Tips for Making Non-solicitation Donor Calls

By Susan D. Rostkoski, Principal Consultant

There are many good reasons to call donors to simply provide a touch point rather than a solicitation: happy holidays, thank you for your gift/s, remember to RSVP to our gala, happy birthday/anniversary/promotion, or offer a meeting with senior staff, especially in the midst of significant change.

The “how-to” is pretty simple.

TIPS FOR STAFF

a.     Identify the reason/purpose for the call.

b. Create a list of donors to divide among volunteer callers (no more than 6-8 calls per volunteer).

c.     Create a script with bullet points or short paragraphs. Make it brief enough that your callers will actually read it and use it.

d.      When you email the list and the script to your volunteers, follow up with a call to the callers to be sure they are clear about their role and to alleviate anxiety. (Yes, even your most experienced callers will have anxiety, about their own performance of the task, about how they are representing your organization, even what to do if they make a mistake.)

TIPS FOR VOLUNTEERS

a.     First call: If no answer, leave no message.

b.     Second call: (2 days after first call) Leave a friendly message about why you are calling and invite a call back.

c.      Third call: (2 days after second call) Follow-up reminder that you are available for conversation or to answer questions.

If the donor answers at any point, remember that this is a dialogue, not a speech. Don’t read the script; just speak, then LISTEN.

Equally important is the process. As the lead person for your organization, this is not just another task on your to-do list:

1.     It’s an engagement of supporters (both volunteers and donors) who think your mission is important enough to spend their time helping your organization.

2.     It is an opportunity to open a dialogue with both the donors and the volunteers to learn things you might otherwise not have known.

3.     This is a chance for the donor to get to know you better. Offer further engagement such as a tour, a seat at your special event, or volunteering at your toy distribution.

4.     Thank your volunteer callers in a tangible way. Call them or send an email message (individual, not group) or hold a small event (coffee and cookies).

5.     Evaluate! Did this accomplish what you wanted? Was it organized in a way that was helpful for volunteers? Did you receive feedback from your donors? Would you do it this way again?

Remember, this is an ongoing process and has the potential to produce great results over time, especially if you do it in a way that is representative of your organization.

As always, please contact us if we can help you accomplish your mission (www.strategic-cc.com).