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Newsletter 

October 2014

Four Steps to Finish the Year Strong with Your Major Gifts Fundraising

By Kelly Dunphy


If you have not begun to think through how you can make the most of the two months left in the year, the time is now. Major gifts are still possible, but you need to be strategic, and you need to prioritize. Follow these four steps to ramp up your year-end major gifts now.

 

  1. Evaluate and prioritize. Do a realistic review of your portfolio. Be honest with yourself about the state of each donor. Are they really going to make a gift in time for year end? Are they likely to meet your target ask or make a smaller gift? Once you have done that, prioritize those with the greatest potential and likelihood of giving. You should also provide an update to your senior management about the status of your portfolio. Be upfront about it - both the good news and the bad news.
  2. Ask your board to help. Establish a sense of urgency and enlist willing board members to help cultivate and solicit gifts. Your Development Committee is a great place to start. Provide each board volunteer with a small portfolio (two to five donors) and give them the resources, training, and support they need to cultivate and/or solicit their donors.
  3. Have a plan for each donor. Revisit your solicitation plans for each donor in your portfolio. When was the last time you made a phone call, sent a thank-you note, or sent an update on how a donor's last gift made a difference? Have you activated all the "troops"? For example, ask your Executive Director or a Program Director to make a thank-you call. Have those you serve (children, students, etc.) make thank-you cards. Reach out with personal invitations for a site visit or a volunteer opportunity. By December 31, you want to feel confident that you have pulled out all the stops for every potential gift.
  4. Ask a key donor or board member to issue a donor challenge or gift matching opportunity. Challenge gifts (or matches) work. Think through your board members and key donors to identify one or two people who might be willing to make a new gift or use a recent gift as a challenge or match. Any funds donated between now and the end of the year can be counted.

 

You can still make the most of your major gift opportunities in the final two months of the year, but you must get your priorities in order, ignore distractions, and stay focused.  If you need assistance with planning for or executing your year-end major gift fundraising strategies, please contact us today at info@oai-usa.com or (202) 338-6100.

 

Upcoming Events
Please join us at the following upcoming free events (more details and registration information is below):
FCNY

 

Tuesday, November 4, 2014
10:00 am - 12:00 pm


Foundation Center
79 Fifth Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets, Second Floor
New York, NY 10003

  

 

There is no denying that major donors have altered their behavior post-recession.  While individuals still represent the biggest source of donations, major gifts have never been harder to secure and sustain.  Major gift donors demand impact and return on investment, and it is your job to demonstrate those results. 

 

Join us for an interactive session, led by a 15-year major gift fundraising veteran, which will take you beyond the fundamentals and guide you on how to build the components of a successful major gift program.  The components we will cover are not new, but we will take a fresh look at them through the lenses of today's challenging fundraising environment. They include:

  • A donor-centric approach;
  • A fundraising plan;
  • A case for support that demonstrates impact;
  • A committed staff and volunteers; and
  • A winning "ask".

You will come away from this session with strategies for how to create or refine your major giving strategy so that you can increase giving from those donors who can have the greatest impact on your mission.

 

Presenter:

  • Kelly Dunphy, Vice President, Fundraising and Development, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)

 

Registration:

 

This session is free.  Click here to register.  

 

 

FCDC

 

Wednesday, December 3, 2014
10:00 am - 11:30 am


Foundation Center
1627 K Street NW, Third Floor
Washington, DC 20006-1708 

 

 

Are you looking to improve donor retention? Does your organization want to increase the revenue given per donor? Do you have a direct mail program and a major gifts program, but lack a clear plan for the donors in between? 

 

Creating a mid-level donor program might be the right option for you.

 

This session will be an interactive way to help you develop your mid-level donors and access the money left on the table by your most dedicated donors.

 

Presenter:

  • Emma Kieran, Senior Consultant, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)

 

Registration:

 

This session is free.  Click here to register.  

 

 

RAFFA

When: 
November 13, 2014

Where: 
Lighthouse Guild
111 E. 59th Street
New York, NY 10022

In collaboration with our sponsors, Raffa, PC is hosting a one-day summit to explore how today's changemakers can achieve sustainability as we approach the coming decade. 

The summit will convene many of New York's nonprofits, progressive funders, social enterprise and corporate leaders to engage them in conversations. Together, we will explore ways in which we can expand our vision and reach to realize our collective goal of achieving positive social outcome while maintaining viability. Discussion topics will include:
  • Evolving organizational structures/models and practices to accelerate progress; 
  • Innovative revenue development and technology strategies;
  • Risk and change management;
  • Impact measurement; and
  • Leadership transition.
Join us to examine cutting edge thinking aimed at building a sustainable future for all. We look forward to having your involvement and participation in this inspirational and informative summit. 

This event is FREE for qualifying nonprofits, social enterprise and B Corp certified organizations. The Summit is designed to attract key nonprofit leaders including executive directors, chief development officers, board members, transformational donors, and socially responsible business executives. Space is limited - confirmed full program registration is required.

Introducing our
Keynote Speaker,
Dan Pallotta!
 
Who better to ignite this day than Dan Pallotta?

Founder of the Charity Defense Council whose mission is to "change the way people think about changing the world," Pallotta has been called a "builder of movements." His message on November 13th will help us rethink what is possible in the world. Don't miss it!
Washington, D.C. Empowerment Summit Testimonials
"The 2014 Nonprofit Empowerment Summit proved to be a one-of-a-kind event providing a unique and inspirational perspective on strengthening the sector from today's nonprofit leaders. The memorable panel discussions, centered around collaboration and connection, were both moving and powerful. Participants emerged with a greater sense of passion and purpose."

Alexis Norman, CPA
American Immigration Lawyers Association

"Bravo! Thanks to Raffa for an A+ day that was both professionally and personally empowering."

Sandra Walter
The Sankofa Project

"I cannot thank you enough for including me in the 2014 Non-Profit Empowerment Summit yesterday. The gathering was totally empowering and inspiring, from the content of the remarks, to the stature and character of the speakers and makeup of the audience. I thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from the entire experience."

Susan Lavrkas
Aerospace Industries Association

About Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)

 

Responding to the increasingly complex burdens on nonprofit leaders, OAI has developed a transformational approach to fundraising and strategy consulting.  Our teams of experienced professionals seamlessly embed themselves with nonprofits to fundraise, to recruit and improve board leadership, to build consensus and direction through new strategies, and to provide executive, fundraising, and financial leadership.  With offices in Washington, DC and New York City, OAI has partnered in our clients' success for 23 years, helping more than 500 nonprofits raise hundreds of millions of dollars for their causes. 


See how we can help you today at www.oai-usa.com.   

 

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