Productive Annual Fund Volunteers May 15, 2018
Anne Murphy • Director of Annual Giving, Westminster Schools • Over a decade of annual giving experience • B.A. from UVA • M.P.A. from George Mason
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Westminster Schools • Coed, Christian independent day school in Atlanta founded in 1951 • 1,850 students in grades Pre-First through 12 • 11,000 alumni / 1,400 parents • $3.5M Annual Fund revenue – 29% Alumni participation – 86% Parent participation • Quiet phase of a campaign Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Agenda • Recruiting productive volunteers • Training and supporting volunteers • Monitoring and evaluating volunteer activity • Stewarding volunteers
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RECRUITING PRODUCTIVE VOLUNTEERS Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Why engage volunteers? Institutions with more than 100 volunteers have higher alumni participation. – The State of Volunteer Fundraising in Advancement
92% of people trust peer recommendations over marketing. – Experticity, 2016
Institutions with volunteers are 5 times more likely to have a participation rate of over 20%. – Evertrue, 2017 Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Understand the pros and cons Volunteers...
But, they...
• Will have a personal connection with your donors
• Need staff to be managed effectively
• Can reference a shared experience when soliciting • Can solicit in ways that you can’t
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• Require you to relinquish control • Are hard to evaluate quantitatively • Can dictate different strategies
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Set goals for your program • What do you want your volunteers to accomplish? – Participation or dollars • How will you support them? – Who is their point of contact? – What reports will you use? • What methods will you use to measure their results? – Individual volunteer performance versus overall increases
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Define your ask • Why does the role matter? • Outline specific details so they can assess: – Job Description – Timeframe – Training and Support – Personal Investment • What’s in it for them?
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Get started with recruitment • Find a champion • Start small • Talk to busy people • Look for other areas of engagement • Consider personal motivations: – Change in life – Resume builder – Child at your institution Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Send recruitment emails
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Consider special roles • Don’t assume that no is always no – consider other ways to engage: – Leadership Giving volunteer – Social Media ambassador – Recruitment partner – Reunion volunteer – “Name Only” volunteer
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TRAINING AND SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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POLL: Does your institution have a formal committee/ advisory board specifically for its Annual Fund?
• Yes • No • Not sure
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Take care of your volunteers • Training – don’t forget inspiration! • Timely response to questions • Resources that both inform and that they can customize • Benefits: – Access to information
You want volunteers to have a good experience, so make impeccable customer service a priority.
– Networking opportunities – Recognition
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Set staff commitments • Determine point of contact and set expectations internally around follow-up • Schedule updates on the calendar – and communicate that with volunteers • Make sure volunteers know that they have your full support – Encourage them to “punt” to staff when facing difficult conversations and questions from donors
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Recognize differences in needs • Parents – Used to more “hands-on” involvement – Involve children and networking in stewardship • Young vs. Older Volunteers – Young volunteers want real-time information – Older volunteers are more comfortable with spreadsheets • High-level Volunteers – Should not be considered “worker bees” Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Provide opportunities for VIPs • Introductions for Development Officers • Stewardship • Solicitation • Don’t forget to increase your ask
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Determine training tactics • One-on-one meetings are ideal, but don’t let this be overwhelming • Consider training events: – Reunion kick-off events – Volunteer weekends • Conference calls are especially useful for quick updates or when kicking off a new campaign Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Create valuable volunteer resources
Resources must be: • User-friendly • Easy to access • To the point • Customizable Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Share information • Spreadsheets • Email updates • Google Sheets • Volunteer Management System or Portal • Box
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What about privacy? Some things to consider: • What’s available publicly? • What do volunteers need to know to do their job? • Should you use a confidentiality agreement?
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Rally your team • Don’t forget the power of momentum – people give to success – Volunteers become more engaged when they see results • Offer “Surprise and Delight” opportunities • Keep your communications upbeat – even if your volunteers aren’t having success • Push information out – You have to maintain engagement – don’t wait for them to engage with you Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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MONITORING AND EVALUATING VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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POLL: Does your institution have a reliable way to track and evaluate productivity of annual fund volunteers?
