July Nonprofit of the Month: St. Joseph's Home in Cape Town, South Africa July 5, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

Each month, our intern Anthony highlights one of our GiftWorks clients as Nonprofit of the Month.  If your organization would like to be considered for a feature in an upcoming month, please email us at giftworks@missionresearch.com.  Here's Anthony's feature on the St. Joseph's Home for Children in South Africa:

Meet St. Joseph's Home for Children in South Africa by Anthony Fucito

As the world turns its eyes to South Africa for the international excitement of the World Cup, we here at GiftWorks are looking deeper, to Saint Joseph’s Home for Children in Cape Town.

Saint Joseph’s Home for Children is a medical facility in South Africa offering convalescent care to poor children who suffer from chronic medical conditions like cancer, HIV/Aids, congenital abnormalities and other life threatening conditions.

This year marks the Home’s 75th year of uninterrupted service to those most in need, having been managed by the Pallottine Missionary Sisters since 1935. Through the sisters' continuous dedication to provide service at no cost to families, they have made sure that the Home addressed all the needs of the child, such as having a school on the grounds, a preschool program, and a physio and occupational therapist.

Since they provide their services at no cost to families, fundraising is a huge priority. Their campaign to raise the funds is called “Mind the Gap”, in which they seek to close their 35% budget deficit.

This is not an easy task to accomplish. They made the decision to hire a full time fundraiser, as their cash reserves would only support St. Joseph’s for a limited time. One of the first tasks of the fundraiser was to organize existing donors, and that led them to GiftWorks. At a fraction of the cost of other similar products on the market, they found GiftWorks to be the best fundraising software to meet their needs.

“Over the three years we have been using GiftWorks, we have been able to organize our long-term donors, and effectively manage assorted campaigns and our volunteers," said Luis Medina, the Resource Development Director for St. Joseph’s Home. "Our donors and the money we have raised has increased each year, and the value of GiftWorks in tracking tasks and in report writing have allowed us to stay better connected to our donors who come from all over the world.”

The only concern was location. The GiftWorks Team was located half way round the world.
Luis added: “Would they be able to support our needs in Africa? The answer to that question was quickly realized once we started using the product. The GiftWorks team is exceptionally talented and really know their product. In spite of the distance and the time change, their service feels like they are just down the block.”

South Africa certainly feels like it’s right up the block to us here too, since every time we turn on the television or log onto Yahoo, there is a news post about the excitement of the World Cup. With all of this hype and action, we figured that there had to be some interesting stories.

“Several of our children just came back from a soccer game. They got to sit in box seats donated by a major company. The kids had the time of their life. They watched Cameroon lose to Holland 1 to 2.”

Amongst the excitement, there is always more work to be done. St. Joseph’s Home is hosting their 75th Anniversary Gala Event on September 9, 2010. They are also always looking for support from the global community—to donate to St. Joseph’s Home, please visit their website at http://www.stjosephshome.org.za/.  

Generation Y—or Generation Why They Give June 30, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

by Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFRE

The members of Generation Y were born between 1977 and 1998. Three of them grew up in my house, so I have a fair sense of what makes them tick, what impassions them, and how we might get and hold their attention.

Of course I know I can't judge a generation by my three daughters. However, I feel pretty self-assured about saying that this is a generation that cares—about the environment, about justice for all, about the importance of the arts, about education, about health care and services for all Americans, and about those who cannot help themselves.

Many female Gen Y'ers got their philanthropic start selling Girl Scout cookies. As teens they began to run races for cures and for a variety of causes. Community service was an integral part of their high school curriculum. Peddling, showing up and rolling up their sleeves to help others come naturally to Gen Y.

September 11, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina taught this generation how to reach into their pockets to help finance aid to the victims of disasters.

It's now 2010 and the early Gen Y'ers have entered their 30s. They are educated, trained and actually have some real money in their pockets. Never before have so many young people cared so passionately about so many causes. They are 70 million strong. Their voices are heard loud and clear on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and whatever other media are developed between the time I write this article and it gets published.

All nonprofits are asking the same question: How do we attract, cultivate, solicit and retain this promising and passionate group of young people?

Let's get into their heads:

#1: They are busy. Are we getting our information out quickly? If we can attract Gen Y'ers to our website, do we get to the point immediately? What do we want them to do, give or say? When do we want it? And how can they deliver it to us?

