The 5 Elements of an Effective Fundraising Case Statement

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:07.190 You are listening to the Higher Ed Marketer, a podcast geared towards marketing professionals 2 00:00:07.230 --> 00:00:11.910 in higher education. This show will tackle all sorts of questions related to student 3 00:00:11.949 --> 00:00:16.269 recruitment, don'tor relations, marketing trends, new technologies and so much more. 4 00:00:17.030 --> 00:00:20.829 If you are looking for conversations centered around where the industry is going, this 5 00:00:20.989 --> 00:00:30.420 podcast is for you. Let's get into the show. Welcome to the hired 6 00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:35.770 marketer podcast. I'm troy singer and with my cohost and Gi Joe Action figure 7 00:00:35.850 --> 00:00:40.570 collector Bark Taylor. Today, Martin, I speak with bill stands, a 8 00:00:40.570 --> 00:00:47.969 Kevitch from the Lily School of fundraising about creating an effective case statement for fundraising. 9 00:00:48.009 --> 00:00:50.840 Yeah, troy, it's been a it's a really good conversation. Bill 10 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:55.479 is very, very knowledgeable. He teaches at the Ius School of Philanthropy here 11 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:59.280 in Indianapolis and he does a great job of outlining, you know, the 12 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:02.280 case for support. And a lot of times we as marketers are going to 13 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:06.510 be asked by the advancement department to help them with whether it's a capital campaign, 14 00:01:06.909 --> 00:01:11.150 whether it's, you know, you're end fundraising or just ongoing fundraising. 15 00:01:11.189 --> 00:01:15.469 A lot of times we as marketers need to understand what that's all about and 16 00:01:15.549 --> 00:01:19.420 then be able to understand how to craft the stories and the marketing around that 17 00:01:19.540 --> 00:01:23.140 to make it most effective and build as an excellent job of outlaying that and 18 00:01:23.219 --> 00:01:26.379 really helping us to understand that. And you and I have to know that 19 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:30.859 bill also has a background in radio. That comes out in his voice. 20 00:01:30.939 --> 00:01:37.209 That comes out and the energy and delivery and this will be twenty very fast 21 00:01:37.370 --> 00:01:41.890 and enjoyable minutes and also, most importantly, very informative. Yeah, so 22 00:01:42.370 --> 00:01:48.879 let's check in on our conversation with bill. It is our pleasure and honor 23 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:53.120 to welcome bill stands a Kevitch to the high it marketer podcast. He serves 24 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:59.719 as the Senior Assistant Dean for External Relations, clinical associate professor and director of 25 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:04.109 the fundraising school. Bill, thank you for coming on the PODCAST. Were 26 00:02:04.150 --> 00:02:09.150 excited to talk to you about fundraising and best practices and some of the things 27 00:02:09.189 --> 00:02:13.750 that you teach at the lively school of Philanthropy. Yeah, Troy, thanks 28 00:02:13.789 --> 00:02:17.340 for having me on. If you would give us a little bit about yourself 29 00:02:17.620 --> 00:02:23.099 and the school? Well, the fundraising school has been around since one thousand 30 00:02:23.139 --> 00:02:28.780 nine hundred and seventy four invented by Henry and dotty Rosso when they foresaw the 31 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:34.370 coming growth of the nonprofit sector. Back then the sector was still growing. 32 00:02:34.409 --> 00:02:38.569 In many ways, the profession of fundraising was in its early stages. A 33 00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:43.490 Lot of times what a nonprofit would do is kind of bring somebody into fundraise 34 00:02:43.569 --> 00:02:46.199 and, when the campaign was over, send them on their way. Not 35 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:49.879 Profits, more and more, were hiring fulltime fundraising staff, and so hank 36 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:54.960 and dotty decided to formalize the profession by creating this school with evidence based principles 37 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:00.110 and techniques of fundraising. So we train all over the world, before the 38 00:03:00.150 --> 00:03:02.550 pandemic, about six thousand people every year and, of course, because of 39 00:03:02.590 --> 00:03:06.710 the pandemic, more so now online than in person, although we do have 40 00:03:07.150 --> 00:03:12.270 significant in person offerings. And the fundraising school is housed within the Indiana University 41 00:03:12.509 --> 00:03:16.500 Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, which is the world's only school on Philanthropic Studies. 