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Two things you have
to do with every fundraiser:
1) Increase community awareness of your need
2) Increase community awareness of your offering
Everybody reading
this instantly thinks, "Yeah, we've got that covered. Everybody in our
group knows what we're doing."
Let's take a closer
look and see, shall we?
Your Need:
1) Can it be
expressed in a single sentence?
2) Has everyone in your group memorized that sentence?
3) Is expressing it a part of your approach to all supporters?
Test your group from
top to bottom. Randomly ask individuals to tell you why your group is
raising money.
I absolutely
guarantee you that you will be surprised at the answers. In many groups,
more than 50% of those involved with the fundraiser will not be able to
tell you in a single sentence the specific reasons why they are raising
money. What about outside
your group? Can you honestly say that you've exhausted every approach in
getting the word out to the community about your fundraiser? Does
everybody know why you need money?
Have you done each of
these?
- Flyers
- Posters
- Press release
- Roadside signs
- Newspaper coverage
- Public service radio announcements
- Pre-kickoff letter, postcard, or email campaigns
Or are you assuming
that all you have to do is tell someone that you're doing a fundraiser and
that they'll be glad to help? Two problems with
that approach. One is that most of your group can't effectively
communicate your need. The second is that
you are already assuming that your group has more than enough prospective
supporters to meet your goal. Both these problems limit your potential
results.
Consider these three
points:
If your need isn't
communicated clearly and concisely, it will not be understood and
internalized as a deserving cause by your prospective supporters.
If your sellers don't
really understand your group's need, then they won't push as hard to meet
that need.
If your need isn't
general knowledge in your community, then your fundraising job will be
that much harder.
Think of "getting the
word out" as being similar to softening up the beachhead during the
Normandy invasion. If you don't do the advance prep work, you're much more
likely to meet a hostile response.
The second fundraising fundamental goes hand-in-hand with creating an
awareness of your need. Creating an awareness of your offering is just as
important as telling people why your group needs money. The need and the
offering should be closely linked in all communications. At the same time
you are getting the word out, you need to make sure the message gets
through on exactly what your group is doing to raise funds. Just as with
expressing your need, everyone in your group should be able to sum up your
offering in a single sentence. That sentence should also reinforce the
emotional foundation that is derived from recognition of your need.
So what in the heck
does all that mean?
Put simply, if
someone believes your need is real and agrees with the value proposition
of your offering, they will help you.
And what's your value
proposition?
It's a summation of
your offering, combined with a reminder of your need, that's expressed in
a way that reminds the prospective supporter of what's in it for them.
In other words, your
prospect needs to:
1) Be aware of your
need
2) Be linked to it on an emotional level
2) Be in agreement that your offer has real value for them
Getting your need and
your offering across to as many potential supporters as possible is the
essence of fundraising. Take the time to develop single sentence
statements for your fundraiser summarizing both of these fundamental
points. Teach everyone in
your group how to communicate these basic value statements when they talk
to prospective supporters and your fundraiser will be a smashing success.
School Fundraising Fundamentals!!
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About The
Author: Kimberly Reynolds is
the author of
Fundraising Success, a
best
selling ebook on fundraising. You can read
more of
her
fundraising
ideas on her website, FundraiserHelp.com. |
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