#2: They are social. Members of Generation Y, aka the Net Generation, communicate with their peers en masse. How do we make it possible for these young volunteers and donors to spread the word quickly to their hundreds of Facebook friends? Do we help them relay our call to action in a 140-character tweet? Have we created a one-minute YouTube video that compels them to action and propels them to spread the word?

#3: They are loyal. That is, they're loyal if we make them feel appreciated. Hundreds of charities are vying for the attention of this generation. What is our charity doing, in the way of stewardship, to stand out from the crowd and make Gen Y'ers feel appreciated? Can we show them, in a way they can pass along to others, the impact and effect of their donations, time or advocacy?

If we can help Gen Y'ers help us get our message out, and if we can demonstrate the good work their contributions are doing, we will have gained a whole new generation of loyal supporters.

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Ruthellen S. Rubin is a professor of philanthropy and fundraising at New York University. Visit her blog at www.ruthellenrubin.com/blog.

Newest GiftWorks Partner: Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) June 25, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

The GiftWorks team is delighted to announce our newest partnership, with the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO). LANO is a statewide network of nonprofits, corporations, foundations, and individuals dedicated to supporting Louisiana's nonprofit sector. LANO's mission is to strengthen and promote nonprofits and build their capacity through education, advocacy, and member services.

LANO is the 16th state nonprofit association to partner with GiftWorks to bring simple, powerful, affordable fundraising software to its membership. We welcome the members of LANO into our fun, knowledgeable, and ever-growing community!  

Let me once again encourage our U.S. readers to join your state nonprofit association or the National  Council of Nonprofits.  The nonprofit sector speaks more loudly and forcefully when it speaks together, and these associations are true advocates for the sector in many, many ways.  Never has it been more important for nonprofits to stick together and work together. Joining provides significant benefits too, from access to training and expertise to association discounts of all types.

Here is a list of our state nonprofit partners, which recommend GiftWorks and offer a discount on the software as a membership benefit. If you live and work in one of these states, please consider joining if you haven't already!

Alabama Association of Nonprofits: www.nrca.info

Arkansas Coalition for Excellence: www.acenonprofit.org

Colorado Nonprofit Association: www.coloradononprofits.org

Connecticut Association of Nonprofits: www.ctnonprofits.org

Florida Association of Nonprofit Organizations: www.fano.org

Hawai'i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations: www.hano-hawaii.org

Idaho Nonprofit Center: www.idahononprofits.org

Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations: www.lano.org 

New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits: www.nhnonprofits.org

New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc.: www.nycon.org

Nonprofit Association of the Midlands: www.nonprofitam.org 

North Carolina Center for Nonprofits: www.ncnonprofits.org

North Dakota Association of Nonprofit Organizations: www.ndano.org

Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations: www.pano.org

South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations: www.scanpo.org

Utah Nonprofits Association: www.utahnonprofits.org

The Case Statement Payoff June 22, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

by Ellie LaCasse

We thought we’d speak to someone about the effectiveness of developing a case statement in the way that Linda Lysakowski described in our June 16 webinar. Cathy Blankenship, chief operating officer of the Lear Theater in Reno, NV, was only too glad to share her story.

Twelve years ago the Lear Theater started a project to restore a historic church and transform it into a community performing arts venue. The original church was designed by a renowned architect, Paul R. Williams, the first African-American inducted into the Architects Hall of Fellows. The capital campaign began having trouble when fundraising could not keep up with construction inflation, and the project stalled in 2004.

In 2008 the Lear Theater secured federal funding from two tax-credit sources and reactivated the local campaign to raise the required $5.4 million in matching funds needed to complete the campaign. The Lear board needed to replace the image of a stalled project with a vision of an exciting new asset to the Reno arts community.

Although Cathy had experience with several previous campaigns, the Lear Theater decided to engage professional help in preparing the campaign plan and particularly the case statement. The theater contracted with Linda Lysakowski of Capital Venture to develop these important pieces of the campaign. The result was a comprehensive, vibrant document that has been priceless in terms of building solid support for the project.

“The case statement is not intended to be a marketing piece; it is the document from which all campaign materials come.”

The Lear Theater’s case statement is nine pages long—longer than most because the theater had a negative public image to overcome. It's made of up warm stories, analytical data, financial information, and even a construction timeline. It covers all the bases of what potential donors might want to know.