42 00:03:16.580 --> 00:03:20.580 So think about you know there's a school of law, School of Medicine, 43 00:03:20.620 --> 00:03:23.620 of school of business. We are the School of Philanthropy Different From nonprofit 44 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:28.729 management, is important as nonprofit management is. Instead, philanthropy is part of 45 00:03:28.729 --> 00:03:31.169 the human condition. It's who we are. As people. It's part of 46 00:03:31.210 --> 00:03:36.370 our behavior and lifestyle in the ways we express our generosity to each other and 47 00:03:36.610 --> 00:03:39.129 in our communities. And so we have bachelor, master and doctoral degrees in 48 00:03:39.169 --> 00:03:44.479 the school philanthropy. We also have a robust research team that's continually discovering new 49 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:49.960 knowledge about philanthropic behavior, including charitable giving. All of that informs the curriculum 50 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.719 of the fundraising school. We don't just have a fundraiser in front of the 51 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:57.870 room saying here's how I had success. You can to our faculty are accomplished 52 00:03:57.870 --> 00:04:01.349 fundraisers. This is practition or focused, but our curriculum as much as possible 53 00:04:01.469 --> 00:04:06.870 is evidence based with that research. Thank you. And where do your students 54 00:04:06.949 --> 00:04:12.020 typically come from? So primarily in the United States, but we also do 55 00:04:12.620 --> 00:04:16.259 teach all over the world where we cover all nine subsectors of the philanthropic sector. 56 00:04:16.939 --> 00:04:21.339 And you know all budget sizes, so you know the largest universities and 57 00:04:21.420 --> 00:04:27.689 hospital systems to the Corner neighborhood nonprofit with a budget of less than a hundred 58 00:04:27.730 --> 00:04:31.850 thousand dollars. We have different curriculum tailor to each of their respective needs as 59 00:04:31.889 --> 00:04:36.170 they come to the fundraising school to strengthen their fun development skills. Thanks Bill. 60 00:04:36.170 --> 00:04:41.040 I appreciate you kind of explaining a little bit about the school of Philanthropy. 61 00:04:41.079 --> 00:04:44.160 I know that when we first had our initial conversation we kind of talked 62 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:46.480 through some different subjects and one of the things that you agree to talk about 63 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:50.920 was kind of the the elements of the traditional fundraising case for support, whether 64 00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:55.589 that's using in fundraising, whether it's used in capital campaigns. There's an element, 65 00:04:55.829 --> 00:04:58.310 you know, kind of a kind of a metric to that. I 66 00:04:58.430 --> 00:05:00.949 guess that you teach that it. Would love to hear a little bit more 67 00:05:00.990 --> 00:05:03.550 about that. Well, your higher ad audience will appreciate, you know, 68 00:05:03.750 --> 00:05:06.339 the kind of the letter V and the academy. That's how we work, 69 00:05:06.420 --> 00:05:10.259 right. We start with a big concept and then we continue in Arrow down 70 00:05:10.259 --> 00:05:13.660 to the specific. So let me take a step back and invite your audience 71 00:05:13.740 --> 00:05:16.180 to think about, let's just say, painting a room. Right, you're 72 00:05:16.180 --> 00:05:18.379 going to do your own painting. It's going to be, say, your 73 00:05:18.420 --> 00:05:21.370 living room or dining room or so forth. You do we just take the 74 00:05:21.449 --> 00:05:25.529 can of paint and throw it up against the wall. You could. That's 75 00:05:25.569 --> 00:05:28.449 called abstract art. Some people might even pay a millions of dollars for that. 76 00:05:28.970 --> 00:05:30.850 But no, actually probably going to be a lot more planned and disciplined 77 00:05:30.889 --> 00:05:33.329 and careful about that. So what do we need to do? We need 78 00:05:33.370 --> 00:05:36.040 to take the furniture out of the room. We need to make sure the 79 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:40.600 floor is covered. We need to make sure that we're taping off the trim 80 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:44.319 so the trim doesn't get the same color as the the wall paint. We're 81 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:48.800 taking off the covers for the light switches and the electical outlets. Were cleaning 82 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:53.230 the wall where maybe filling in some some pock marks that might be there in 