The Role of the Fundraising Professional in Solicitation

A successful solicitation is not achieved through power of persuasion or charm. It is achieved by the fundraiser’s ability to stir the donor’s moral imagination, offer the opportunity for the right kind of gift, and ensure that the purpose of the gift fits both the donor’s passions and the organization’s needs. The fundraiser’s role is to engage the donor with the organization in a way that is meaningful to the donor. Although this is personal and specific to each donor, it is not guesswork. There are structures and tools to achieve this goal, and there is a method that we can understand and implement. Fundraisers serve as a conduit for a meaningful relationship between the donor and the organization, helping to meet the needs of both. The potential for success is increased when fundraisers recognize the essential role they play.

Philanthropy is inherently autobiographical. Walt Whitman said, “When I give, I give myself.” Giving brings to the forefront life experiences that have been transformational to the donor. Donors have a vision for what they want the world to be like, based on those experiences, and they believe the chosen organization shares that vision and will turn it into a reality.

Fundraisers are not only conduits between the donor and organization; they also serve as conduits between the donor and the donor’s vision. Donors are not always aware of their true values and passions; fundraisers guide them through a journey of discovery throughout the solicitation process. The job of the fundraiser is to help donors find the meaning they are seeking through a gift to an organization. Fundraisers may see in donors the potential to create a gift—and connect the gift with their life’s story—before the donors see it. Fundraisers who earn their trust will have the honor of helping donors make a gift that is both meaningful and effective.

Strategic Cultivation

Securing a gift commitment is not a moment in time; it is an evolutionary process. Solicitation is the culmination of strategic cultivation, a process through which the fundraiser designs and implements specific steps to strengthen the relationship between the donor and organization, which ultimately leads to a gift.

Why include strategic cultivation in a chapter on personal solicitation? Because asking for a gift is the natural, logical next step in the relationship when—and only when—the fundraiser knows where the intersection resides between the donor’s passion and the organization’s needs (Fredericks, 2006).

An organization invests in strategic cultivation only for donors whose relationship with the organization indicates both interest and capacity to give a major gift (The Fund Raising School, 2009a). All major gift decisions are the result of a complex evaluation process. The organization evaluates whether the donor has interest, capacity, and willingness to give. The donor evaluates whether the organization has the capacity—in the form of leadership, infrastructure, and expertise—to fulfill the promise of the gift. Strategic cultivation provides the information required by both the donor and the organization for evaluation, allowing the organization to design engagement activities that give the donor what she needs to deepen her commitment and, together with the organization, identify a specific gift opportunity.

Managing the Strategic Cultivation Process

The process is actively managed and implemented by the fundraiser and begins with an assessment of what the organization knows and needs to know about the donor. The fundraiser uses a series of questions to develop a predetermined but continually changing plan for strategic cultivation (The Fund Raising School, 2009a):

• What are thedonor’s interests, values, and passion, specific to your organization?

• What is the desired purpose and impact of the gift?

• Is the gift a priority for the organization? How will it support the mission?

• What are the long-term implications for the organization in using these funds to accomplish the goal?

• Does the gift provide enough resources for the organization to deliver the impact the donor envisions?

• Who will be involved in the solicitation—from the organization and from the donor’s life?

• What assets will the donor use to create the gift? In what form and when?

The cultivation plan is tweaked after each contact and adjusted based on the donor’s time line, not the organization’s. Through this process the fundraiser becomes a student of the donor. In the process, the fundraiser learns to understand the donor’s needs and intentions, mind-set, relationship with philanthropy, world view, perception of the organization, interest, and passions. If the fundraiser is not careful to follow the donor’s time line, he takes away an opportunity for realization within the donor of what is important in the context of this relationship. Rushing the process deprives the donor of the full joy of giving and deprives the organization of the maximum amount of funding.

