Leslie and I are knee-deep in writing these days. Year-end appeals, case statements, major gift messaging, and on and on. The thesaurus is dog-eared and I for one am in need of a good long break from the computer screen.
Here’s a little confession. We’ve been composing fundraising messages for well over twenty years and we’re still making it up as we go along. It actually hurts to write a good fundraising letter or prepare a strong personal solicitation pitch. Yes, there are formulas and frameworks, techniques and tricks, and yes, we use them all. But, the element that makes a great fundraising pitch is unique to every organization and every solicitor and every donor. You have to dig deep to get to it.
Despite all this effort, it’s a mistake to thing that securing a gift depends upon coming up with the most perfect words. So says Kay Sprinkel Grace, author of Fundraising Mistakes that Bedevil All Boards (And Staff Too). “The only right words,” she says, “are those that reflect you and the organization, and those you know are ‘right’ for the donor because you’ve been a good listener and discerned what she cares about. The best advice is perhaps the simplest – be yourself.”
In the case of face to face solicitation, it is hard to be yourself when you’re terrified. Being yourself and “winging it” are not the same thing. Preparation and practice make all the difference in a solicitation setting. Get organized, say the “ask” out loud until you’re comfortable with it, and be prepared to listen and adjust accordingly.
Whether you’re putting together your annual appeal or getting ready for a big ask, I recommend you do a little soul searching. What do you believe so deeply that you are compelled to act? How does your organization fulfill your own most fundamental values? Write or speak from that place. Your authenticity will engender confidence in others and will motivate them to join you.
P.S. Next Tuesday, Front Range Source will be offering a workshop on personal solicitation. It’s a great opportunity to escape some of the urgency of year-end activity and focus on developing your own “pitch.” Click here for more info and bring a board member or two!
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR VETERANS TODAY … AND EVERY DAY.