83 00:05:53.310 --> 00:05:56.189 smoothing that out. Maybe there's an oil stain, so we have to prime 84 00:05:56.310 --> 00:06:00.589 that part of the wall. All of these things need to happen before we 85 00:06:00.750 --> 00:06:01.910 can paint the room. And then, by the way, now we need 86 00:06:01.949 --> 00:06:03.819 to go to the store and you say, well, we're going to paint 87 00:06:03.819 --> 00:06:08.180 the room blue, and the woman at the hardware store shows you literally three 88 00:06:08.220 --> 00:06:12.660 hundred shades of blue right and different, you know, gloss finishes and all 89 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:15.220 of them. I got to choose one of those. A lot of planning, 90 00:06:15.220 --> 00:06:17.060 a lot of thinking, a lot of strategy, and that's what we 91 00:06:17.139 --> 00:06:20.529 want people to think about in terms of fundraising. Is that it is the 92 00:06:20.649 --> 00:06:24.930 multiple steps of planning that go into this process. I think a lot of 93 00:06:25.009 --> 00:06:27.970 people are hesitant to fund raise. They think, well, I just can't 94 00:06:28.009 --> 00:06:30.009 go up to people randomly and ask them for money. Good, because we're 95 00:06:30.009 --> 00:06:33.360 not asking you to do that. Instead, there's a lot of planning that 96 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:38.720 needs to go into this process, and that planning is a fourteen step process 97 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:43.519 called the fundraising cycle. And in the fundraising cycle we have things like getting 98 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:46.750 an initial idea of who could possibly fund us, amongst individuals, foundations and 99 00:06:46.829 --> 00:06:51.990 corporations, some initial ideas about our needs based on our program costs and other 100 00:06:53.269 --> 00:06:57.910 forms of revenue. We engage our board with their oversight and their insight into 101 00:06:58.310 --> 00:07:01.420 this process. Then we get more specific about our needs and finalize those and 102 00:07:01.540 --> 00:07:08.819 more specific about categories of fundraising opportunities, again individuals, foundations and corporations. 103 00:07:09.019 --> 00:07:14.220 Then we name names of individuals, name names of foundations and corporations and kind 104 00:07:14.259 --> 00:07:16.370 of give an estimate of a range we could fundraise from them in the next 105 00:07:16.449 --> 00:07:20.610 coming year, for what reason, attached to which programmer, service or unrestricted, 106 00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:25.290 and knitting that all together is called the fundraising plan. Now, before 107 00:07:25.329 --> 00:07:28.569 we move forward, we need to make sure our marketing materials are aligned. 108 00:07:28.610 --> 00:07:30.240 Do we have a theme? Do we have a logo? Are there going 109 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:33.000 to be handouts? What about social media in the website? Are we going 110 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:38.319 to buy these ads that break into streaming services now right, whether it be 111 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:42.199 spotify or Youtube TV or whatever people are watching from? You got all that 112 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:46.189 planned out? Then we're still not done. We need the board's approval and 113 00:07:46.389 --> 00:07:49.550 only then can we go make the ask, which is stage thirteen of this 114 00:07:49.750 --> 00:07:57.670 fourteen stage process, the fourteen stepping stewardship that were maintaining relationship with those donors 115 00:07:57.709 --> 00:08:01.980 and funders in ways that don't continually ask them for more money, but just 116 00:08:01.139 --> 00:08:05.259 treating them with human dignity, honoring them for their gift, maintaining that relationship 117 00:08:05.379 --> 00:08:11.180 over time. So that's the fourteen step fundraising cycle. The very first step 118 00:08:11.860 --> 00:08:16.209 is your fundraising case for support. This is what sets you apart. This 119 00:08:16.329 --> 00:08:22.569 is your most unique aspect, most strongest description of why you are distinct. 120 00:08:22.170 --> 00:08:26.449 There are, in the United States alone, about one and a half million 121 00:08:26.610 --> 00:08:31.560 nonprofits, and that doesn't even include all of the religious congregations. We included 122 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:37.000 them. The numbers about two million, and donors are receiving requests from multiple 123 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:41.350 nonprofits every single year. How do you set yourself apart with the fund raising 124 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:45.669 case for support? So, Bart and troy, it's a very specific tool 125 00:08:46.230 --> 00:08:48.350 that without that you're not going to be able to distinguish yourself and make your 126 00:08:48.429 --> 00:08:52.509 fundraising case when the time comes to talk to the donor. Thank you, 127 00:08:52.629 --> 00:08:56.899 Bill, and if we can, we'd like to break down the fundraising case 128 00:08:58.019 --> 00:09:01.340 of support. I believe there are five elements and the first element is what 129 00:09:01.700 --> 00:09:07.620 is your compelling idea, or what is your big compelling idea? Correct? 