Four Ways to Maximize Fundraising Efforts Via the Telephone

Drushell talked about four types of telefundraising programs: current-donor cultivation, lapsed-donor reactivation, new-donor acquisition, and family and friends/neighborhood recruitment. For each program he analyzed what an organization’s objective should be, the audience it should target, the timing and frequency of contacts, the type of appeal, and what kinds of results it can expect. Drushell noted that many people aren’t willing to give up their credit card numbers to fulfill their contribution over the phone. Those who make a commitment over the phone (front-end responders) are sent a letter that references the phone call and the amount of their commitment, and includes a return envelope for them to send in their contribution (making them back-end responders).