Pushing Them Over The Edge: Getting Major Donors to Make the Gift
By: Heidi A. Bruce, MBA, CFRM, 07/19/06

We all have on our lists prospects who just cannot seem to commit to making the gift.  We know they have the potential, they have been invited to several events, have met with other donors and administrators, but still haven’t made the gift.  We scratch our heads and wonder “Why?” or “What have I done wrong?”  In reality it may be as simple as asking the donor what their real intentions are; we should never assume anything.

These prospects are tough because they relish feeling as though they are a part of an exclusive club and reply to every invitation, take free game tickets and attend any event that is associated with the organization.  These donors are getting the same benefits for not giving as those that have given. It may be prudent to examine the perceived potential versus the actual potential.

If we realize that a prospect’s actual potential is different from perceived potential, it is time to have another conversation.  If you presented an ask for $25,000, but the prospect cannot afford that, they probably will not respond right away, even though they love the program, have come to the events and met everyone associated with it.  They will put you off forever because it is embarrassing for them to have to say they cannot give what you have asked for, which is probably an amount they wish they could do.  At that time you need to revisit them and ask, “We presented a proposal for $25,000, but I would like to know what you are willing to do for this program today.  This program needs you and could really use your help.”  This question puts them back in the driver’s seat, so they think, and they will answer you frankly.  (It is important to say willing instead of capable for two reasons: 1. Willing creates an element of trust. 2. Willing makes them feel needed instead of embarrassed.)
This may also be the perfect opportunity to present them with other giving options such as planned giving.  Consider this small math lesson:  if your organization has 30,000 alumni/supporters and they each bequeath $1,000 to the organization, then you will have raised $30M.  Planned Giving is an option to present to everyone, but especially those prospects who are really involved and may be unable to give cash, stocks or bonds.  It makes them feel special, and that is what matters.

Many times when we are preparing for a visit, we look at past giving history and other organizations that our prospect gives to, and assume we know what their interests are.  We take along information about the program that they have been giving to, believing this is what they want.  But the idea of a visit is to get to know the prospect, not necessarily to bombard them with information.  So it is important to have materials ready, but not program specific.  More general information is fine until you have asked one of the all important questions, “What are you interested in doing with your gifts?” or “Are you giving to a program that you want to continue to support or do you have another area of interest?”

Donors may be giving to a program because a classmate told them about it, it is the only one they know about or they may be unaware of their ability to give to other areas.  So it is imperative to ask them what they want to achieve with their donations.  Just because a prospect was a Business major does not mean she wants to support the Business program.  He may work for a company that requires employees to speak a foreign language, and may want to support that program.  In my experience this happens a lot more frequently than not.
I met with a prospect who was a Biology major, but he also sang in the Choir and wanted to be in the band more than anything, but he didn’t play an instrument.  His donations to Biology were annual and not very much, but consistent.  So I felt I had to meet with him just because he has been supporting the program for so long.  During the conversation I asked him if he was really interested in Biology, and that is how he began to talk about the Choir and the band.  He went on to say that whenever the band comes to town, he never misses a concert.  Want to guess what he really wanted to support?  The band!  He assumed that because he was a  Biology major, that was the only area he could support.

Sometimes getting those donors who are on the edge to take the plunge is a matter of asking different questions.  Asking if a donor or prospect has certain areas of interest seems like common sense, but it always surprises me how many times fundraisers forget to ask this question.  This is the most important question in our arsenal because it helps us get to the nitty-gritty of the donor’s goals.

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About the Author

Heidi A. Bruce, MBA, CFRM is a private consultant in the Washington, DC area.  She can be reached at heidiabruce@yahoo.com.