130 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:11.610 Yeah, when we think about the corporate sector, I think just about everybody 131 00:09:11.649 --> 00:09:15.690 has flown southwest airlines right and even back in the day. Those, those 132 00:09:15.730 --> 00:09:18.450 have been around for a while. Remember that when the other airlines had their 133 00:09:18.529 --> 00:09:22.929 flight attendants and really fancy uniforms and were serving us like chicken and steak dinners 134 00:09:22.009 --> 00:09:26.840 and things like that, you know the southwest flight attendants were in their cargo 135 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:30.360 shorts and their golf shirts, making jokes as they toss their bags of peanuts 136 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:33.759 across the airplane. But the one thing is is that the southwest was always 137 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:39.389 very customer friendly and highly affordable. What's their big compelling idea that has led 138 00:09:39.470 --> 00:09:43.429 them to win. You know, the customer satisfaction award decades in a row, 139 00:09:43.710 --> 00:09:48.230 and the big compelling idea southwest airlines is giving people of all incomes the 140 00:09:48.350 --> 00:09:52.549 freedom to fly. That's the big compelling idea and every decision they make falls 141 00:09:52.590 --> 00:09:56.460 within that big compelling idea. What is your big compelling idea at Your University, 142 00:09:56.500 --> 00:10:01.220 at Your College, at Your Department or your division within Your College, 143 00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:05.259 at Your Research Institute, at Your Athletic Department, in Your Music Program what 144 00:10:05.419 --> 00:10:11.169 is your big compelling idea? Because don't owners are interested in those big ideas? 145 00:10:11.610 --> 00:10:16.690 The number one of the key reasons that people give is impact, results, 146 00:10:16.970 --> 00:10:20.809 making a difference. And what are you asking me to make a difference 147 00:10:20.850 --> 00:10:24.480 in? And it's that big compelling idea. So a good place to look 148 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.679 is the organization strategic plan. What is Your Vision Statement and what are your 149 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.799 value declarations? These should be, you know, just very highminded, big 150 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:37.590 concepts, inspiring words and phrases that move us towards that cause of why the 151 00:10:37.629 --> 00:10:41.309 school exists. And it's that big compelling idea that's going to define everybody else 152 00:10:41.710 --> 00:10:46.509 and really grab the donor's attention up front as to why they could be interested 153 00:10:46.590 --> 00:10:48.750 in your school. That's great and I know that's what kind of go into 154 00:10:48.830 --> 00:10:52.700 that, because I've worked on some case statements before too, and many times 155 00:10:52.740 --> 00:10:56.139 it's, you know, in collaboration or we get the big idea and we 156 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:58.500 get these other elements and put them in, you know, in a marketing 157 00:10:58.539 --> 00:11:01.460 speak and things like that. But I guess the second one is kind of 158 00:11:01.820 --> 00:11:05.210 then starting to understand what the problem is you're trying to solve. Is that 159 00:11:05.250 --> 00:11:07.610 correct? Yeah, there are a couple different ways look at this. Either 160 00:11:07.690 --> 00:11:11.409 you have a specific problem you're trying to solve. So I'm on the board 161 00:11:11.450 --> 00:11:15.090 of our local food bank and we're trying to solve food in security, right, 162 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:18.529 and so then we would describe food and security in the region that we 163 00:11:18.570 --> 00:11:22.159 serve. Use Data, how that compares to other regions. How many people 164 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:26.039 are being served, the repercussions if they're not served, the positive consequences if 165 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:28.679 they are. All of these things. Were describing the problem, but we 166 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:33.710 can also put this in a positive term, and that is describe the opportunity 167 00:11:33.789 --> 00:11:37.750 you're trying to fulfill. And so especial and higher at are we starting? 