![]() |
|
![]() |
 |
![]() |
Consultant’s
Corner
Cultivation
of the Prospect
Fund raising is much like another of the great American professions, farming.
To reap a major gift for their cause, fund raisers require the virtues
of a farmer: patience, devotion, and care. (OK, we’ll admit upfront
that, as any farmer can tell you, a little fertilizer doesn’t hurt).
Crops require months and sometimes years of preparation before they’re
ready for harvest. So do major gifts.
Prospecting. Before we attempt to harvest a major gift, we must carefully
select our prospect. Of course, these can be raw seeds, all new, first-time
givers, but in all likelihood the prospect has been carefully cultivated
in the greenhouse for years. Before we transplant the prospect into major
gift territory, we should be certain that the school or organization has
been attentive to the giver. The ideal prospect has been well cared for
over a substantial period of time.
Planning. Behind the modern farmer is a vast array of scientific and technical
advisors. Behind the solicitor of the major gift are consultants and a
staff. Consultants can advise the solicitor on his approach to the prospect,
on techniques, language and timing – but a good staff will make the
difference To the staff usually falls the responsibility of research, so
that the solicitor will know everything possible about the lifestyle and
giving pattern of the prospect.
Identification of the gift. We don’t grow cotton in Maine or blueberries
in Georgia, and even the best prospects are wasted when they’re approached
for the wrong gift. The nature of a major gift should flow naturally from
the character and inclinations of the prospect.
Many times this identification is made by means of a pre-campaign feasibility
study. The consultants will usually determine the exact sate of interest
in potential donors and build a master list of additional prospects. The
interviews that result from such a study are generally an effective means
of determining whether chief prospects are sufficiently cultivated for
the major gift appeal.
An alternative technique at this stage is a series of staff-run screening
sessions, in which prospects identify their interests and provide the names
of other like-minded potential givers.
Participation. Once the prospect is selected, the seedling must be planted
in major gift soil. Usually this means that the giver must become involved
in the organization because, one involved, the giver begins to share more
deeply in the organization’s need for the major gift.
Typical examples of this involvement include school tours, small dinners,
with college presidents, or trustees, invitations to sit on museum committees,
or recruitment to leadership positions on finance committees. A major gift
is a direct result of the giver’s participation in the organization’s
sense of urgent financial need.
Role models. No giver exists in a vacuum; the seeds of a major gift bear
fruit only in a healthy climate of giving. An important step before soliciting
the prospect is impressing board members and trustees with the importance
of setting an example. How can we expect a prospect to give when the organization’s
oldest friends are parsimonious? The prospect must be convinced that the
much-needed major gift is a cornerstone on which others are willing to
build.
Solicitation. At a certain point, the solicitor, staff and consultants
will feel that the prospect has ripened. It’s time to ask for and
to harvest the major gift.
Of course, the prospect may not, in fact, have ripened. Just as in farming,
elements out of your control may impede your success. In the event that
the first request is denied (or politely turned aside), don’t give
up. We simply return to an earlier point in the cycle and work carefully
back to the harvest.
Recognition and follow-up. the major gift giver is a perennial asset, and
extreme care must be taken in the period following the gift. Appropriate
recognition and an action plan for the donor’s continuing involvement
must be promptly implemented. Consider:
• Naming opportunities
• Listings in publications
• Invitations to special events
• Major donor clubs
• Ongoing committee involvement (e.g., visiting
committees)
• Participation in long-range planning
• Special interest task forces
• Leadership in training volunteers
As in farming, so in fund raising. There’s no substitute for hard
work and a little fertilizer.
Mrs.
Goodale is chair of Goodale Associates, an international management
and fund-raising consulting firm specializing in capital and
annual campaigns and corporate solicitations. She can be reached
at 509 Madison Avenue, Suite 1112, New York City, 10022; or
phone 212-759-2999/fax 212-759-7490 or by visiting her firm’s
web site: www.tkgoodale.com. |
|