Cathy noted, “The case statement is not intended to be a marketing piece; it is the document from which all campaign materials come.” It broadly spells out the argument for supporting the Lear campaign; these broad points can then be tailored to different audiences and used for specific fundraising vehicles, such as grant proposals or marketing materials.

In developing the case statement, Cathy recalled,

We worked closely with Linda. We provided a hoard of information, and she sorted through it to determine what was most important. She looked at it from a fundraising perspective to determine what a potential donor wanted or needed to see. This was a different perspective from that of our marketing and program committee members, who had their own opinions about what should be included. Unfortunately, often a case statement is sent from one committee to another, inevitably resulting in a hodgepodge of ideas, focuses, voices—hardly the way to develop a compelling argument for such an important undertaking. Because Linda maintained control of the case statement, the tone was carefully crafted for consistency, and the document flows seamlessly.

The Lear Theater is now kicking off its campaign for leadership gifts and was able to announce that it has raised $6 million in federal funding. So far the reaction has been positive and the public no longer sees the campaign as stalled and unworthy of investment.

The biggest advantage of having a professionally prepared case statement is that grantwriting is much easier. With all the campaign information already organized in one place, the grantwriter can easily tailor the information to the required format. "We have written similar funding applications to the local arts commission for the past several years," Cathy reported. "This year we were told that it was our best application ever, and all we did was take the information directly from our case statement."

Cathy learned of GiftWorks years ago while working for a Boys and Girls Club. State legislators wanted consistent reports from programs operating across the state. When the organization began using GiftWorks, the project took off and funding was awarded. Cathy now uses GiftWorks Premium, which gives her unlimited ability to segment donors and tailor the message to different donor groups. “Having all your information in one place and being able to create and sort categories gives us more time to spend approaching donors and interacting with the community. We can generate special reports where all the data is in one place, not on several different spreadsheets. I think I’ve referred 15 or 20 agencies in the Reno area to GiftWorks.”

Ellie LaCasse, a friend of GiftWorks, is officially retired from fundraising but is forever a community volunteer.

Effective Board Support—What Is It? June 21, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

This article by Pete Nixon of Apogee Consultants (Park City, UT) first appeared in the October 2009 GiftWorks eNews.

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Does your 501c3 organization have enough money? If so, you can stop reading now. If not, it's time to evaluate how well your board is doing its job of connecting with the community. Community support comes in many forms: providing the community leaders who sit on the board, providing the cadre of volunteers who provide essential services without cost, and cash donations from the community. This last area is where many boards shirk their duty, placing the burden unfairly on the Executive Director or a Development Director.

The Evolution of a Nonprofit
A nonprofit organization might also be called a 'community-supporting and -supported organization'; it's typically started by a group of people who perceive there is a social need not being met by existing organizations, including government, business or other nonprofits.

In the beginning, the founders serve as both the board and the (unpaid) staff. They struggle to raise funds so they can develop and administer the programs to meet the need. If there is a broad enough interest by the greater community, the funding base grows and the organization is then able to hire paid staff. What happens next varies, depending on whether or not the leadership recognizes the distinction between staff and board functions.

"What happens when a nonprofit hires its first staff depends on whether or not the leadership recognizes the distinction between staff and board functions."

My point is: nonprofits are usually started, governed, and managed by people in a community who are focused on the mission, not on raising money. Fundraising in the community is seen as a necessary evil. As soon as the organization can afford to hire an Executive Director, one of the first tasks they unload is that of fundraising. At that point, the personal connection to the community becomes strained--if not severed. You need a Board to bridge that gap.

A Better Board Model
The Board's role in connecting the nonprofit with the community includes:

1. Representing the organization in the community
2. Representing the community's interests in ensuring the organization is meeting the community's needs

If the Board takes this role seriously, the community is always aware of the importance of the nonprofit to the community and of the need to support it with volunteers and funds. This is not something a staff person can or should do, unless it is in support of board initiatives.

Board members should be chosen not only for their interest in the mission, but for their ability to engage the community in supporting the organization with their money, time and talents. All too often, organizations that are in trouble financially are 'led' by a board composed of well-meaning, concerned citizens who do not understand or accept their responsibility to ensure the financial well-being of the organization.