168 00:11:37.070 --> 00:11:41.909 You know, a new program a new research institute, a new line of 169 00:11:41.029 --> 00:11:45.590 research, a new faculty chair, a new degree program you know, those 170 00:11:45.590 --> 00:11:50.340 are all opportunities or just overall, the relative advantage of who we are as 171 00:11:50.379 --> 00:11:52.139 a school that, you know, I might be a liberal, a small 172 00:11:52.179 --> 00:11:56.899 liberal arts campus, but I also have this strong science college that maybe distinguishes 173 00:11:56.940 --> 00:12:01.289 me from other small liberal arts schools. That's going to be an opportunity to 174 00:12:01.450 --> 00:12:07.090 fulfill for some donors. So again we're it's either problem to solve an opportunity 175 00:12:07.129 --> 00:12:11.090 to fulfill. It's tied into that big compelling idea and we're being as specific 176 00:12:11.210 --> 00:12:16.679 as we can with data, with research reports and study findings, perhaps with 177 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:22.480 a testimonial of somebody who has used our program or the typical person who would 178 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:26.879 use our program if we're getting started, a way to understand the real why 179 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:31.470 of what we're doing, tied into that big compelling idea of how we're going 180 00:12:31.470 --> 00:12:35.789 to make the world a better place. So after that problem is identified in 181 00:12:35.230 --> 00:12:41.149 the cases made, then the next step is offering the solution or explaining the 182 00:12:41.269 --> 00:12:45.820 solution. Yeah, and this is probably the easiest step of all because you're 183 00:12:45.899 --> 00:12:50.019 describing your programs, in your services or the programs and services that you're launching 184 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:52.539 and you know, this is especially where our board members can come in, 185 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:58.009 because they should be able to describe this in very clear terms without necessarily having 186 00:12:58.009 --> 00:13:01.210 to get into the nitty gritty and the details. And so we can describe 187 00:13:01.210 --> 00:13:05.889 our research project, checked our degree program you know, the new initiative, 188 00:13:05.970 --> 00:13:09.210 the way we're partnering with the Community Around Community Development or with a business sector 189 00:13:09.250 --> 00:13:15.159 around economic development. So just describing our programs and our services in great detail 190 00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:20.600 so that the donor can see exactly what we're doing to accomplish the why in 191 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:24.000 very specific practical terms. And I think when I'm looking at the number four, 192 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:26.080 when it's it's kind of like the idea of the outcomes. What are 193 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:30.029 the outcomes going to be? Who? What? What is the intended results 194 00:13:30.110 --> 00:13:31.190 going to be? Is that? Is that how it works? And so 195 00:13:31.429 --> 00:13:35.830 again, the big compelling idea, especially with you about major gift fundraising. 196 00:13:35.669 --> 00:13:39.870 Big donors want big ideas, right, but they want to know that these 197 00:13:39.950 --> 00:13:43.980 aren't just flighty ideas, that these are very thoughtful ideas, that these are 198 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:50.379 going to be long standing, long term ideas and solutions that are going to 199 00:13:50.980 --> 00:13:54.259 have a steadfast contribution to making the world a better place for a long time, 200 00:13:54.730 --> 00:13:56.929 and one way we're going to do that as to measure for results, 201 00:13:58.409 --> 00:14:01.490 and so we're going to be able to describe to our donors, because of 202 00:14:01.610 --> 00:14:05.610 this program, this is going to happen, we anticipate this is going to 203 00:14:05.730 --> 00:14:07.769 happen and why, or if the program has been in existence. Here are 204 00:14:07.850 --> 00:14:13.000 our program data, not just our outputs, the number of students who graduate, 205 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.960 but our outcomes. What are our alumni doing these days? What type 206 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.519 of work are they doing, what type of impact are they having and, 207 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:22.919 yes, what type of salary are they drawing and, you know, being 208 