Tag Archive for: Not for profit

 

You’ve left a voicemail. You’ve sent an email. And yet—crickets. You’re not alone in this challenge. Your thoughts can creep into, “Do they really want to talk to me?

So how do you get a response? More importantly, how do you manage your THINKING to not let this become about you – “They don’t want to talk to me.”

Let’s explore how to get in touch the first time and create a meaningful conversation with a potential new giver, or someone that you’ve been out of touch with, or just landed in your portfolio, or are new names shifted to you as new staff.

Do Your Conversations Have Intentionality?

Before diving into tactics, take a step back and assess your approach and your mindset! (Marcy mindset here again!)

Are you reaching out with clear intention to have a great experience with a new potential friend? Think about how you feel when your phone says, “potential spam.” Are you simply hoping someone picks up the phone so you can meet your numbers? Get your mindset straight first – why do YOU get excited about your mission. Don’t just ask for a meeting—ask for sharing, offer value, spark curiosity, and set the stage for a real connection.

“Is This About Money?”

If you’ve ever been asked this, you’re in good company. The reality? Yes and no. Yes, you are a fundraiser. But no, your work isn’t just about securing a check—it’s about inspiring generosity and aligning a donor’s passion with your mission.

Here’s how you can frame your response:

“Yes and no. I find that people who share our excitement for [your mission] find joy in supporting us. I believe you have a heart for [your mission]. You understand how key this work is for X. Would you consider hearing more about our work with [specific project or initiative]?” 

Notice this is Marcy’s 3-sentence ask recipe. This keeps the conversation open, inviting curiosity rather than defensiveness.  And, it is a clear ask as to what you want – a conversation.

Send a note FIRST

While it’s common to send a handwritten note of thanks, why not send a handwritten note of introduction?  Resist the urge to be too “professional.” Consider the person, visualize the person if you can find a picture and write a warm note sharing BRIEFLY the mission, who you are and that you would like to get to know them better and hear their thoughts on your mission. Let them know the next step – you will call and or send an email next week.  (or whatever time it takes to be sure they have received the note!)

Warming Up the Outreach

One of the best ways to increase response rates is through warm introductions. If you have a mutual connection, use it, but SUPPORT IT! By this I mean be sure they are on board with you using their name.  I know…this seems obvious.

Try:

“Alice Smith is a good friend and supporter of our mission and felt you share some of her values. She suggested I reach out.”

Or:

“You are a leader in this community and already invest in many missions. You understand a bit about our work with [specific initiative]. Would you consider continuing a conversation to see if this is a fit for you?”

This positions your outreach as an invitation rather than an interruption.

Once You Spark Interest—What’s Next?

So they’ve responded—now what?

1. Schedule the First Meeting with Purpose – Don’t rush into an ask. Your first conversation should be about listening, learning, and understanding their interests.
2. Prepare Key Talking Points – But go easy – don’t vomit all sorts of stuff on them! You might ask directly if they like numbers or more overviews. Be ready to share compelling stories, impact statistics, in ways THEY want to hear them. Talk about ways they can engage beyond giving money.
3. Determine Their Preferred Method of Connecting. This one piece of information will make your life SO much simpler and rewarding. Do they prefer text over email – leave a voice mail. What is too much? This takes so much stress out of your relationship building.
4. Get the Next Meeting – The goal of this first visit is to get the NEXT meeting – a tour, a deeper conversation with someone impacted by the work, or addressing specific items you learned about in your first call.
5. Follow Up with Gratitude – Whatever the outcome – connect with a note of thanks, and with their preferred method. I always like to send a note – in addition to the quick text or email. However their future giving potential looks at this moment, thank them for their time and let them know you want to keep the relationship going.
6. BONUS – Depending on how this first call goes, you can set the expectation for the TIME between this and the next one. If they are interested – make it short – if they are in a busy time – wedding coming up, trip planned – set up the expectation to connect after that time. It’s the donor’s timeline – not yours.

