STICK TO THE BASICS
Major Gifts

A successful solicitation at any giving level involves many considerations. Fundraisers have often heard the story of a large gift donor’s response to the questions, "Why did you make such a large gift to that institution?" The response: "They asked." Fundraisers know things aren’t quite that simple. No one wants to just give money away. Bu they do want to support children, wildlife, senior citizens, cultural endeavors, and many other causes.

Here are 29 principles that should be second nature to any fundraiser. Practicing them will increase substantially the successful solicitation of gifts.

1. Set achievable goals. Establish reasonable long and short-term goals for yourself as well as your development operation. Then, develop strategies on how to achieve those goals.
2. Keep a positive attitude. A positive outlook on life toward yourself and your prospects should be a daily regimen.
3. Believe in your institution. There’s an old saying, "If you don’t, who will?" You must believe wholeheartedly in your institution and the service it provides. If you don’t, neither will your prospect. Your conviction - or lack thereof - will be evident to all potential funders.
4. Focus on fundamentals. Learn and execute the basics of solicitation. The solicitation process is a talent that only comes through practice and new information. Read. Attend seminars. Develop mentor relationships.
5. Meet the prospect’s needs. Understand your prospects and their individual needs. Generally, most people spend too much time telling what we have to offer and too little time finding out what potential donors want.
6. Create long-term relationships. Remember the golden rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. As you get to know your prospect, you’ll learn the best ways to serve that person. It’s important for you to be honest and candid. It is your responsibility to show your prospect ways in which philanthropy can meet his or her desires and ambitions. Once you do that, you’ll have a loyal donor.
7. Be prepared. Self motivation and preparation are the life-blood of your efforts. You must be eager and ready to explain why individuals should give to your institution. Be prepared to answer questions and respond to criticism.
8. Look professional. Looking professional can reflect very positively on you and your institution.
9. Establish rapport. As you get to know the prospect, make them feel at ease wit you and work to inspire their confidence in you and your organization early on.
10. Master the details. If you don’t know your institution inside and out, there’s no way you will be free to solicit an appropriate gift. You need the background to have the confidence to ask for a major gift and make it stick.
11. Tell the truth. When you do, you’ll never have to remember what you said.
12. Be sincere. When you are sincere about helping people, it shows.
13. Sell the impact. Too often, fundraisers spend time telling people about the clever ways they can make a gift rather than reminding them of the impact their gifts can have on people’s lives. While fundraising incorporates many sales techniques, it is not retail sales.
14. Qualify the prospect. Don’t waste time working with someone who doesn’t have enough interest in your institution or lacks the financial capacity to make a major gift.
15. Don’t knock the competition. Never put down other agencies or fundraisers. You might be tempted to share your insights with prospects, but don’t do it. It will backfire and reflect badly on you in the long run.
16. Be punctual. When you are late, you are saying in effect, "I don’t respect your time." There’s no excuse. If you can’t be there on time, call and apologize.
17. Use humor. Humor is one of the best means of raising money. More than anything else, having fun at what you do and making the prospect laugh can help you become successful in this field.
18. Use testimonials. There’s nothing stronger than having a donor who is excited about your institution and its impact serve as a reference.
19. Ask for the gift. This has been said many times. But when a solicitation has been unsuccessful, it is often because the prospect was never really asked for the gift.
20. Keep a promise. If you can’t fulfill a promise to a prospect, that person won’t trust you. As a result, you will not be able to move them up the giving ladder.
21. Work as a team. Making a successful solicitation is a team effort. Usually, there are others involved in the process leading up to the solicitation, including prospect identification, research, and cultivation. Make them feel a part of your successes and failures.
22. After you ask, shut up. Nothing else needs to be said. If the donor doesn’t make the gift, make plans for a future relationship. When a gift does not succeed, try to learn something from the solicitation. Ask yourself how you could have done it better, what other information you could have brought to the table, and what you learned about the prospect.
23. Be passionate about solicitation. The more thorough you are in identification and cultivation, the better your chances to be successful in the solicitation.
24. Don’t blame others. When the fault is yours, accept responsibility. Then do something about it.
25. Follow up. Make certain you keep in contact with your prospect. Do whatever it takes. It will take many contacts with a prospect before you finally get a gift.
26. Accept rejection. Remember that rejection of a gift solicitation isn’t a rejection of you personally. It is merely a rejection of the gift opportunity.
27. Be creative. Once you have learned the fundamentals of your institution and your work, think of ways to set yourself apart from the competition.
28. Be persistent. When someone rejects your offer, recognize that your persistence eventually will pay off.
29. Don’t brag. While you spend time telling everyone about your latest big gift, someone else is out there soliciting a bigger one for another institution.

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