The Extreme Fundraising Blog

Looks like Blackbaud’s moved the Gift Range Calculator to their site.

Give it a whirl. It’s a very useful tool!

Here’s a great story about a woman that left more than $2 million to some local Maine nonprofits.

Ilse Westman kept a low profile.

When she died in August, she didn’t want an obituary in the newspaper, said her longtime friend and attorney, Warren E. Winslow, Jr.

She didn’t want a funeral, either.

But since Westman left more than $2 million to six local organizations, people are slowly learning more about the strong-willed German woman who came to call Maine home.

Westman, who died Aug. 19, left $500,000 each to Bread of Life Ministries, Alfond Cancer Center, The Salvation Army and Kennebec Valley Humane Society, Winslow said.

She also left $25,000 each to the Pine Tree State Arboretum and Maine Public Broadcasting Network…

Although Westman was not actively involved with the organizations she left money to, Winslow said the causes she chose were close to her heart.

“She remembered being hungry in Berlin, so she gave to the Bread of Life,” Winslow said. “She loved the Humane Society, and had a very strong interest in curing cancer.”

The money was given with no strings attached.

“They can use it for whatever they decide,” Winslow said.

$2 million dollars in rural Maine. If it can happen here, it can happen to you or me. (Inland didn’t make her list.)

What if your organization were listed? What would you do with half a million dollars?

One of the organization’s directors is quoted as saying, “One of the ironies in all of this is that some of the very best gifts tend to come from completely unexpected sources.”

That may be. But they wouldn’t have gotten the money if they weren’t doing the right things in the right ways. I’d even bet they were using aspects of the “Get R.E.A.L.” process with people that were close to Mrs. Westman.

What does this say to me? It reminds me to “not grow weary in well doing.” Keep on pursuing excellence in your mission and fundraising. You can’t plan on gifts like this but you just may be able to increase the odds!

The end of the year is rapidly approaching, so I thought I’d keep this issue of Extreme Fundraising light-hearted. Read this posting from Amy Kincaid and her Fundraising Breakthroughs blog gave me the fodder for this riff. This was posted on her blog:

Quotable excerpts on the danger of “fundraising” galas by leading advisors to nonprofits. From a thread last week on Charity Channel.

“I refer to galas as the ‘hail mary pass’ of the fundraising world. When the clock is running and you don’t think you have the time, energy, expertise, or money to engage in a more effective means of fundraising, someone decides it’s time to do a gala…

“…just about ANYTHING makes more sense than an event as a fundraiser.”
–Renata J. Rafferty the author, “Don’t Just Give It Away: How To Make the Most of Your Charitable Giving”

“I would define a gala or other fundraising event as an event that has nothing to do with your mission, or so little to do with your mission that a funder would laugh if you tried to fund it as a real mission-related activity.”
–Hildy Gottleib, the the author of “FriendRaising: Community Engagement Strategies for Boards Who Hate Fundraising but Love Making Friends“

What do you think? Are your galas the last gasp of your fundraising?

Based on my recent experience with the Fall Pops Concert we held last month, galas work for certain organizations, especially if fundraising is not the only goal. We ran a concert with musicians from the Bangor Symphony Orchestra. Since this was our first, it took up my bandwidth for some of the entire year but totally dominated my fall.

And in our case, this was worth it. We raised $35,000 for a one night event. It looks like we’ll clear about half of that–generally consistent with national averages.

Since this was our first time, we did some things we won’t have to do next year. That will help us decrease the cost of the event. (Of course, if we factored in my salary, this event, like practically all fundraising events, wouldn’t have raised much if any money.)

As important to us as the money we raised is that we sold 435 tickets. That’s 435 people from our service area that came to an Inland benefit event. Some came because of Inland. Others came because of the BSO (our BSO, not the Boston Symphony Orchestra!).

Whatever the reason, that is 435 people from the community that pitched their hat in our ring. And it created incredible buzz in our region. People are still talking about it. I’m hoping that will significantly improve response to our year-end appeal that’s going out this week.

So here’s my current take on gala’s: they are the last gasp if it’s the only thing you’re doing. If your board is desparate and is saying, “Let’s do something!”

But they can be helpful if they’re a strategic part of a comprehensive fundraising and community relations program. And if you don’t factor in salaries as part of the expense!

Are any of you trying anything new of different this year for your year-end fundraising?

At Inland, we held a widely successful “Fall Pops Concert” in early November. What about you?

If you are, post a comment below and contact Elizabeth Schwinn with the Chronicle of Philanthropy at: elizabeth.schwinn@philanthropy.com. Her contact information is:

Elizabeth Schwinn
Staff Writer
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
1255 23rd Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
202-466-1221 

Start your new year off right with the Fundraising Coach’s Master Mind Group!

This special 6-week course, limited to only 12 participants, will focus on the process for asking for money. Since it takes place over the course of a month and a half, you have the chance to test everything you learn and come back with questions.

Here is a bit of the description; all the information can be found at  http://www.fundraisingcoach.com/afmclass.htm

Asking for money is as scary for people as death and public speaking. But it doesn’t have to be! Learn a simple “R.E.A.L.” method that takes much of the fear out of the process.

As part of this Fundraising Master Mind Group, you’ll learn incredibly practical tips to incorporate immediately into your current work and life. Over the course of six weeks, you’ll learn… (Click here for the rest)

Here’s a follow up to my Dialing for Donor (visits) post:

Don’t be the first to hang up the phone at the end of the call.

It just happened to me yesterday. I chatted for close to a half hour with a friend I hadn’t connected with in over a year. When we ended the call, I heard the “click” immediately after she said “good bye.”

I know her better than this but the feeling was that she couldn’t wait to get off the phone with me and get on with her life.

Years ago, I made it a practice to at least try to wait a second before I hang up. Or to let the receiver down slowly.

The last thing we want our donors–or anyone else calling us (like family!)–to feel is that they’re just another check-mark on our task list.

I love feedback. I wouid probably constantly take surveys and assessments if I could.

So I loved this idea from Katya’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog as shared by Jeff Brooks on his Donor Power Blog: “Be Your Donor” day.

Read the post and then give it a try.

I started pastoring VCW after a decade of fundraising. I love pastoring and teaching on financial stewardship but I’ve been intrigued with the donor stewardship issues.

We once got a $5000 check–HUGE for our small, central Maine congregation. As a fundraiser, my first instinct was to pick up the phone. As a pastor, I realized she didn’t give it to me or VCW, she gave it to God. I immediately became conflicted. My pastoring mindset wanted to not acknowledge it; my fundraising background was screaming I had to do something.

I ended up calling her Monday morning and said, “CONGRATULATIONS!”

There was a pause, then she said, “For what?” (with a grin in her voice).

“Well…,” I said, “I’m not sure. But from the size of the check in yesterday’s offering, I know SOMETHING good must’ve happened!”

She laughed and happily explained what had happened. It was a gift from a partial proceeds on sale of a house. She specifically noted “partial” cleverly commenting that she didn’t want to end up like Ananias and Sapphira!