Through strategic cultivation, the fundraiser learns everything necessary to know about how and when to ask for a gift. The solicitation process includes more than one opportunity for asking for a gift. By repeatedly inviting the donor to become more deeply engaged in the life of the organization, the fundraiser is actually asking for the donor’s involvement and support multiple times along the way. The fundraiser isn’t guessing and hoping for the best or “pitching” an idea and waiting to see whether the donor will take a swing. The fundraiser also is not pestering the donor. Rather, the fundraiser is asking what is important to the donor and then listening and responding accordingly.

The Strategic Cultivation Meeting

Each contact begins with open-ended questions that explore the prospective donor’s key interests in the organization. The purpose of the open-ended questions is not to ask for money but to discover the donor’s passions so that when the fundraiser does ask the donor to make a gift, the fundraiser knows exactly what the donor wants to support. To gain this knowledge, the fundraiser can anticipate devoting the majority of the time spent with the donor to listening. Effective listening is characterized by the ability and discipline first to interpret and then to build on the ideas expressed by the donor.

A skilled fundraiser uses the natural flow of questions and responses to move from a broad to a specific understanding of the donor’s interests. Only after the fundraiser has heard what is important to the donor can he or she share with the donor the things that are important to know about the organization. This allows the fundraiser to position the information in a framework of what is important to the donor, placing the next step in the context of the donor’s values (Matheny, 1999). The fundraiser should always recap what was learned from the previous visit and never assume the donor remembers what was discussed earlier. Although it is the fundraiser’s hope and intention that this gift becomes central to the donor, it will take reminders along the way.

A successful engagement activity is one in which the fundraiser learns something about the donor relevant to a possible giving opportunity and then creates a mutually agreed upon reason to meet again. The fundraiser is solely responsible to keep the relationship moving forward. The fundraiser and others in the organization will need to stay active and persistent with the donor throughout the process. Timely follow-up signals that the organization cares about the donor’s interests and needs her support. A long time span between contacts requires recapturing and refocusing the donor’s attention.

Once the fundraiser has confirmed the needs of both the organization and donor through strategic cultivation, it is time to invite the donor to make a gift. Although the fundraiser enjoys getting to know the donor, encouraging her interests, and creating opportunities for meaningful engagement, when it is time to ask for a gift, the fundraiser may believe that unless he uses the right words, the donor will say “no.” There are no “right words,” but if the right questions are asked in the right way, for the right reason, and at the right time, the fundraiser will achieve a successful solicitation.

The Invitation to Make a Gift

Through strategic cultivation, the fundraiser has confirmed that the donor has learned everything she needs to know about the organization and that the fundraiser has learned everything he needs to know about the donor. The fundraiser knows what is meaningful to her and has confirmed her readiness to make a gift that is a high priority for the organization. Now how does the fundraiser ask for the gift in a way that will ensure it is a gift that fulfills the needs of both the donor and the organization?

Team Approach

As stated earlier, asking for a gift is not a solo act or one-time performance. Involving the organization’s leadership and key volunteers throughout the solicitation process is the most effective strategy for securing a major gift. This is also true when it is time to invite the donor to make the gift. The participation of the senior executive signals to the donor that the organization recognizes that this is a very important moment. It indicates that the donor’s consideration of the gift is significant to the organization and that the gift opportunity has the full strength and backing of the organization. In addition, volunteers who are recognized as important to the donor and who have made similar philanthropic commitments can share a compelling testimony about how their support for the organization has been meaningful to them.

The fundraiser provides the continuity in the relationship between the organization and the donor through strategic cultivation and continues to serve in that role after the invitation to make a gift. Thus the fundraiser is uniquely equipped to prepare the team for the solicitation meeting.

Preparing the Solicitation Team

Using the knowledge gained through strategic cultivation, the development officer provides the team with talking points for the solicitation meeting and specifies who is to extend the invitation to make the gift. The decision about whether and when to include written material during the solicitation process is specific to the donor. For example, it may be most effective to ask for the gift and follow up with a written proposal reconfirming what transpired and was agreed upon during the invitation to make a gift. Either way, it is incumbent on the fundraiser to educate the team concisely but thoroughly about all details of the gift opportunity.

