Sandy Rees, CFRE

The secrets to success in fundraising are…

1. Leverage everything 2. Make friends first 3. Share something meaningful 4. Plan for success

Leverage everything

… the mechanical advantage or power gained by using a lever.

 Do only those things that you can do  Delegate, automate, or dump everything else

Unique talent and ability Excellent CompetentIncompetent

Mindset is the biggest cause of fundraising failure

It’s the filter through which you see the world.

Whatever you believe becomes your reality.

Spend time only on those things that  Directly raise money  Increase your ability to raise money  Spread the word about your organization  Build relationships with donors and supporters

A system is a method of doing something so that you get the same result every time, no matter who is using the system.

Create systems for anything you do more than once.

 Gift entry  Thanking donors  Creating a newsletter  Updating a website  What else?

Make Friends First

DonorsFriends Give you moneyGive you money and love and support, and cares about your success May or may not give againWill always be there for you May or may not support you in other ways Look for other resources (including people) to bring to you May or may not speak well of you in the community Are ambassadors for you, spreading the word about your mission Don’t necessarily feel engaged or connected See themselves as partners in your work

Donors that you have a relationship with and who love what your organization does, are the foundation of sustainability.

 Volunteers  Money  Other resources  Other potential donors

It ALWAYS starts with an introduction In small steps Intentionally and over time Give and take Lots of interest and attention Great communication

Share something meaningful

Ego-CentricDonor-Centric We’ve been around for 30 years. You’ve helped us change lives this year. We have 6 programs and serve 500 people each week. With your help, 500 people have their lives enriched each week. We serve 10 counties.Your gift helped us reach people in 10 counties.

Plan for success

Summary Calendar GrantsEventsDirect mailMajor giftsMarketingComm.Other Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Strategy Details StrategyDescriptionTarget Audience $ Goal Cost?Who will do? By when? Grants Events Direct mail Major gifts Online giving Other?

Let’s connect!