 

 

The Bottom Line

Raising money isn’t about perfect pitches or magic words. It’s about fostering genuine connections – caring for them as people – this also means NO JUDGEMENT. As a nonprofit “family member” I believe we have a unique role in looking for good – in everyone – all the time.  If you approach donor engagement with intentionality, warmth, and patience, you’ll start turning those unreturned calls into meaningful conversations that lead to lasting support.

Finally – How LONG DOES THIS GO ON?  A stream of touches over the course of a year is not “too much.” A voice message – “Just checking in.” A newsletter sent with a personal note. Here’s the thing. I can tell you scores of stories about major givers I felt never wanted to hear from me again….and I was so wrong. Take each interaction as just a touch in a relationship waiting to be all that it is meant to be, when it is meant to be. Focus on the ones who are interested NOW and stay in touch, gently, with the rest.

 

So—who will you reach out to today, and how will you make it meaningful for them?

Invest in Joy™

 

It’s going to be a GREAT year!
Wherever you landed at the end of last year was perfect. Really. You and your givers pulled together to invest in your mission just as it should be! And the best part? They are STILL your givers. Your relationships with them are not defined by what you received from them in 2024—but by how well you showed them your heart, beyond the hustle that may have driven you to hit your numbers.

As I approach four decades of inspiring generosity and helping my clients achieve major giving success, I’ve seen many Januarys and Decembers come and go. I’ve also felt that December terror—the “would’ve, should’ve, could’ve” panic. You know, when you think, “How do I call them now and ask for BIG money when I haven’t talked to them in months? UGH!”

Sure, there are ways to handle those overdue December conversations—but let’s focus on a better way to enter December with calm and excitement!

RAP IT!
That’s a Relationship ACTION Plan™ (RAP)

A Relationship Action Plan is your 12-month Major Gift Cultivation Calendar—a joyful, artful, and giver-focused strategy. In a nutshell, it’s easier to take the next step when you know what the next step is—or at least have a roadmap you can adjust as needed.

Oh, I know. You have it all in your head. Wrong.

When Gladys Snodgrass pops into your mind, and you suddenly realize you haven’t seen her in months, you panic and leave a scrambled message about grabbing coffee ASAP.

These sporadic, last-minute actions make you uncomfortable—and your donor, too. But a thoughtful plan transforms you from reactive to proactive, random to consistent, crisis to calm.

RAPS lead to lifelong, authentic relationships. Ahhhhhh.

I spend A LOT of time with my clients mapping this out on a whiteboard (I LOVE whiteboards!), but let me give you a simple overview to get started:

1. Chart It Out
   • On a spreadsheet, list every event, ceremony, newsletter, and mailing across the top by month. These are your built-in touchpoints!
2. Identify Universal Touches
   • What happens to EVERY donor? Across the spreadsheet, mark what every donor receives—your alumni magazine, gala invite, 5K walk, thankathon, etc.
3. Segment Your Givers
   • Who are your major donors? Who are your mid-level donors? Is there a segment ($1,000–$4,000) you’d like to inspire toward a $5,000 or $10,000 gift this year? And what about smaller donors you connect with via direct mail, email, social media, or in-person group visits?
   • The most personalized and detailed plans should focus on your top-tier major givers.
4. Dig Deeper for Major Donors
   • Across the page, create columns and answer these questions for each major donor:
     • What options for giving are they MOST interested in?
     • What’s your best guess for their potential investment?
     • Who can help engage them in the giving conversation?
     • What do you know from their past giving?
5. Plan Your Outreach
   • For each month, schedule a mix of personal visits, calls, or texts. Start with the obvious (birthdays, anniversaries, favorite events), then layer in tours, small gatherings for their input, special holidays, and updates on what their money is truly accomplishing.
   • Sometimes just say thanks. Sometimes ask what excites them most about your work right now.
   • Engage others WITH YOU.
6. Make the Ask
   • Connect the dots to what matters most to them and craft your ask using Marcy’s 3-sentence formula!

 

There’s only one thing left to do—THE RAPS!

Set aside 4-6 half-days to work on this. It’s best done in a group—with great food, of course!

RAP your way to scaling and repeating lifelong giving relationships.

Invest in Joy™

 

 

You! Yes, You!

