Some Common Sense Fundraising Advice

Looking for Major Gifts? Don't Lose Your Nerve
By Margaret Battistelli, editor in chief, FundRaising Success

In his book, "Big Gifts for Small Groups," Andy Robinson says that "honesty, follow through and reasonable expectations" are key elements in securing major gifts.

* "Honesty and transparency generate the best results," he writes, explaining that "at each stage--letter, phone call and visit--you must be completely clear about your purpose, which is to raise money for your organization."

* "Don't start what you can't finish," he adds. "The worst thing you can do is to mail a letter to a prospect that says, 'I will call you,' and then studiously avoid the telephone. If you're going to lose your nerve, do so before you begin."

* Finally, "begin with reasonable expectations," he advises. "If you send 10 letters to legitimate prospects, you will eventually reach six or seven by phone, and three to five will agree to meet."
The reliability of those numbers, however, depends on your mailing to "legitimate prospects," Robinson stresses.

"The beauty of a straight-forward approach," he explains, "is that it screens out those that are less likely to give."