0511 thought leadership webinar slides

1. Ignite Success
From Within:
Raise Big Gifts
with the Team
You Have
Presented by
Jennifer M. Tersigni,
MA, CFRE, CIE
CEO & Consultant

2. Session Objectives
In this session, we’ll discuss:
•Engaging your entire team as ambassadors,
influencers, fundraisers, and revenue generators.
•Leveraging your team's capacity with fractional
staffing and AI tools.

3. Today’s Session is
especially valuable
for Organizations
with 0-3 Dedicated
Fundraising Staff.

4. Ah-hah Moment: A ½ time Forward-Facing
fundraising professional or other staff
member can…
 Make 7-10 donor visits per week (up to 40/month).
 Call 60-80 donors in a week, assuming 20-30 min phone call (240-
320/month).
 Send 60-80 personal communications in a week (240-320/month).
 Send bulk communications to thousands per week (e-mail, social media).
 Write 2 – 3 foundation/corporate submittals weekly.
 Or a combination thereof.
 …. IF they focus their time on dedicated fundraising tasks.

5. Fundraising
Staffing is at
an impasse…
Many
organizations
cannot
afford to
hire.
Highest Paid Staff next to CEO and,
sometimes, finance director.
Mass exodus out of Industry post-
COVID (retirement, leaving profession).
Increased salary and work-life balance
expectations post-COVID.
Fewer experienced fundraising
employees in job market.

6. Leaders
are faced
with:
Increased hiring costs, for very experienced
and inexperienced staff.
Taking a chance on promoting internally
and/or training industry newcomers.
Concerns about whether they can afford
fundraising staff given annual revenues and
growth trends.
Rethinking fundraising strategies, resourcing,
and overall business models.

7. How You Can…
Build Your
Fundraising Team…
with those you have

8. Step #1: Identify Your Team (Staff & Volunteers)
Who are your ‘naturals’? There is a role for everyone!
Sincere
Connectors
Amazing
Listeners
Researchers
Problem-
Solvers

9. Building Your
Fundraising Team
Like Sales Teams,
your fundraising
team needs key
members for
each step along
the way.
Identify and train
team members
for these roles.
Prospectors
(Conduct and Coordinate Prospect Research, Qualify Leads,
Assist with Strategy)
Good role for people with investigative skills, introverts and/or
and folks who “can’t ask.”
Lead Solicitors/Officers
(Face-forward fundraisers, major gift officers).
People who enjoy networking, building relationships, and are
comfortable asking for money, in-person or virtually. These roles
include charity-to-entity (aka B2B) or direct donor contact (B2C).
Ambassadors
(Networkers & Connectors)
Seen-and-Be-Seen role of connecting prospects with a charity.
Usually passes the baton to a Lead Solicitor/Officer. Great role
for Board members.
Account Managers
(Engagement, Cultivation, Donation Processing)
People who maintain administrative relationships but do not
seek new leads. Comfortable with Donor Relations and follow
up. Not closers or solicitors.

10. Step #2:
Invest in
Training Your
Team &
Purchasing
Needed Tools
• CRM & Prospect Research Tools
• Hosting & Travel Funds
• Social and Google Advertising, Social
Fundraising Support
• 3rd Party Direct Marketing
• Printing & Postage
• Event/Auction, Text, etc. Platforms
• Professional Development
Annual Fundraising:
• Prospect Research
• Leads Generation Program
• Professional Development
Planned Giving:

11. Step #3:
Set Realistic
Expectations
•5% Annual Growth in good
economic times.
•Plan a 3-5 year return on
investment if seeding growth.
Annual Fundraising:
•Eyes Wide Open: Plan a 10-
year return on investment
from the onset of initial efforts.
Planned Giving:

12. Step #4
Plan your Donor Engagement (7 -10 touches
annually) with a turnkey program.
Monthly Mission-Centric
Communications and
Requests for
Involvement.
Calendar 4 VIP
Activities Per Year
(one/quarter).
Use current
programming as “Good
Excuses” to Reach Out
and Follow-Up
Use AI based chats to
engage donors by IM
and text
Activate a new Thank
You Contact Process.
Deploy Team Members
for each role/activity

13. Employ a
Leads
Generation
Strategy
(to meet and
get to know
your donors)
Especially good for narrowing a larger
list of leads.
Engage with donors the way they are
most comfortable (Zoom, IM/social,
phone, mail, e-mail, text)
Consider a Special Offer or Invitation
Track success

14. The Key to
Successful
Fundraising =
Personal
Relationships with
Donors

15. Step #5:
Know Thy
Donor…
DATA IS
GOLDEN… and
critical in this
Age of AI!
Do your research. Conduct
prospect screening first! NOTE:
Transforming at the speed of light
with AI.
Build your portfolio with the people
who have the greatest capacity
and propensity to give.
Know your donor cohort
(aggregate data). These key
indicators help you hone
messaging and prospecting.

16. Know Your Donors to Make the (right) ask!
Otherwise, you can miss an opportunity.
Call them by their
preferred name
(and pronoun)
Know their
profession, religious
affiliation, politics,
holidays they
celebrate.
Is it “Seasons
Greetings? Happy
Holidays? Merry
Christmas? Happy
Chanukah?”
Know what they like
to eat, what they do
for leisure, and if they
have a family or pets
Oh, they have a
family? Who are
they? Do they like
their family? Does
the cat rank higher?
What are their
favorite causes or
charities?

17. Step 6:
Make an ask that speaks to them.
Honor Listen to what matters to donors - and stand by your
promises.
Match Ask for Support in Ways that Align with the Donor’s
Interests.
Prepare Think about the donor’s personhood and what you know
about them. Have a Plan A, B and C.

18. Take notes
Document
everything about
your donor in your
CRM.
You and your
successors will
need this
information for
years to come.

19. Don’t Forget the People Who are
Great Writers, who can assist with...
Writing Annual Campaign, Case
Statement and Communications Content.
Complete Corporate and Foundation
Proposals.
Writing and Submit Government Grants &
Contracts.

20. Add Fractional Staffing to Your Team
FT Staff and Big Titles are not always needed!
Determine the percentage of time needed for
each core activity in your fundraising program.
Engage consultants, contractors, and vendors
for their expertise in core areas to expand your
fundraising capacity or better align other staff
positions.

21. Benefits of Utilizing Fractional Staffing
Gain specialists and highly compensated
functioning for a “fraction” of the price.
 Reduce staffing costs tied to overpaying for
disproportionate work or titles.
Help meet competitive hiring challenges.
Lower overall staffing costs and cut time theft.
Free up funds to use or invest otherwise.

22. Make AI and Chat Your Friend
(these technologies will transform the field!)
Make new
technologies
your friend
Use for initial
content
creation. Rework
for your brand.

23. 5 Hacks to Maximize Success
 1. Build VIP engagements into
current organization events. Try not
to plan separate events.
 2. Make New Technologies your
friend. Adopt AI for social chats with
followers.
 3. Onboard systems first, then
people. Most organizations do this in
reverse, if ever.
 4. Let go of the notion that all your
Board members will fundraise. Make
them all Ambassadors and a Thank
You Brigade instead (some will
naturally fundraise as a result).
 5. Never dismiss the power of Free
Food. People of all income levels will
join you for free and exclusive
events.

24. Thank you for attending today’s session.
Fundraising. Organizational Alignment.
Interim Executive & Transitional Leadership Solutions.
Jennifer M. Tersigni
520.982.5467
jennifer@raisethebarllc.com
raisethebarllc.com