The fundraiser shares a list of what he believes could be the donor’s objection to making a gift based on what the fundraiser and team learned about the donor during strategic cultivation. This engenders confidence among the team and ensures that the momentum of the solicitation is not derailed by the inability to respond to questions.

The fundraiser guides the team through a rehearsal of talking points, providing the opportunity to practice key words the team members want to be sure to include in the conversation. However, it is important to emphasize that the solicitation is a conversation and not a “pitch.” The team should focus on what is important to the donor.

The fundraiser gives the team a suggested time line for each segment of the meeting to help keep the conversation focused on the solicitation. Remind the team to maintain a conversational tone; the team is inviting a gift, not selling it. You and your team will know when to segue to the next stage of the solicitation meeting—and how to sculpt the conversation—by listening actively, anticipating responses, and being prepared to weave the conversation back to the invitation to make a gift. Active listening requires that team members imagine themselves in the donor’s position. Team members are engaged in the conversation while observing it. The ability to be both present and transcendent allows the team to listen for concerns that may be communicated through the donor’s voice and body language rather than words.

The Solicitation Meeting

Preparation is critical for success, and it represents 90 percent of the time involved in the solicitation process. By this time, the fundraiser knows all that is necessary about the donor and the gift opportunity. If the fundraiser begins the solicitation with precision and care, it will close itself (Edwards and Wood, 1992).

Start the Conversation. Begin the solicitation by thanking the donor for her past gifts, current giving, and volunteering when applicable. Thank her for the privilege it has been to learn more about her, her passion, and her vision for the future. Last, thank her for the opportunity to meet, and remind her of the purpose of meeting.

Transition to the Gift Opportunity. During strategic cultivation, the donor has expressed what she values in the organization’s mission. Shift the conversation to a specific gift opportunity by referencing specific things said by the donor that reflect her passion for what the gift will support or make happen. Using her own words is critical to a successful transition to a specific ask. It allows the fundraiser to restate key points about the gift opportunity in the context of the donor’s passion and values. Using words you’ve heard her say lets the donor know you were listening and in turn deepens her trust and commitment to make the gift. If you haven’t heard the donor confirm her interest in making a gift, it is too early to make the ask.

Recount what you have learned together as a story of the relationship that has grown between the donor and the organization. This is a story animated by the donor’s values, passion, and vision for the future. Tell the donor why this gift and the gift amount are being suggested and that both are based on what the donor has shared about herself and her relationship with the organization. Include a moment of drama in the story in which the future is contingent on the donor’s decision to make the gift. Share the importance and urgency of the gift, not in terms of deadline but in terms of an outcome that is dependent on the donor. Focus on the needs being met through the organization, not the organization’s funding needs. With sincerity, respect, and authenticity, describe the gift opportunity as something the donor is uniquely poised to take. Reference how the gift will fulfill the donor’s aspirations as well as create the impact she envisions.

Ask for the Gift. Then, in three sentences or less, invite the donor to make a gift of a specific amount for a specific purpose, stating the benefits of the gift to the organization and to the donor. Ask with confidence, passion, and expectancy. Donors will be persuaded more by the depth of your conviction than by the height of your logic (Basile, 2009).

Await the Answer in Silence. The next step is the most difficult: stop talking and wait for the donor’s response. Although the silence may last no more than a minute, this is a critical juncture in the solicitation meeting. Neither listening nor silence is passive. Silence is not waiting to talk while simultaneously crafting a response. Through silence the fundraiser creates a space in which the donor can reflect on what is important to her. By turning over control of the conversation to the donor, the fundraiser demonstrates respect for her and further earns her trust.

Negotiate if Necessary. The larger the gift, the greater the opportunity for success or failure for both the donor and the organization. Therefore, when the solicitation is made, the solicitation team should expect a “no” answer. A no is not a roadblock; it is an opportunity to find out to what the donor is saying no. Respond with confidence and patience. Acknowledge the objection and identify the concerns by listening, then begin to address the concerns through discussion and negotiation.