An effective board is one composed of people who are willing to use their stature and influence in the community to raise funds from the community. Ideally, these are people who are successful in their own right - 'pillars of the community'-- who are not the least bit reluctant to ask for money for a good cause. In fact, they enjoy the challenge of doing so.

The Nonprofit's Funding Conundrum
By its nature, a 501c3 nonprofit derives little or no funding from those it serves and must instead obtain funds from sources that only indirectly benefit from the services provided. Think about that for a minute because it is at the heart of the funding conundrum faced by just about every nonprofit.

"By its nature, a nonprofit derives little or no funding from those it serves; it must instead obtain funds from sources that only indirectly benefit from the services provided."

A community health clinic or homeless shelter provides critical life-saving services to those who cannot pay; it must somehow convince the community to provide the funding. Animal shelters, soup kitchens, adult literacy programs, inner-city and at-risk children's programs--the list is virtually endless and the dilemma the same; those served cannot pay for the services so the community must be convinced to do so.

Many of these programs qualify for government funding, but it is rarely enough to meet an organization's financial needs. This is particularly true in tough economic climates as we have seen recently, where demand for services soars while these funding sources dry up. Even those nonprofits previously successful in obtaining foundation grants are now seeing that source constricting.

So, unlike for-profit businesses, nonprofits must not only serve their 'customers' (the users of their services) well - they must also convince someone else to pay for services they are not themselves using. Now that is a marketing challenge!

The Fundraising Duties of Staff
The staff's role in all of this is to administer the programs at the center of the organization's mission which serve constituents. All too often, though, I see Executive Director job descriptions that make the ED responsible not only for running successful programs but also fundraising in the community. This is an abdication of duty by the Board and a formula for constant financial distress for the organization.

What is the staff's role in fundraising? I believe it is limited to:

1. Identifying and applying for relevant foundation and agency grants
2. Developing an effective marketing strategy to get the right message out to the community
3. Providing administrative and marketing support for fundraising and awareness events that the Board has initiated and promoted within their circle(s) of influence
4. Developing and grooming a database of financial supporters to which occasional appeals can be targeted

In Summary
The key to active, ongoing community support is a Board with the right attitude toward its responsibilities as the 'community connection'.

If your organization does not have a board that understands and accepts its responsibility as the 'community connection', you will likely always struggle with funding. On the other hand, if your board becomes actively engaged in a two-way conversation with the community, you will likely find a much more receptive audience for your marketing message and have an easier time obtaining community support.

Organizations that have mastered the art of soliciting community support can actually experience an increase in community support during economic downturns. Make sure your community knows why you exist and why they should support you - and the best way to do so is with a board that understands this as their 'job one'.

Pete Nixon, of Apogee Consultants (Park City, UT), helps corporate and nonprofit clients recognize and overcome patterns of behavior and thinking that don't serve them well, and to develop strategies for future success. Pete has been an active leader and volunteer with numerous civic and charitable groups in the Salt Lake City area.

Appreciation for GiftWorks Webinars June 21, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

Each month, the GiftWorks team sponsors an educational webinar for fundraisers, presented by some of the top talent in the sector. We have been thrilled to hear from many of you how much these webinars mean to you and your organizations.

We've decided to share three of the responses we received. I would like to thank Ellen Mowrer on the GiftWorks team for organizing these events; our expert friends who present critical, relevant information in such an interesting manner; and the thousands of people who take the time out of their busy schedules to improve themselves and their nonprofit organizations. Together, we can make a difference!

Best, Mary Pat

Thanks so much for the webinar “Developing Your Case for Support.” Once again, GiftWorks has provided a top notch educational opportunity. I will recommend GiftWorks to any organization that is considering purchasing or upgrading development software, in part because of the training you provide. I am sure there are other donor software programs out there that are good, but I am not sure they include high quality training opportunities like GiftWorks does. For that reason I feel your program stands apart from the others, and I will be happy to share the word.  

Cathy Haynes
Development Specialist
CONTACT Helpline
www.contacthelpline.org

Thanks for the follow up on the webinar. Linda did an excellent job with the content/presentation. I was very impressed with the professional nature of the session. You have obviously done these before. The audiovisuals and GoToMeeting connections were very well executed. I gained knowledge from the webinar, which should help us develop a stronger case statement for the Agency. I was on Linda’s site today and found more valuable material there. 

