers

**Consider a Campaign Model**
• Top 10% of donors give 80% of money
• Top donors have relationships with donors and non donors
• Top annual fund donors can identify new annual fund prospects
• Top annual fund donors can solicit new annual fund prospects

**Listen to Donors**
• Donor Satisfaction Surveys
• Peer Review Screening
• Solicitation Interviews

**Donor Satisfaction Survey**
• Why do you give?
• What about us do you like the most?
• What about us requires the most improvement?
• What would you like to learn more about?
• To what other organizations do you give?
• If you stopped giving, why?

**Peer Review Screening**
• Present membership / constituent lists to current donors
• Identify potential interest
• Identify gift potential
• Identify relationship with another donor

**Solicitation Interview Questions**
• How did you first come in contact with organization?
• What do you find most appealing about our organization?
• How has our organization changed your life?
• Have you ever talked with anyone else about your association with organization?

**Annual Fund Defined**
The pleasant and persistent pursuit of the gift! Kathleen Kavanaugh, Vice President Grenzebach/Glier (formerly Vice President Vassar)

Ask for the money!

For further information, please contact
Institutional Memory, Inc.

Solicitation Cycle • Methodology • Seminars • Clients • Background
Strategic Alliance • The Software • Contact Form • E-mail • Home

Seminar Links
Quality Value Fund Raising • Evaluating the Annual Fund • Service Leadership
Donor Recognition • Recruiting Volunteers • Research for the Annual Fund • Prospect Management