1. National Office & Local Office Fundraising: How Can We All Win?
Planet Philanthropy 2017
National Office & Local Office Fundraising: How Can We All Win?
Jan Kary, CFRE
Jan Kary & Associates

2. Who’s Here?
National office/headquarters staff?
Local/field/branch/affiliate office staff?
Others?

3. Have you heard these comments
in your office?

4. Looking at same thing – from different perspectives

5. Possible Tension Points between
Headquarters and Field Office Development Staff:
Communication
Ownership/management of donor relationships – and who gets the credit
Understanding of each other’s responsibilities and time allocation for fundraising
Staffing
Access to, use of, knowledge about donor database
Local office vs. national office governance/procedures

6. Best Practices for Mutual Success

7. UNDERSTAND:
“Same Mission, Different Perspective”
Situation viewed from different angles can influence different processes and/or conclusions
Headquarters staff often looking at broader picture
Field offices may focus on local implications and local program delivery

8. UNDERSTAND:
Neither role is better than the other!
Headquarters
Often working with larger and/or nationally-focused donors
May have a larger staff for delegation of work
Local
Best positioned to offer volunteer opportunities
May have greater variety of fundraising tasks

9. Positive COMMUNICATION is key
Relationships matter inside your organization as much as outside – think about collaboration strategies with your “internal clients”
Respect your colleagues
Communicate three times to communicate once
Play nice

10. Create, maintain, and follow a collaboratively-created FUNDRAISING PROTOCOL re donor management:
geographic
size of donor
by development staff who sourced donor
by type of donor (individual, foundation, corporate, etc.)
If by donor type, define terms

11. Create clear understanding of ROLES and GOALS
Transparency can help: Who is raising what amounts from what sectors?
Do national fundraisers have a local $ responsibility?
Do local fundraisers have ownership of national relationships geographically close?

12. Champion an effective use of DONOR DATABASE
Whether it’s an excel chart or Raiser’s Edge – there must be some form of donor management understood and accessible by all
Database usage, access, and updates should be part of staff member’s standards of performance
Electronic storage of all submissions
Ensure that multiple staff not speaking to same donor

13. Consider a JOINT ASK
One ask that includes local and national
Who is best positioned to make the ask
Clear roles and responsibilities
Flexibility to adapt to the donor desires
Deliver on everything that was promised
If successful, replicate your efforts in other locations and ask for more support

14. 8. “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”
Consider spending a day or two in the office of the other
National fundraiser: you may be surprised how many hats local staff wear
Local fundraiser: you may be surprised at the limited time national staff have

15. Share BEST PRACTICES on regular basis
Local/national fundraising staff gathering
Quarterly calls
Development success stories on a shared drive

16. Guard against “US vs. THEM” language
Set the tone and model behavior for inclusive/”we’re on the same team” language
Think about the “win” for the other side – how can you help your counter-parts “on the other side”?
“A rising tide lifts all boats”

17. What helps in your relationship with colleagues on the “other” side?
Let’s hear your tips!
What helps in your relationship with colleagues on the “other” side?

18. Thanks for Coming. Jan Kary, CFRE jkary@verizon
Thanks for Coming! Jan Kary, CFRE Jan Kary & Associates