Sincerely,
John Rey
Family Service Agency of DeKalb County
Development Director

Yesterday's webinar on the case for support was probably the most directly and immediately useful webinar I've ever attended. Very recently I became the first ED and sole staff person of a small nonprofit, and I have no prior direct experience. In an hour I went from a vague sense of how to approach creating our organization's first "case" to feeling like I can totally nail it.   GiftWorks' software, support and community are enormously helpful to me every day. Add the Ladakh region in northernmost Himalayan India to the list of places where you folks are making a difference. 

With much appreciation,
Scott

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Scott Cronenweth
Executive Director
Siddhartha School Project
www.siddharthaschool.org  

 

 

Introductory Offer for GiftWorks Web Collect and Data Protect June 9, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

Are you looking for new, efficient ways to interact with your supporters?

Do you want your organization’s most valuable asset, your donor database, totally safe and secure?

If you answered yes, GiftWorks has 2 new web services for you!  GiftWorks Web Collect and GiftWorks Data Protect (see all the scoop below).  And to encourage you to give them a try, we have an introductory offer through July 30 where you can subscribe to both services for only $15.99 per month.

To learn more, you can watch quick videos on our YouTube channel.  Click here for a Data Protect video and click here for a Web Collect video.

Then, please complete this form or email us at sales@missionresearch.com and the team will get you started right away!

GiftWorks Web Collect gives you the ability to easily create a web form to collect information from your community – from contact information to survey questions – and then integrate this information directly into GiftWorks 2010 (Standard, Premium, Anywhere). The web form can be added to your web site, included in emails as a link, or used to gather feedback or from Facebook and Twitter (let’s make these social networks work for you!). Better yet, all feedback or data gathered can be managed from an easy-to-use dashboard and then integrated into GiftWorks as desired.

List price:  $14.99/month

GiftWorks Data Protect offers you safe, secure, remote backup for your most precious asset – your donor data. With a click, you will be able to ensure this critical data is safe and protected offsite.

List price:  $4.99/month

 

 

Developing Your Case for Support: A June 16 Webinar June 8, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

by Ellie LaCasse

Write a case statement. It sounds like a painful assignment that you can put off until you're planning a major fundraising campaign.

Think again. Fundraising expert Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE, tells us that you need a case statement in place not only for a capital campaign, but for each of your fundraising initiatives--your annual drive, planned-giving projects, and so on.

Linda explains the importance of writing a case statement before you do anything else:

Typically an office has one person writing grants; another working on a brochure, letters, and direct mail; a CEO writing a speech for the Rotary Club; somebody else doing a Power Point, a website, etc. They’re each looking at your fundraising from a different angle and thus they're giving mixed messages. So when a Rotary member goes to the website he is confused about the different messages he’s received.

The case statement gives the compelling reason someone would want to give. Of course, as the fundraising effort rolls out, it will be translated into many forms, according to the audiences approached. But the initial thinking has to be stated clearly—and all versions must come from that same beginning statement.

If a case statement is so crucial, why do so few fundraisers prepare them? Linda says that there are several reasons. Some organizations don't have an overall strategy that encompasses each element of their program; development staff may misunderstand what motivates donors; sometimes fundraisers simply don't set aside the time to get it done.

To learn more about writing a case statement, please join us for Linda Lysakowski's free one-hour webinar, Developing Your Case for Support, on Wednesday, June 16, at noon Eastern time. You're welcome to invite others in your organization to join in, but space is limited, so register now.

Ellie LaCasse, a friend of GiftWorks, is officially retired from fundraising but is forever a community volunteer.

The GiftWorks User Group: What's in It for Me? June 8, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

by Ellie LaCasse

Karen Schaller is enthusiastic about the GiftWorks User Group. A fundraising database consultant, she has discovered that participating in the group on LinkedIn can be like going to a conference: you can "take the opportunity to talk with your fellow fundraisers, uncover new heights to aspire to, explore possibilities that others have already worked out (no need to reinvent the wheel!), and find solutions to issues you haven't conquered," Karen explains.

Duke Speer of CorTech, which brings the strategic use of technology to fundraising professionals, is also a regular participant in User Group discussions. “The most interesting exchanges occur when a user raises a question and seven or eight others chime in with their ideas, experiences, disasters, connections," Duke says. "Everyone emerges with more insight, better strategic background, and refreshed enthusiasm--ready to take fundraising to the next level.”

