This month, the creators of IMPACTability®: The Nonprofit Leaders’ Podcast would like to spotlight one of their most popular episodes dedicated to fundraising: “The Cultivation Dance” with guest Christine Rahill, Impact Coach and Consultant at Soukup Strategic Solutions. She shares helpful insight and practical tips on donor cultivation. Discover the moves to make and the steps to take to land your next major gift. Get your dancing shoes on for this one!
Use the player below to listen to episode 3
Excerpt from Christine Rahill and Joe Turner on episode 3:
Christine Rahill: Going on any donation website, you will usually have somewhere between four to eight gift options. Whether it’s an education program or a capital campaign, it’s important to give donors options because then we learn more about the types of things donors are interested in. The more we learn about the donor, the more that we can help them get to make the gift that is the most impactful for them.
Joe Turner: As we talk about the gifts that came in from this campaign we did, are you ready for this one? We got a check for $100 from Melinda Gates, and I think we all kind of know who she is. She has a few more dollars in the bank than Mr. Jones, obviously. So, does my cultivation strategy change because Melinda has more wealth?
Christine Rahill: Absolutely. Someone of Melinda’s wealth will move into your major donor prospect category immediately. After thanking her and recognizing her gift, the next step would be to learn as much as possible about how Melinda gives. Most of us do a lot of that research online just through simple Google searches, looking up 990s of the foundation that she has, and so forth. The more you can learn about where she gives, which types of organizations, and what her focus is, the better you will tailor your solicitation efforts for her in the future. Many of us use LinkedIn and our own built-in nonprofit networks to see if we have a connection to Melinda, maybe through another person that could possibly make an introduction. You are pretty much asking here, “Who knows Melinda?” That would be the first topic of my development section at the Board meeting. It would be, “Okay, Melinda’s in; who knows Melinda? Who knows someone who knows Melinda, and how can we get access to her in another way.”
Use the player above to listen to the full episode
Christine has been leading organizational growth as an award-winning philanthropy, marketing, and wealth management executive in the private and non-profit sectors for more than 25 years. Throughout her career and through her many Board leadership roles, she has served as a trusted advisor and strategist for national and local non-profit institutions, their Board members, and philanthropists.
This podcast comes to you from IMPACTability® powered by Soukup Strategic Solutions.
What is IMPACTability®?
IMPACTability® is an online coaching program that helps nonprofit leaders maximize their impact. With Impact Coaches, nonprofit leaders can achieve career goals and take their nonprofit organization to the next level. Impact Coaches will help address real-world challenges that you experience in your own organization.
Learn more about IMPACTability® and how to work with an Impact Coach.
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