Michele R. Berard, MBA, CFREExecutive Director, Butler Hospital Foundation

Principal, Ascent Advisors, LLCRhode Island, USA@micheleberard

The Development Committee Workbook: Managing Your Volunteers to Success

“…it’s just easier to do it myself…”

“…it’s just easier to do it myself…”

The Rationale for Volunteer Engagement:

“Access and Signaling”

(Special Report: Engaging Borard Members in Fundraising, Nonprofit Research Collaborative September 2012)

1. Help the organization reach new prospective donors (ACCESS)

2. Indicate the organization’s value to the community by their own association with the group (SIGNALING)

What is Your Challenge?

The Eternal Case Study…

Today’s Presentation is based on many sources:1. Work Experience

2. Consulting Assignments

3. Student Case Assignments

4. Professional Colleagues

5. Research

5

The Development Committee Workbook

•Education•Exercises•Homework•Measureable Outcomes•Expansion to the Board of Directors•Easy – Medium – Hard

Comprised of 17 tactics

The Development Committee Workbook

ACTIVITY FREQUENCY1 Devise Team Purpose Review annually for relevance2 Education: Fund Development Primer One time per year3 Education: Transparency Primer One time per year4 Exercise: What organizations do you give to? One time per year5 Exercise – Newsletter/Website review 2x per year6 Exercise – External Review One time per year7 Fundraising Database Orientation One time 8 Prospect Identification (rating sessions) @ least 1x per year9 Donor Visits Ongoing

10 Complements v. Competitors One time per year

11 Social Networking Strategies Ongoing

12 Cultivation/Stewardship Events @ least 2x per year13 Annual Report One time per year14 Book Club Discussion 2x per year )15 Stewardship Calls 2x per year16 Solicitation Calls/Visits Ongoing17 Evaluation & Evolution (off/on-boarding) 1x per year; upon completion of 12 month cycle

#1 Establish a Charter

This defines the purpose of the Development Committee

WHAT - To ensure XYZ Organization benefits from a strong, stable and growing revenue stream obtained from philanthropy

HOW – by:1. Developing and fostering a culture of

giving of our internal constituenciesexamples

2. Cultivating and stewarding resources (people, products, time, finances)

examples

3. Soliciting financial and in-kind support examples

4.

Easy

#2 Fund Development Primer/101

Explains what Fund Development IS!

Host a facilitated session for either the Development Committee or the entire board on:

• Donor Bill of Rights• Donor Pyramid• Review of the AFP Ethical Guidelines• What to do and how to act on a donor/prospect visit• How your organization uses philanthropy revenue

Medium

#3 Transparency Primer

What isn’t seen, isn’t real

Today’s donors are savvy, be prepared• Review the components of a 990• Ask the committee interests them as donors

(homework, blind ballot submission)• Review XYZ’s 990s to see if those questions are

answered by reviewing the documents• Address concerns with answers/explanations

NOTE: Do this FIRST with organizational leadership

Hard

#4 What organization’s do YOU give to?

Leverage their inner donor!

Take 10 minutes of your meeting to conduct this exercise:• What organizations do you donate to?• What organizations will you not donate to?• Why on both? • Are there any resemblances to your organization?• Best Practices in Fundraising• Promotes the body of knowledge

NOTE: Robbe Healey’s major gift session

Medium

#5 Website or Newsletter Review

How is fundraising revenue used?

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:• Distribute the latest issue(s) of your newsletter• Ask Committee Members to review stories and

identify targets of fundraising• Discuss at the beginning of your next meeting• Can also be done with the website

NOTE: conduct every time the newsletter is sent out

Easy

#6 External Review

Secret Shopper

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:• Save direct mail appeal letters and event invitations• Identify three donor walls that appeal to them (and why)• Listen for how people talk about organizations with which

they are affiliated• What organizations are your FB friends connected to?• What tactics are appealing to them (e.g. Hurricane Sandy –

Red Cross)

Easy

#7 Database Orientation

Garbage in, Garbage out

In Meeting Education (15 -20 minutes):• Outline the data fields collected for the majority of constituents

• Define key terms (constituent, donor, lapsed donor, appeal, etc.)

• Explain a basic query (e.g. Fatima Hospital community events)

• Philanthropy = aligning donor interests with funding needs of the organization

• “Soft Credit” and “Assigned Solicitor” are tactics to make volunteers look good.

NOTE: Alignment is the goal and is achieved by having good data!

