|
Welcome to Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
VANTAGE has been servicing the nonprofit industry for over 35 years. Over the years we have accumulated much knowledge, contacts and experience in helping to establish nonprofits and help them grow. As such, we will be publishing a semimonthly newsletter geared toward providing nonprofits with the latest news, products, and guidelines to assist in their success and growth. Please feel free to comment and/or request topics that are important to you for us to research.
Thank you for being a part of the VANTAGE family.
|
|
Please view our products list in the right sidebar.
This is just a sampling of what we feel would be important to you. We have much more to offer. If you have any questions or need more information please contact us at 877-886-8277 or click the link below.
CONTACT A VANTAGE PROFESSIONAL |
|
5 Ways to Warm Up Staff and Volunteers to Ask
 It just needed a little warming up. My garage door, that is. I had successfully survived the polar vortex so far and was heading to an early morning breakfast visit with a foundation leader.
My garage door wouldn't budge. When I called my friend to share that I would need to reschedule, he made a suggestion: Use a hair dryer. I did. For the next half hour I patiently warmed the door, ever slowly, with a hair dryer.
I can be a lot like that door - and I think most of us are. We need warming up. Warming up to new concepts and new ideas. Warming up to things that may make us a bit uncomfortable.
It is the same with fundraising. Volunteers and staff usually need warming so that they can effectively make a gift request. They need baby steps. We all need to understand what we are doing and why we are doing it. One step at a time. One win at a time. Building confidence and growing to even greater things.
Here are some steps to warm up staff and volunteers to effectively secure gifts.
Coach them Don't make it complicated; give them the background and resources that they need. Help them understand that while everyone won't say yes, every visit or contact is important in spreading the mission. Provide outlines, and allow for practice. Go with them whenever possible, especially on the first few calls.
Don't ask too much Don't ask them to do too much. Whether it is asking, cultivating or thanking - relationship building takes time. Don't overwhelm your staff or volunteers. Make it something that they can handle. Begin small - you can always add on. Allow them to select who they contact. Most of us feel most comfortable visiting with people we already have a relationship with - which is most successful.
Focus on cultivation Begin with thanking. I have yet to meet someone who didn't enjoy making a thank-you call or visit. Even with an annual-giving program, develop a culture of long-term relationships. By taking the right steps with the right prospective donors, they begin to self-identify their interest.
Make it relationship-based. It is not about the money - it is about helping the donor make a difference and experience the joy of giving.
Timing is everything In campaigns, asks have time frames. This is good - and potentially bad. It is imperative that the prospective donor is ready for the ask - at whatever level. And outside of campaign regimen, the time will come when you know you've got to ask. Hopefully, when the donor is ready. Although, it can also be smaller asks along the way as you build a relationship and a shared vision.
Celebrate success Make it a big deal - because it is. Celebrate every time your volunteers or staff members secure a gift. (Be sure that the donor understands this excitement and the impact that they make too!) Success begets success. Success builds confidence in your volunteers and staff for their next ask, and it also builds a stronger relationship with your donors, who are now invested.
Never forget your role as a coach in helping your team to "warm up" to its role in philanthropy. Effectively asking for a gift is a special calling and one to invest in and celebrate!
SOURCE: Jeff Jowdy
|
|
DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
|
|
|
|
Nonprofit Products
|
VANTAGE has a wide range of products designed to sustain nonprofit success and growth. These products include:
Health Insurance Exchange
Group Medical
Group Dental / Vision
Business Liability
Directors & Officers
Errors & Omissions
Sexual Misconduct
Workers' Compensation
Employee Theft
Crime
Commercial Auto
Umbrella
Property
Product Liability
Start-up Assistance
Grant Request Preparation
Business Formation
Legal Assistance
Human Resources
Marketing
Business Planning
|
|
