Change in the Cushions

by Chris Kennedy, JFSG Vice President of Client Services

The unexpected almost always brings with it a welcomed degree of joy. It might be something as special as a sudden accolade at work, or as simple as the change found in the cushions or the fries in the bottom of the bag. In fund-raising, it is not our job to wait for the unexpected to walk in the door with a big check. It is our responsibility to seek out those hidden treasures.

Recently, a client with whom I am working received an unexpected call, with even greater unexpected results. Without any provocation, a gentleman in his eighties called to indicate he was interested in leaving a percentage of his estate to the organization. Being in the middle of a campaign with a significant match associated, the director of development wisely informed the donor of the opportunity, which he accepted without hesitation. Ultimately, the estimated amount of his estate gift resulted in one of the largest gifts to the campaign.

What made this little bit of the unexpected even more special was that he had sought out the organization without prompting and that he was conspicuously absent from the prospect solicitation list. This incident served as a great example of the need to recognize and engage even the smallest donors, as well as the need to formulate a method for seeking out similar gems to engage.

1. Know Your Prospects

In our initial analysis of the prospect database, our criteria were too narrow, which left the donor in this example off of the primary list. He was in the database, but since we had previously focused primarily on cumulative giving levels, he did not meet our criteria. However, in a new analysis we had just completed, his name surfaced in the top 20% of prospective donors.

There is a great temptation to qualify prospective donors by relying solely on their cumulative giving levels, or even worse, estimated capacities derived from electronic asset screenings. Any prospect filtering with an emphasis on the size of gifts or gift potential will inevitably leave ready donors in the shadows.

As an alternative, we always recommend and assist clients with an analysis that evaluates and weighs three primary factors commonly recognized in the industry:

• How recently have they given? Those who have given recently are ripe for cultivating larger or additional gifts in the near future.
• How frequently have they given? Frequent givers provide a snapshot into the donor's priorities. Those who have given one large gift a few years back are less likely to give again than those who have given small gifts on a regular basis.
• How much have they given? While this does remain an important factor, it is important to weight it the least since it does not provide a solid framework for understanding a donor's likelihood of repeat giving.

2. Let Your Prospects Know You

Once an analysis is complete, it should be combined with a plan designed to cultivate donors toward greater giving. No data is worth its weight without a solid plan to engage the donors who come to the surface. This plan should have a strategy for engaging donors at each of the levels established in the analysis and at varying giving levels.

More effort should be expended in engaging those who have given recently, give regularly, and give significantly. However, this plan should definitely include a strategy for engaging those on the fringe, so that when the time is right, they will look to your organization to invest.

It is by chance that the donor in this example considered the organization referenced. He is an example of a check that walked in the door, but his story is definitely more the exception than the rule. It begs the question, "What other donors are sitting in the shadows looking for something significant to invest in?" Fund-raisers need to look for change in the cushions rather than waiting for it to jump in their pockets.