Medium

#8 Prospect Identification – Rating Session

Are the Right People on Your Committee?

During Committee/Board Meeting (@ least 1x/year)• Individual• Corporations/Businesses• Foundations (great for family foundations/board lists)• Organizational culture is the biggest challenge• Follow-through is also a challenge

NOTE: Have a process for following up on results

Medium

#9 Donor Visits

Meet the donors

Outside of Meetings – organized by the Development Office• 1:1 or 2:1 follow up visits• Small events at the organization (give volunteers a list of

questions)• Community Fundraisers or Events (Chamber, Rotary)• Communicate information back to Development Office (to

enter into database)• WIN-WIN-WIN

NOTE: The volunteer and the donor share a bond as donors – leverage that!

Medium

#10 Complements vs. Competitors

Increase awareness of the environment

SWOT Analysis In-Meeting Exercise (SEE NEXT SLIDE)

HOMEWORK:• With what organizations and/or entities does your

organization have a symbiotic relationship? Explore and understand.

• What organizations are competing for services/donors with your organization? Why would either prefer yours?

Hard

#10 Complements vs. Competitors

Situation or SWOT Analysis

StrengthsOpportunities

WeaknessesStrengths

#11 Social Networking Strategies

Introduce at a Development Committee meeting and then assign homework:

• Create Facebook and LinkedIn accounts• Affiliate with your organization on these sites• Ask your “friends” to like your organization on FB• Share pages/news of your organization frequently• On LinkedIn Profile – include volunteer position

and “donates to” on profile

Issue a Challenge: 30 posts in 30 days

Easy

#12 Host a Cultivation Event

A Best Practice of Volunteer Engagement • Always have nametags (for easy conversation, data collection)

• Organization should provide a budget (pay for expenses)

• Development Office to assist with logistics

• Provide direction/event agenda

• Provide volunteers with “conversation starters”

• Debrief immediately after (to collect data)

• Take pictures

Leveraging volunteer credibility Hard

#13 Annual Report on Fundraising

The Development Committee should understand:1. Where the revenue came from, 2. What it supported, 3. How it can be leveraged

Spend a Development Committee Meeting discussing and when committee has a good understand...

• Present to Board of Directors• Introduce goal(s) for next yearVolunteers who understand how money is used will feel more comfortable in

recruiting it!

Hard

#14 Book Club

The objectivity of a book can infuse instant affirmation in your organization’s program and courage of the volunteer

• Pick two books at the beginning of the year • Really, buy them for your volunteers• Assign a specific chapter(s) to read and assign a

question/topic to be discusses at the next meeting • During the discussion, try to have volunteers apply to

your organization

Jerry Panas has some very easy to read books: “Asking” , “Fundraising Habits of Supremely Successful Boards”

Easy

#15 Thank You calls

Proper stewardship strengthens the relationship between the donor and the organization. One way to do that is to immediately mitigate “buyer’s remorse”.HOMEWORK:

• Each committee member is given a list of names, phone numbers, and a script

• You are calling (1) as a volunteer and (2) to say thank you• This is also an opportunity to find out the connection the

donor has to the organization

The most impactful activity that yields high donor satisfaction and high volunteer satisfaction

Easy

#16 Solicitation Visits

ADVANCED TACTICOrganizational culture and volunteer comfort may not allow this to happen in your organization, however, work toward it as you’ll realize great benefit

• Previous involvement in the process• Great example of “signaling”• Review meeting agenda• Role play• Discuss objections

Hard

#17 Evaluation & Evolution

Compare to the Development Committee Charter established 12 months prior

• Self Assessment (CDO to develop)

• Discuss what worked; what didn’t

• Do we have the right people on the committee?

• Develop criteria of “ideal committee member”

• Use list for recruitment; recruitment period

• Allow volunteers to resign; orient new member appropriately

How far have we come, where are we going

Getting the right people in the right seats on the bus is the most important tactic

Medium

How to Apply to YOUR Organization…

Work the Calendar…Your organization’s development calendar will enable you to implement the tactics in this session.

E.g. make stewardship calls X# weeks after your fall appeal drops.

How to Apply to YOUR Organization…

Right Size It!

Contact me!

Phone: (401) 263-4902Email: mberard@ascentadvisors.netTwitter: @micheleberardBlog: www.micheleberard.com

Additional resources

are available here!

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU!Contact me!

Phone: (401) 263-4902Email: mberard@ascentadvisors.netTwitter: @micheleberardBlog: www.micheleberard.com