Fixing Bored Boards and Other Major-Gifts Musts

Fixing Bored Boards and Other Major-Gifts Musts

March 14, 2006

By Abny Santicola, associate editor, FundRaising Success

There are a number of critical steps nonprofits must take before trying to solicit major gifts, according to Perry Davis, president of Perry Davis Associates.

First off, nonprofits should have a clear picture of their organization. It's key to understand the mission, board infrastructure, e.g., who's on the board, what jobs they hold, what their giving history is, etc.; and the budget, namely what fundraising methods are used, e.g., membership dues, telemarketing, direct mail and the percentage each channel accounts for in the annual operating budget.

It's also important to have a vision of the kind of people who would be potential major donors to your organization -- i.e., your donor universe -- which enables you to then create what Davis calls a prospect book.

The most critical stage in a major-gifts campaign is working with board members to review the prospect book and determine if board members "have any knowledge of and have any working relationships with members of boards of donor organizations, of foundations, of corporations that give in campaigns," Davis says. This helps narrow the playing field even more to those most likely to give. Working with the board and perhaps a consultancy, an organization should structure a campaign so it knows how much prospects can give and the best way to solicit from them in order to get the highest possible gift.

A successful major-gifts campaign relies on a partnership between professionals (i.e., consultants, nonprofit staff) and lay people (i.e., board members), Davis says. Too often, board members are lethargic and fail to provide the necessary support.

"Often we'll find that board members haven't realized the power they have and the extent of their reach to be able to get the potential donors," Davis says. "When we show them the donor or we show them one step away from getting the donor, a light bulb goes off, and we can then begin working with that board member or friend and try to solicit that gift."

In preparing for a major-gifts campaign, an organization may find it needs to redevelop its board. If a board is weak, Davis says, it's a good time to look at other connections the organization might have that would yield stronger board members who can serve that critical role of cultivating major donors.

"There is an ultimate responsibility in the lay people of the campaign to make the case and speak to people they know and show the way as volunteers for the kind of concern they hope their colleagues will show and turn those into major gifts," Davis adds.

With the ever-growing number of nonprofits in existence and the ever-increasing competition for dollars, Davis says what's key for his company when working with an organization is to determine what it is about the organization that's unique -- "what it is that they're doing that they can claim is special and appealing to potential donors and would set them apart from the crowd," he adds.

It's also important for organizations, when they do secure major gifts, to communicate with donors. But not with an onslaught of direct-mail asks, Davis cautions. "For every letter that's written with an envelope for a return gift, there should be two letters written with no request whatsoever, simply to let the donor know how appreciative you are and what their gift's accomplishing."

Perry Davis can be reached via http://www.perrydavis.com