In this week’s edition of Ask an Expert, we answer reader questions about how to stay in touch with major donors in meaningful ways and how to ask for gifts at a time when traditional face-to-face fundraising practices have been upended.
Tammy Messina, who leads big giving at Medical Teams International, and Earl Granger III, chief development officer of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, provide the answers.
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Many of our large donors are not emailers, so reaching them through email isn’t always the best way to connect. What are some other ways to stay in touch with big donors in today’s unusual landscape and ask for a big gift virtually?
— Fundraiser at a community grocer that serves people in low-income neighborhoods in Massachusetts.
Picking up the phone and calling donors is a great way to stay in touch, Messina says.
“I often follow up with a brief text as well in case they don’t listen to my voicemail. Knowing your donor and their individual preferences is really key,” she says.
But if you don’t know how your donor would like to be contacted, Messina suggests trying different combinations of calls, emails, and texts to find out which ones prompt a response.
When it comes to asking donors for big gifts, Messina says that lately she has been telling donors over the phone that she would like to give them an update on her charity’s five-year strategy and talk to them about how Medical Teams International is responding to the pandemic. She then asks if she and her team can provide more details and a gift proposal at a later date.
If the donor agrees, Messina then schedules a 45-minute video-conference meeting, and if she plans to request a six-figure donation or higher, she will ask the charity’s CEO and another member of the executive team to join in the meeting. She also mails a customized proposal to the donor, which doesn’t include the amount, before the scheduled video call and explains that there is no need to read it in advance; they will review it together during the virtual meeting.
“Often I include our CEO or another member of our executive team on the call for six-figure asks or above,” says Messina. “We have not been including the ask amount in the proposal mailed in advance but are making the direct ask amount over video. Then I usually follow up after the meeting with a personal thank-you note and an email, which includes the ask amount in writing.”
Her group’s CEO or the main executive team member then follows up with a phone call to the donor, usually in roughly a week after the virtual meeting, to see if the donor has made a decision.
Is there a smart and safe way to do in-person visits right now with donors that includes safety protocols? For example, is it a good idea to ask donors to e-sign a “hold harmless” agreement or to fill out a health survey? What are the best practices?
— Fundraiser at a private school in California
Most nonprofits are following local and state protocols as they conduct business, and that has limited everyone’s ability to travel, says Granger. But for his nonprofit, that is less of an issue.
Because his organization is an outdoor living-history museum and its staff members are able to interact with visitors in its open-air venues, most of his donors have eagerly welcomed the opportunity to visit. Others have agreed to meet at restaurants that have outdoor seating.
He says that overall, his team has not had any trouble having meaningful conversations about private support during donors’ visits to Colonial Williamsburg. But he cautions that even in outdoor settings like the ones his museum provides, fundraisers and donors alike need to stay vigilant about making sure they are following their organization’s safety protocols to keep both sides safe.
“Given that our relationships are built on trust, we are not asking donors to sign any kind of agreement or complete a health survey, says Granger. “We are also not asking our staff to put themselves at risk if they are uncomfortable with face-to-face meetings. Hence, virtual donor meetings have become the norm for many.”
Wealthy philanthropists are giving a lot more through their donor-advised funds since the pandemic hit. What are the best ways to identify who has a DAF, and how should major-gift officers go about getting in touch with wealthy donors who give through DAFs?
— A fundraiser at a literacy group in Massachusetts and another at an education charity in Connecticut
“Relationships are the bedrock of our industry,” Granger says. “The better you get to know a donor, the more comfortable they tend to be sharing information.”
Once a fundraiser has solidified a donor relationship, Granger says, the conversations with that philanthropist should feel natural. When those conversations flow easily, donors are more likely to share information about how they give and if they give through a donor-advised fund.
In addition to better understanding philanthropic passions, says Granger, it is also important to understand a donor’s interest in tax advantages.
His nonprofit has received several six-figure commitments this year from donors who were able to take advantage of the Cares Act of 2020.
Under the law, donors can now write off contributions for up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income; the limit in the past was 60 percent. It’s not clear if Congress will extend that measure beyond this year, so reminding donors of its availability through year’s end could spur affluent donors to increase their giving substantially by the end of 2020.