You may think that negotiation—a word more commonly associated with a competitive or adversarial exchange—would be anathema to the almost spiritual process of inviting someone to express her greatest values. However, negotiation is inherent in the determination of a gift that is significant for both the donor and the organization. It is necessary in an exchange through which the donor and organization ensure that their shared aspirations for the gift are realized.

Although it is important to ask for a specific amount within a specific time frame, be prepared to provide options on how the gift can be funded. As you move through negotiation, do not lower the amount of the gift. A set gift level and timing are required to accomplish the impact envisioned by the donor and the organization. Devaluing the gift may negatively affect the organization’s capacity to deliver the outcome. To prevent this, in advance of the meeting take time to identify alternative giving opportunities that match the donor’s passion, and be prepared to discuss them.

Again, there are no right words, but there are right questions and responses. The focus of your initial response must always be on the donor rather than on the organization. Your first concern is to deal with the specific concerns raised by the donor rather than closing the gift.

Close the Gift. Closure occurs when all parties reach consensus on next steps to be taken by both the donor and the organization, whether for the execution of a gift or continued exploration. Establish a specific time line for following up before concluding the meeting. In all cases, each member of the team should contact the donor again within twenty-four hours.

Close the conversation with the same confidence and specificity you had when asking for the gift. Always include an expression of gratitude for the opportunity to invite the donor to make the gift commitment, and do so in a tone that conveys your confidence that the donor will in fact make the gift.

Beyond Solicitation: The Fundraiser’s Role Rightly Defined

The fundraiser’s role is to help the donor discover what she would like to accomplish through the organization that is meaningful to her. Although the donor is not giving because of the fundraiser, the fundraiser’s mind-set has an enormous impact on the success or failure in getting the gift. Anxiety and fear impact the fundraiser’s effectiveness negatively. Asking for money is personal; it takes the fundraiser to places in a donor’s life that are reserved for very few people. The fundraiser sometimes fears that he will fail to secure the gift and thus will jeopardize the organization’s sustainability. Anxiety emerges when the fundraiser focuses on fear of failure rather than on what is known to be true about individuals of wealth: they have the inclination to give, and their giving provides the meaning they seek in life. The fundraiser must not lapse into the mind-set that he must convince reluctant donors to part with their money. It is important for fundraisers to recognize at all times that donors are not giving something away; they are sharing their resources so that what is important to them is available to themselves and others.

The key to overcoming anxiety is to focus on the donor and the mission of the organization. A fundraiser doesn’t need to be anxious when he is secure in the knowledge that he has followed a process that assures both the donor and the organization that all of their needs have been considered and will be met. The fundraiser and donor share a vision for the future and confidence in the organization that it will fulfill that vision. As the fundraiser experiences the joy of working together with the donor toward this common purpose, fear naturally subsides (Matheny, 1999).

The job of fundraising is not really about asking for gifts (though fundraisers must ask), but about bringing a new joy to the lives of donors by helping them fulfill their need for meaning (Ritzenhein, 2000). Through this process fundraisers discover that just as donors are not simply a means to an end, neither are fundraisers. Fundraisers help facilitate and are often present at the defining and exquisite moments when donors gain awareness of their deepest passions. As fundraisers guide donors though their philanthropic journeys, fundraisers may discover the potential meaning that gifts hold for donors before the donors themselves realize what that is. At times fundraisers may assist donors in their journeys; at other times donors’ visions inspire the confidence fundraisers need to move forward and ask for a gift. As fundraisers invite donors to discover the joy of giving, fundraisers experience joy themselves.

Conclusion

Personal solicitation is an opportunity and invitation to do something important, for both the fundraiser and the donor. In the words of Dag Hammarskjöld (1983), fundraisers invite donors “to read with open eyes the book (their) days are writing.” Fundraisers help donors translate the life experiences and values they hold dear into a legacy of generosity. Generosity, in turn, creates the fabric of our lives and evokes the best in all of us.