• Be sure to always try to get a donor to your site.  Let them see your constituents, get a taste for your successes and educate them on the work being done.
• Keep up your contact with them, don't let it slip.
• Identify specific needs that they might be interested in.  A specific ask is always better than a general 'we need money' ask.
• Use board and personal connections to get people in the door.
• Personalize everything.  All letters, outreach, etc should have a personal connection.
• Keep your context in mind.  Stay on theme and mission in everything you do.
• If you don't ask, you don't get.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

• Use your board member or donor connections.  Get a personal 'in' whenever possible.
• Outline the benefits to the corporation whenever possible.  What are they getting out of this?  What can you offer them? 
• Be professional.  Everything that goes out must be organized, proofread, and attractive (not necessarily expensive, just appealing!)
• Be sure your outreach is consistent.  Is your mission clear on everything you submit? 
• Make your approach easy to read, easy to understand, and on topic.
• Call foundation or corporate funders before you submit something.  Check due dates, mission of foundation/funding interest areas, make a personal connect if you don't already have one.
• Make their job easy.  Be sure you have checked the items that they need.  They should NEVER have to chase you down to get information.
• Do your research - make sure you are asking for appropriate amounts.
• Provide options.  Ask for advice on what your most interesting program might be to them.  Foundation executives need to present to their board and they have to look good too- let them get to know you and be prepared for their own jobs.
• Make them aware of your successes.  Don't complain about the tough economy or bad times, let them know that despite the difficulties, you are still doing a wonderful job and serving your population to the best of your ability.
• Use foundation resources - www.foundationcenter.org and www.guidestar.org to research deadlines, issue areas, contact info. 
• Are you aware of the Westchester Community Foundation?  www.wcf-ny.org, non-profit grants available, educational seminars, workshops and more.

• Be clear that board members are responsible for 2 things.  Governance and fundraising.  Be clear BEFORE members join.  Remind them after they join.
• Be sure that board members are knowledgeable about successes/stories to tell. 
• Make sure members are clear about the mission and agenda.
• Give members talking points and educate them on your programs.
• Realize that board members may be successful in their lives, but may not have ever made a charitable ask before.  Give them the information that they need to make that ask. 
• Follow up.  Board members have lives, jobs and families outside of your organization.  Be sure that they are following through with their 'jobs' for you.  THANK THEM when they do.  A happy board member is a good board member.
• Get board members in to see actual programs and work being done.  Board meetings alone might not inspire them in their outreach.  They need inspiration and reminders of why they are there too.
• Check out The Volunteer Center workshops for board members, volunteers, etc.  http://www.volunteer-center.org. 

• This is a great time to cultivate volunteers. If donors are unable to give at their usual level, or perhaps they cannot give at all, invite them to participate in the organization in other ways. Perhaps they can donate their time- using their professional expertise; they can help you with a specific event or activity. Keeping them engaged keeps them connected to the organization even when they're not able to donate money.
• Do a phonathon (or thankathon). Involve your board- get them on the phone if possible. It can be a great way to ask for a gift or just to thank donors for their support.  
• Broaden your base of support- reach out to donors that you wouldn't usually communicate with. Thank relatively small donors for their consistent years of support.
• Engage and educate your board to be good spokespeople for your organization. Give the Board talking points which highlight your accomplishments to donors.
• Use donor segmentation. Figure out who your donors are and what appeals to them. Then solicit them based on their particular areas of interest.
• Stay on mission. Core supporters will continue to stick with you even in hard times. But you must continue to remind them about what the organization is doing. Keep accomplishments front and center.
• Let donors know what you need. Be specific. Donors like to know that they are making an impact.
• Remind the donor about how your organization impacts their quality of life. Use the local angle if you have one: "We take care of the people/ issues in your backyard"
• Don't assume people can't give, keep asking
• Get them involved and keep them involved at any level you can.  If not as a donor, maybe they know people who can donate and add the personal touch.
• Create community events and education about what you do.
• Capture email address ALL of the time.  Always ask for one.
• Focus, research, target donors. 
• Make sure you're not missing anyone.  If someone has been giving a consistent $100 gift every year, find out why.  Maybe nobody ever asked for more!

• Be careful about how frequently you communicate with donors using email. Don't over do it!
• Use a strong and recognizable Subject line.
• Use a professional web format like Constant Contact.
• Don't use all text. Use images and be creative.
• Make sure that you're set up to receive online donations
• Give donors the opportunity to opt out of paper mailings- go green and save time and money by doing less paper mailings.
• Use a combination of direct mail and online communication methods to cover all the bases.
• Get a Facebook page- make sure your organization is part of an online Social Network. Use the sites that most appeal to your donor base.

• Instead of printing a journal, get creative with the ads/sponsorships - one person mentioned virtual ads- projecting ads on the walls or large screens.  Use signage on site instead. 
• Focus on large sponsors/underwriters.  If you get 3 huge sponsors, the journal ads are less important.
• Utilize and empower your volunteers.  Out of work business folk, graphic designers, party planners, etc. create a wonderful savings!
• Watch event perception and tone.  People will want to know you are watching your bottom line.  Show them you are being careful and fiscally responsible.  Get donations of flowers, food, etc.  But make attendees AWARE of your savings - tell them when things are sponsored, underwritten, donated.
• Create gifting opportunities every time you can.  If you have a center that people come through, make it easy to donate all of the time.  Create a display showing costs and sponsorships for items in your lobby.
• At events make it available to people to JUST DONATE.  Create a clever display, game, etc. Ideas heard were - adding a spot to the silent auction table where people can sponsor a part of a program- buy a bus ride for a field trip, sponsor a meal, pay for one tuition, etc.  Another program used a doll house to allow people to "buy" parts of the house for a renovation - donate a chair, a paint job, a desk, etc.  Allow for many different levels of funding.
• Choose multiple honorees or award recipients.  Each honoree or awardee should bring their own guest list, allowing you to bring in new interested donors, generate ticket sales, etc.
• Be sure your successes are IN the event with you.  Pictures of your great works, whether it's a happy child, a person being served at a clinic, or land that has been acquired, make your work a part of the experience of the event. Let people connect to what you do and how well you do it. 
• Consider virtual events.  In home or 'progressive' dinners, educational coffees, lunches, and dinners cost less and engage volunteers in presenting their commitment to your programs.
• Be sure your mission and theme are part of every event.  Stay on course.
• If doing an auction (Live or Silent):  When approaching donors, ask them this:  "If your donation is causing ALOT of bidding and excitement, would you consider donating that item TWICE?"  The result is that the highest bidder and the second highest bidder are offered the item at the second highest price. It doubles your revenue for that one item.
• Offer your auction items online prior to the event.  Then if the event starts at 7, cut off the online bidding at 4:00, and the highest bid becomes the starting bid at the event.  You come in with a higher starting point, and you can also see whether this is a popular item by how much interest there is ahead of time.
• Split the ticket prices by Bracelet (like the velvet cord...)  Champagne hour, one price/red bracelet, dinner/auction another price, blue bracelet, Post event reception third price/green bracelet,  ALL NIGHT - white bracelet 
• Thank donors.  Thank donors. THANK DONORS!  Make it feel good for them.  Follow up and let them know how their money is being spent.  Personalize your responses. Get to know them.
• Ditch the extras.  Forget goodie bags, over-the-top flowers, and unnecessary frills.  Even tell donors how much you saved and is going to programs instead.
• Be positive.  Be excited.

Thanks again to everyone who participated (and for all of your kind thank you emails afterwards!)