Effective Frontline Fundraising: A Guide for Nonprofits, Political Candidates, and Advocacy Groups PDF
Preview Effective Frontline Fundraising: A Guide for Nonprofits, Political Candidates, and Advocacy Groups
Effective Frontline Fundraising: A Guide for Non-Profits, Political Candidates, and Advocacy Groups Copyright © 2011 by Jeffrey David Stauch All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher. ISBN-13 (pbk): 978-1-43023900-0 ISBN-13 (electronic): 978-1-4302-3901-7 Trademarked names, logos, and images may appear in this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, logo, or image we use the names, logos, and images only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. 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To my teachers: —JDS Contents About the Author Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Nonprofits, Cash Flow, and Philanthropy Chapter 2: The Role of a Fundraiser Chapter 3: The Gift Cycle Chapter 4: Assembling Your Team Chapter 5: The Basic Tools Chapter 6: The Annual Plan Chapter 7: Crafting Your Message Chapter 8: Stewardship Chapter 9: Face Time Chapter 10: The Ask Chapter 11: Major Gifts Chapter 12: Political Fundraising Chapter 13: Charity, Advocacy Group, or Both? Chapter 14: Get Out There and Start Asking Appendix A: Additional Resources Appendix B: Example Appeals and Websites You Should Envy Appendix C: Funding Sources Beyond the Individual Donor Index About the Author Jeffrey David Stauch received his BA in political science at Middlebury College and his MA in social sciences at the University of Chicago. He started his career in fundraising in Boston with Grassroots Campaigns, Inc., and Telefund, Inc. Jeffrey is currently the assistant director of principal gifts at a small, elite liberal arts college. He is also the volunteer giving officer for Betasab (www.betasab.org), a home for orphaned children in Ethiopia. When not at work, he runs, coaches youth hockey, trains in the martial art of Aikido, and writes creative non-fiction. He has a pet rabbit. Acknowledgments I would like to begin by acknowledging the team at Apress, specifically Jeff Olson and Adam Heath for their guidance and patience while this book came together. Chandra Clarke made us all look good with her expedient and thorough copyediting. Special thanks to Jeff for trusting that we could pull this off in the first place, and for giving me the opportunity to put my thoughts to paper. I would also like to thank my mentors past and present—Lisa, AJ, Hyam, Mama Duck, Stephanie, Matt, Meghan, Mike, and Sue K (twice now!)—for being generous with their time and wisdom over the years. Much of what is expressed in this book is owed to the lessons that I learned under these very talented fundraisers. And, of course, thanks to all those donors who support the important work of the nonprofits out there. Introduction There's No Such Thing as Luck My first job as a fundraiser was not glorious. I was working for a for-profit company that contracted with progressive nonprofits that had opted to outsource their fundraising operations. While the job was far from glamorous, it was a great training ground, and I was fortunate to meet many people dedicated to what we called internally the movement, or the left-wing conspiracy. My first year, I was put in charge of directing the street canvassing office in Boston, in the lead-up to the mid-term US elections. Our client at the time, not surprisingly, was the Democratic National Committee (DNC). I worked six to seven days a week, averaging more than 60 hours a week (and oftentimes pushing 80). Three or four of those days, I was out with my crew, clipboard in hand in a bright blue DNC t-shirt, waving down pedestrians with a smile and a question along the lines of, “Do you have a minute for the Democrats?” or “Have a second to talk about the mid-terms?” The work was grueling, and there were certainly moments when I questioned what I was doing. Back at the office, the saying went: “The hours are long, and the work is thankless, but at least the pay sucks.” One of the first lessons I learned, direct from the mouth of one of the vice presidents of the company, let's call him Stan, during our week of intense training in Newton, Massachusetts, was there's no such thing as luck. It was an interesting thought, and just counterintuitive enough to make all the young, starry-eyed liberals in the room pause for a second to internalize what exactly that meant. Stan's point was that becoming an effective fundraiser is about developing a skill set, just as in any other job. His conviction proved true first in my job canvassing on the streets of Boston, then down the hall as I grew the call center of the canvassing company's sister organization, and now, at a small college in New England, soliciting six-and seven-figure gifts and coordinating eight-figure solicitations in collaboration with the college administration.
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