Patricia H. Clemency, CFRE
President and CEO, Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York
Fundraising Day in New York
June 27, 2014
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We compete with 1.5 million charities for
awareness and funding
Annual events account for the largest share
of fundraising revenue for most charities
Event donors hardest to convert to other
giving
Donor loyalty may be to your event, rather
than your organization
Special events have higher cost, lower ROI
Estate
Investment
Or
Planned
Giving
Bequests
Planned Gifts
Involvement
Major Giving
Endowment
Campaigns
Capital and Special Campaigns
Major Gifts from Individuals
Major Gifts from Corporations
And Foundations
Interest
Information
Annual Giving
Support Group Organizations
Special Events and Benefit Events
Annual Giving Campaign/Direct Mail/Online
Selected Publics
All the Public/Everyone in the Area
Identification
Online
Fundraising
$.03 - $.075 of the amount
of each gift for processing
Major Gifts/
Capital Campaigns/
Planned Gifts
Grants
Direct Mail – Donor Renewal
Special Events
Direct Mail – Donor Acquisition
$.05 - $.15
per dollar raised
$.20 per dollar raised
$.25 per dollar raised
$.50 of
gross proceeds
$1.25 - $1.50
per dollar
raised
Planning
Cycle
Budget,
Timeline
Committee
Theme, Invites
Sponsorships,
Tickets,
Donations
Social Media, PR
Night Of
Post-Event
Auction –
Silent/Live
Thank You’s
Speeches
PR
Donations
Hope to see you
at the next
event!
Social Media
Add guests to
list for other
initiatives
TGIO!
$10 million lead gift
Largest individual gift to
Make-A-Wish worldwide
$500,000 gift
From 20-year donor
What do these gifts have
in common?
$200,000
For endowment
$90,000
For wishes
Planned Gift
Sustainability
Big Gift
Linkage
Involvement
Advocacy
Major Gift
Special Gift
Upgraded Donor
Repeat Donor
Donor
Prospect
Research
Linkage
Ability
Interest
From
To
Invite to event
Invite to share/join in mission
Mission information
Mission investment
Selling tables/tickets
Populating tables with qualified
prospects
Logistics
Strategy
Annual event
Multi-initiative, multi-year
commitment
POST-EVENT
Long-Term Engagement
As advocates, leaders,
major donors
EVENT
Connect
with Mission
PRE-EVENT
Screen Prospects
Guests, past transactional
donors
Screening Phase
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Past Event Donors
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Other Pipelines
• Evergreens for growth
• One-time supporters – renewal strategies
• LYBUNTS – other opportunities to make a difference
• Those who gave what we ask
• Those giving us clues
 Qualifying the Guest List
• Make it part of the pre-event culture
• Table Captains
Connecting Guests
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From the point of arrival
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Telling Our Story
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Champions and Recruiters
• First impressions
• Guides
• Mission Champions
• First-person testimonials
• Future need, not just past results
• Board’s role
• President’s Table
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Divide and Conquer
• Meet and greet assignments
• “Shadows”
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Strategic seating
• Prospect research support
• Anchors
• Information gathering
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Night of Fundraising
• Connect fundraising to the mission
• Opportunities for investment
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Potential to move donor from transaction/
transition to transformational relationship
Efficiency and effectiveness are key
21-day rule
Schedule post-event de-brief sessions before the
event takes place
De-brief with staff, board, volunteers for clues,
strategies and next steps
Create multiple touchpoints – it’s not just a
receipt/thank you letter!
Personal calls and visits to major donors/
prospects
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Get in front of as many major donors/
prospects as you can – individual meetings,
receptions, etc.
Build on case for support presented at event
Mobilize the board as mission champions
Identify options for future engagement and
support and clarify next steps
Guide the individual donor journey – How can
they help? Who guides? How do we build ongoing involvement and support?
Transaction - Special event donor
• Welcome to a community of like-minded donors who
believe in the mission
Transition – Wish Sponsor
• You have made a difference for a child
 Mission Connection
 Active Engagement
Transformation– Challenge Matches; Lead
• You have made a difference for the organization by
investing in our future.
 Value Added Proposition: Inspiring others
 Lead gift for 10 in 10
Transaction – Third party event
• Basketball memorial game
• Holiday gift to parents of classmate
Transition – How can I make a difference now?
 Build Advisory Board
 Gala Honoree
Transformation– How do I make a difference for
the future of the mission?
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Advisory Board becomes feeder group to board
Lead gift to the endowment - $250,000
Chair of 30th anniversary
Gift of $500,000 for “10 in 10”
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View events as three equally important parts: pre-event,
night-of, post-event
Efficiency and effectiveness are key
Focus on strategy first, logistics second
Demystify process - Prepare, train, de-brief with
board/CEO
Eliminate talking heads - use your best storytellers
Build mission connections to create donor loyalty to the
organization, not the event
Empower board to make a difference, not just fundraise
Create clear options for post-event engagement
Remember the 21-day rule
Celebrate success!
“We got involved with Make-A-Wish because of a
six-year old girl named Micah whose wish it was
to be a ballerina. We have remained involved
because of the hundreds of other children whose
lives have been changed by Make-A-Wish. MakeA-Wish may not have cured their illnesses, but
their wish gave them hope and the will to fight.”
- From cultivation event guest
to $90,000 donor