The one who is empowering so many to take action on their INTENTION to give this year…..THANK YOU!

I see you — pushing harder on a list that doesn’t seem to have enough day to make a dent in.

And yet you are and keeping the spirit of generosity alive.

Recognize the profound role you play. People want to do good. You help them do it.

But it’s busy. It’s intense. So how do you stay centered and effective in this final stretch? Lean into the 3 C’s of Year-End Success: Connect, Care, and Celebrate.

1. Connect: Relationships Over Clicks

Personal beats public. Conversations beat content.

While social media blasts may feel satisfying to check off your to-do list, personal emails, phone calls, and texts join hearts and inspire gifts. My client, Finny, shared that she raised over $190,000 around Giving Tuesday. How? Not the social media. It was day after full day of two people on the phone, on the email, one-on-one. Calling, texting, calling, emailing. People give to people, not posts. Your secret sauce? Direct, thoughtful connection.  Day after day now!

Your ACTION:

• Send a personalized email with a single, clear question:
  “Is there any way I can help you with your giving plans for us yet this year?”
• Pick up the phone. Leave a voice message with the above that’s warm, genuine, and free from “pitch mode.”
• Send a quick, thoughtful text to a key supporter. It’s often the nudge they need.

Remember: People are busy, AND THEY STILL WANT TO GIVE. A simple reminder — a touchpoint, not a pressure point — can be all they need to take action.

2. Care: Serve, Don’t Strive

Fundraising isn’t about money. It’s about mission. AND what’s right for your DONOR now.

When you continually refocus your donors as people, you naturally shift from “raising money” to serving relationships. This mindset shift is magic. People can feel it. They can see it in the way you communicate. Instead of asking, “How can I get this gift?” you ask, “How can I support this donor’s giving goals?”  And, don’t let the numbers people kill your joy! I’m working right now to create a better partnership with a client’s well-meaning Treasurer who simply doesn’t get it. “When can we expect the money?” Challenge them to respect that YOU are the fundraiser and their attitudes kill both team joy and giving.

YOUR Action:

• Be the guide, not the asker. Offer to walk them through options, answer questions, and even offer inspiration about how others are giving.
• Focus on shared impact. Remind them how their gift will create change, not just what it will “fund.”
• Embody energetic confidence and no judgment. People don’t respond well to desperation and panic energy. Be excited about what they can still do.

Remember: When you focus on caring over dollars, people feel safe, seen, and valued — and that makes them want to give.

3. Celebrate: Every Connection is a Win – Gift now or not

Celebrate connection. You are creating life-long givers. GIVE YOURSELF and ask others to join you!

Instead of celebrating gifts, celebrate connections! Your most successful major giving relationships are life-long! Of course celebrate every YES! And also, if a giver says this year is not a fit – CELEBRATE them being part of your “mission family.” Let them know you are available if needed and that you get back in touch after the holidays.  Share what your gift (as staff, board, whatever) will be and why. Find joy in every conversation. This feeds your energy, lifts your spirit, and renews your commitment. And it doesn’t just lift you — it lifts everyone around you.

YOUR Action:

• Celebrate small wins daily. A yes? Share it with the team. Sent 10 personal emails? That’s a win. A ‘no’ that was a warm connection? Recognize effort, not just results.
• Thank donors early and often. A quick, heartfelt “We are so grateful” email can make someone’s day.
• Celebrate YOU. You are doing wonderful work. Write down one thing each day that you’re proud of.

Remember: Celebration creates momentum. And momentum powers you through the home stretch.

As the year-end whirlwind continues, remember this: Connect, Care, Celebrate. These three actions are NOT tactics — they’re a mindset – the mindset that defines our honorable and noble profession.

With every call, email, and text, you’re lighting the way for others to give. With every expression of care, you’re strengthening relationships for the long term. And with every celebration, you’re remembering that authentic relationships are not just about ‘getting the money.’ They are about the people you GET to be with.

So, here’s Marcy’s mantra for you for now until the finish line:
“Is there any way I can help you with your giving plans for us yet this year?”

