Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education - Supporting Jewish Day Schools
Knowledge > Fundraising > Techniques & The Solicitation Process

Techniques & The Solicitation Process

The heart of any annual campaign is the actual soliciting of prospects. Careful thought and preparation should be given to two key sets of factors:

  • Who are the constituencies to be solicited? Within each constituency what is each individual's capacity and inclination to give?
  • What is the best technique for soliciting an individual or a particular constituency group?

Techniques

While face to face solicitations are the most effective means of fundraising, they should be used for only the 20% of prospects with the greatest potential. Consider the most effective means of soliciting every gift (including the use of phonathons and direct mail), so that all resources - human, financial, and organizational - can be most effectively deployed.

Direct Mail

Direct mail is the most efficient means of soliciting large numbers of prospects, yet it is also the least effective. It should be used for prospects and smaller donors with little likelihood of increasing their gifts.

Phonathons

Phonathons are a more active, and thus a more effective, means of soliciting large numbers of people. They can be used alone or in conjunction with follow-up direct mail solicitation.

Events

Events can be an effective way of raising funds and gaining publicity for the school. A school must consider whether a particular event should be used as a "friendraiser" or "fundraiser,"

Grant Proposals

Major Gifts

The heart of any campaign is major gifts. For most campaigns, 80-90% of funds are raised by 10-20% of the donors- thus reflecting the importance of personal solicitations.

The solicitation process can be broken into four parts:

  1. Prospect Identification

    It is important to identify prospective donors. They should be evaluated for their likelihood of giving based on a variety of factors such as their past philanthropy, their capacity, and their relationship with the school.

  2. Cultivation

    After prospects have been identified, the process of cultivation, building a relationship, begins. The size of a gift usually correlates with the quality and depth of the individual's relationship with the school. Donor growth will help to formulate a cultivation strategy for each prospect. The Prospect Review, Donor Prospect and Prospect Call Report all offer forms and methodologies to help organize and track prospects.

  3. Solicitation

    4. The heart of the fundraising process is face-to-face solicitations. The following websites provide comprehensive information on the various strategies of the solicitation process. Site content includes information on appointment setting, the ask, dealing with objections and closing a gift.

    Other materials offer a plethora of tips and suggestions for the solicitation process.

  4. Stewardship

    5. Stewardship includes all of the steps of properly thanking and recognizing the donor, staying in touch with them, and informing them as to the impact that their philanthropy has had on the school. Overall, schools should nurture warm feelings on the part of the donor and recognize their gifts.

Segmented Targets

Schools should broaden their development efforts by reaching out to their various markets: grandparents, alumni, and community members. If nurtured and developed properly, these groups are a fertile source of fundraising income.

Parents:

Grandparents:

Alumni:

Supporters from the larger Jewish Community:

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