When it comes to major gifts, we worry a lot about the ask and not enough about about securing the “getting to know you” visit.
If you can get a visit with a donor, you have an 85% chance they’ll make the gift.
Who says?
Veteran major gifts guru Jerold Panas, that’s who. He also says, “To milk a cow you must sit by its side.”
It’s common sense really. Yet, somehow, it’s easy to throw common sense out the window when it comes to asking for a gift — which many people are deathly afraid to do.
If you’ve ever heard a board member, staff member (or even yourself) say, “I’ll do anything but fundraising,” you’re not alone.
There’s a simple way to set yourself up for success so you’ve nothing to be afraid of. And it’s similar to knowing when to ask a friend for a favor, and feeling comfortable doing so.
You have to get to know people before they’ll be interested in investing more time in you! And … getting to know people is pretty fun stuff.
That’s why I wrote this free guide – “30 Easy ‘Get the Visit’ Major Gift Strategies” – it outlines several effective ways to get started, along with 30 strategies to ensure you get a visit with major donors.
Implement them as part of your fundraising campaign, and you’ll start building meaningful connections to help support your cause!
You can download the guide here >>
Claire Axelrad
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“To milk a cow you must sit by its side.” This quote originally came not from Jerold Panas but from Si Seymour, the grandfather of fundraising professionals. The original quote is “You won’t get milk from a cow by sending a letter. And you won’t get milk by calling on the phone. The only way to get milk from a cow is to sit by its side and milk it.”
Very well said.