Keep going. Connect! Little else could speak louder to your belief in success than to put yourself in a place to receive. You’re not just raising money — you’re inspiring generosity. And that’s something to celebrate.

Invest in Joy™

 

To all my fundraisers, donor relations, event manager friends out there inspiring generosity….THANK YOU! AND…

Listen up!

YOU CAN’T DO THIS ALONE! (especially at year-end)

Start today to better engage your Board, colleagues, and others in inspiring generosity with you!

Step by Step…….

1. Think about your partners differently.

“If only my board would help!” Rather — how can I support them so they are comfortable and willing to help? Change your mindset. Change your self-talk about you board and partners – you projecting your feelings on them. Understand that they often are still building trust with us. What will we say to someone they have connected with us? Will we build an authentic artful relationship or just go after the money?

 

2. Talk about what you do together differently.

NO FUNDRAISING JARGON! “Help connect us with those in your networks…”  They hear, “hit up your friends.” They hear, “get someone to do something they don’t want to do.”  HOW you talk about what you do is the difference between a “professional beggar” and a development professional. How you talk about your givers – are they numbers and stats – have money you want…or people who you care about?

Spend some time talking about why THEY give – how does supporting you bring them satisfaction, joy, a marketing opportunity, a tax deduction…. Board members and other partners give for different reasons. How do they feel about money and wealth? What does the money they give do? What values do people who support you have in common? They need to have help verbalizing how it feels to give.  This lets them come to their own decision that connecting you to someone in their network makes sense.

3. Give them the overall picture of a donor journey.

I call this a Relationship Action Plan. Talk about how coming to an event can help them experience what you do – hear stories of the way it made people feel; helped them; gave them an education, a dance class, a home. Then lay out an ideal donor journey – they get interested through your partner, then take a tour where the partner joins in, perhaps meets a team member, meets a recipient – some experience. Then they learn about what gifts at various levels do. AND be sure to share how the giver continues to be thanked and kept informed.

 

4. Give them options for how to help.

Partners come with all sorts of talents — and insecurities and money mindsets. Don’t assume that “pitching” a $1M contracts feels anything like asking a friend to consider a gift of any size. Give them a list of touches that they can select from that they feel comfortable doing – and stress that helping create a joyful giver (cultivation) and being a grateful recipient (stewardship) supports your relationship-building work. You can speak the ask.

 

5. What EXACTLY do you want them to do?

When I interview boards and other partners, they often say they are not sure what’s expected. Be CRYSTAL CLEAR just EXACTLY WHAT you are asking them to do, and by WHEN. And offer to walk through it with them or help them compose the email or letter or call message.  Don’t just “assign.”

6. Plan the next steps WITH THEM. (It’s not a hand-off)

This is key – When your Partner agrees to connect you, be sure you share that this is a journey, not a hand-off. They don’t introduce you and you take it from there. While the partner need not be involved EVERY step of the way, they should clearly see these actions as something you are doing together over the long run.

 

 

 

 

7. Inspire (and EXPECT) 100% Board giving. Have a Board giving policy.

There really is no reason for every Board member not to be providing a gift. I like requiring a gift that is meaningful and significant to them – rather than a hard number. And…while perhaps the bank gives a gift in recognition of one of their employees serving on multiple boards, I still look to that individual to do something. There is just a different level of engagement when it’s YOUR money.

 

8. Share stories at every board or staff meeting – how did this feel?

Stop talking about the big one Sue brought in. Rather share this good news as the work of staff and partners together – from the receptionist to the CEO – and over the course of time.  Board shares should be on every board agenda. This is how you grow a culture of generosity.

 

Bringing on partners takes time. Doing it yourself is impossible.

 

Every master was once a disaster – you don’t ride the bike the first time. Have grace with your partners — consider THEM finding THEIR way to help as part of engaging them more in your mission and a chance to deepen their own giving and connections.

Taking the time to grow partners will yield great LONG-TERM results beyond the original connection or meeting.

 

Yes, talking about, and asking for, money can be uncomfortable for many of us. The more you bring your board and others into the relationships with you, the more comfortable they will be! Thank you for creating a bigger culture of generosity!

 

Invest in Joy™