The GiftWorks User Group on LinkedIn, open exclusively to GiftWorks customers, consultant partners, and staff, is now more than 1,500 members strong. It's a place where you can converse 24-7 about what’s working for you in GiftWorks and what’s not. Many use the group to find a quick answer to a technical problem that’s blocking their immediate progress. Others check in frequently and thrive on interactions and discussions that interest them. They get a sense of where others in the nonprofit world are focusing their time and where they are headed.

"Everyone emerges with more insight, better strategic background, and refreshed enthusiasm"

Many of us got our start in fundraising when someone gave us a little time to help us begin; the GiftWorks User Group is a place where we can pay that investment forward by sharing what we've learned with those who are not as far along the path. When many of us participate in this open and generous way, fundraising in general benefits from the dynamics of a healthy nonprofit community.

Despite the huge variety of missions represented in the group, all GiftWorks users share the same need to maximize the power of their database as the best tool for making their fundraising efficient and effective.

The User Group on LinkedIn complements the GiftWorks user manual and tech support services, Karen explains. It does more than tell you how to do something; "it can offer the best way, based on others' experiences." The group offers "an open line to others who may be using their GiftWorks database in ways you haven't even dreamed of yet."

And "the beauty about user groups,” says Karen, “is that access is limited to members who have been verified, so you know you’re among other professionals who share the same goals and challenges.”

Want to jump on the LinkedIn bandwagon? Sign up to join Karen Schaller, Duke Speer, and GiftWorks business development director Ellen Mowrer for a virtual lunch on Tuesday, June 15, from noon to 1:30 Eastern time. They will share tips and tricks on participating in the GiftWorks User Group, present a review of many of the questions and answers that appear there, and provide an opportunity to present your questions to the experts in real time.

Ellie LaCasse, a friend of GiftWorks, is officially retired from fundraising but is forever a community volunteer.

Asking Styles: A New Idea in Fundraising June 7, 2010 By Mary Pat Donnellon

by Andrea Kihlstedt

Have you ever thought that if you were only more confident, more extroverted, less shy, more articulate, funnier, more serious, more handsome, younger, older . . . then you’d be able to ask for gifts?

Well, think again. The task of becoming a successful asker is not to change who you are or how you act or look or behave. All you have to do is understand your style and ask in a way that works for you.

Yes, each of us has our own personal asking style. If you know your style and use it to shape the way you ask for gifts, asking will be easier, and you’ll be more successful.

Your asking style is based on a combination of the way you interact with people and the way you most naturally make decisions. To determine your asking style, look at the simple chart below. Along the vertical axis place yourself according to whether you are an extrovert (top) or an introvert (bottom). On the horizontal axis place yourself on the right if you make decisions intuitively and on the left if you are analytical.

Your style influences many aspects of how you solicit gifts. It influences your selection of prospects, the way you prepare to approach them, how you articulate the case, and the way you follow through.

For example, my business partner, Brian Saber, with whom I have developed this material, is an introvert who makes decisions intuitively. Looking at the chart above, you can see that he’s a Kindred Spirit. Brian has spent his career in fundraising soliciting major gifts. To hear him tell it, he does not prepare a full presentation for his prospects. Rather he stays open to what they tell him and is able to respond and shape his asks in real time.

On the other hand, my client Maleka Lawrence, development director of Harlem RBI in New York, is a Mission Controller. She is comfortable when she is thoroughly and completely prepared and has a carefully crafted case that includes ample detailed information.

Both Brian and Maleka are very good at soliciting gifts. They are good at it because they have learned to use their natural styles to the fullest.

No matter what your asking style, you can be a successful asker. If you solicit gifts in a way that best suits you, you will be more likely to be willing to get out and ask. And in case you have forgotten, getting out to ask people for gifts in person really does raise more money.

On our Asking Matters website, you can see a video of Brian talking about his asking style--and many other videos of people like you talking about asking and giving. Take a look at askingmatters.com.

Andrea Kihlstedt is a well-known author, consultant, presenter, and development coach. Her book Capital Campaigns: Strategies that Work is a standard reference now in its third edition, and her new book, How to Raise $1 Million (or More!) in Ten Bite-Sized Steps, is an inspiring, quick read that makes major gift fundraising seem doable. Andrea is the cofounder of Asking Matters. You can reach her at andrea@askingmatters.com.