• Yes • No • Not sure
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Navigate the grey… • Remember what you can’t control – Did they introduce themselves? – Say why they are calling? – Ask for a specific gift amount? – Say thank you? • Institute regular check-in opportunities with staff • Have a Plan B – Allow time for staff follow-up – Use phonathon or interns Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Think creatively to monitor activity • Correlation is not causation, but… – Increased class gift traffic – Social Media activity – Volunteers requesting updates • Institute peer-to-peer follow-up – Substantive engagement for high-level volunteers • Give them more to do! Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Use a Volunteer Management System Advantages
Disadvantages
• Can give a window into volunteer activity
• Volunteers may not utilize it
• Can allow real-time updates
• Subscription cost may be out of reach
• Should reduce staff management
• Requires data transfer
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• Has institutional “look”
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Consider portal features • Is it easy for your volunteers to access? • How do you plan to train your volunteers? – Does vendor offer training? – Is the portal intuitive for users? • How does the portal interact with your database? • Does the portal track volunteer activity (e.g., volunteer logins, emails sent)? • Does the vendor allow you to customize the site?
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Assess long-term impact • Increased participation overall • Engagement Scores • Increased volunteer giving
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Volunteer Case Study: Class of ’73 • 2016/17 Results: $45K raised, 22% participation • 2017/18 45th Reunion Efforts: – Fundraising Chairs identified at class lunch on campus – Recruited a team of 15 volunteers (165 in class) – Set 45% participation goal and $73K dollar goal – Issued participation challenge grant that grew to $25K – Exceeded 45% goal 3 days prior to Reunion Weekend – Received an additional $75K gift from classmate to set new record for largest class annual fund total at $180K Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Volunteer Case Study: Class of ’73 Staff Support Structure for 45th Reunion Meetings & Events
• Hosted class lunch in August • Met with Fundraising Chairs in November to set goals and recruit committee • Hosted committee kick-off in January • Held class cocktail party in March
Solicitations
• Direct Mail appeal in November • Personalized appeal letter from Chairs in February • Mass email appeal to class in late March • Volunteer calls and emails starting in March
Reports
• Weekly reports to Chairs beginning in March
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STEWARDING VOLUNTEERS
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Close out volunteer activity • Beware of the life sentence! – Set end date in job description – Ideally volunteers turn over every 2-3 years (with some exceptions…) • Conduct end-of-year follow-up calls • Share results – include data directly related to their volunteer role • Send thank you notes • Utilize head of school in process Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Conduct volunteer surveys • Volunteers will be more engaged if they feel like you care about their opinion, so don’t be afraid to ask for feedback: – Resources – Staff Support – Overall Experience – did they like serving? – Bonus – would they like doing it again? • Make sure that you send a follow-up summary of the feedback and the changes you are planning to make as a result of it in the future! Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Invite open-ended feedback on surveys “The Annual Fund kick-off breakfast meeting is not very useful. A lot of time for very little information. I'd be happier just getting the folder with the scripts and my list of names to call.”
“I'm sure this would be very difficult to do, but it would be ideal to receive notifications of gifts in real time. I was thanking people long after they had made their donation.”
“You all do a TREMENDOUS job!!! I've come to realize that I don't do very well at this particular type of volunteer opportunity (I'm not really comfortable asking people for money), so I will be looking for another way to support the cause next year.” Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Steward volunteers uniquely • Hold special events – Perfect if your volunteers are local – Volunteers want access, so make sure to include key players at your institution – Networking opportunities • Provide insider status – Send event invitation out first to volunteers – Special calls on hot topics with school leadership • Token gifts are good too! Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Recognize volunteers publicly • Listing in publications: School magazine, Annual Report • Awards – Could be part of reunions or volunteer weekends – Recognition for highest participation and highest class dollar total Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Go above and beyond with stewardship • Unique holiday gifts – Thanksgiving cards – Valentines • Student thank you cards • “Say Thanks” Day – Incorporate special volunteer stewardship into activities
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Retire ineffective volunteers • Burnout and fatigue are real – be aware of changes in work or life that may impact their ability to fulfill the role – Guilt is not a great motivator • Most volunteers know when they are not able to do the job • Take the lead when the time is right • Be kind and offer huge thanks and token of appreciation • Communicating with your volunteers on a consistent basis will help with a difficult conversation Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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Key Takeaways • Volunteers can make a huge difference in your program’s results • Volunteer management requires staff time and institutional resources • Working with volunteers requires you to relinquish some control over the message and approach • Volunteer engagement can lead to increased overall engagement and investment Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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[email protected]. Copyright Annual Giving Network 2018
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