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:24.429 able to care for themselves as well. So we're going to be able to 209 00:14:24.470 --> 00:14:28.269 measure all of these things and make that part of our description to the donor, 210 00:14:28.590 --> 00:14:33.149 because it on one of the top reasons that people donate is they want 211 00:14:33.149 --> 00:14:35.029 to fund impact, they want to be able to make a difference. You 212 00:14:35.149 --> 00:14:39.019 can also some of those results can be testimonials from people served by the program 213 00:14:39.100 --> 00:14:45.299 or people providing the service, say a faculty member WHO's leading a research division 214 00:14:45.340 --> 00:14:48.379 or a particular, you know, line of instruction at the school. So 215 00:14:48.980 --> 00:14:52.730 big compelling idea. What is the problem we're trying to solve or the opportunity 216 00:14:52.769 --> 00:14:56.490 we're trying to fulfill, describe how with our programs and our services, and 217 00:14:56.649 --> 00:15:01.649 then what results do we anticipate or are we enjoying, or can we magnify 218 00:15:01.730 --> 00:15:05.049 and multiply because of charitable support from the donor? And then, finally, 219 00:15:05.730 --> 00:15:11.360 it's very apparent of why should the donor care? Making that emotional impact and 220 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:16.000 making sure how you communicate that is relevant to the donor. Make sure it's 221 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:20.120 tailored to the donor. And that's exactly right. We're now customizing all this 222 00:15:20.279 --> 00:15:26.710 information for this particular individual or foundation or business sector funder as well. And 223 00:15:26.950 --> 00:15:31.789 so instead of me going to the department store to just buy a suit off 224 00:15:31.870 --> 00:15:35.500 the rack, now I'm going to a tailor to customize a suit specifically for 225 00:15:35.620 --> 00:15:39.139 me. That's this stage of the fundraising case for support. We could have 226 00:15:39.340 --> 00:15:45.139 ten people who support our college, Ten people who support our university, but 227 00:15:45.259 --> 00:15:48.460 that could have ten very different reasons for doing so. Maybe one is an 228 00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:52.129 alum, maybe another one is a parent of a student who graduated, maybe 229 00:15:52.210 --> 00:15:56.929 one is a business leader who relies on the college for the next round of 230 00:15:56.009 --> 00:16:02.090 of employees. All sorts of different reasons. Religious faith taxes can figure into 231 00:16:02.169 --> 00:16:04.600 this. My reputation, not an ego way, but in a positive way 232 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:07.320 to say this is why I want to be known as out in my community. 233 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:12.200 All these myriad of reasons why people donate, and as fundraisers we're going 234 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:17.799 to know the specific reason or reasons for each of those ten different donors and 235 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:22.309 that's how we're going to tailor this fundraising case for support so that it's not 236 00:16:22.350 --> 00:16:25.870 a one size fits all. The first four aspects are but in this fifth 237 00:16:25.950 --> 00:16:30.710 one we're now translating it to this particular donors strongest interests, with their filmthropic 238 00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:36.019 values and their philanthropic motivations. I love that. I now know a lot 239 00:16:36.059 --> 00:16:38.700 of times, as marketers, sometimes we can get excited about, you know, 240 00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:41.980 taking a lot of this information and putting it into a real nice and 241 00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:45.419 brochure or a real nice, you know, presentation piece. But I think 242 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:48.009 one of the things that we forget, even as we're copyrighting and doing other 243 00:16:48.049 --> 00:16:51.929 things, is that we've got to focus on like that last part. You 244 00:16:52.009 --> 00:16:55.809 talked about the tailored aspect of who the donor is, remembering that the donor 245 00:16:56.250 --> 00:16:59.929 really wants to be able to they in a way that I mean there's there's 246 00:16:59.929 --> 00:17:03.120 this idea that the hero of the story that they want to be able to 247 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:07.119 steward, they want to be able to serve and they're not looking for just 248 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:10.440 being asked, they want to be able to be a part of what's going 249 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:12.079 on. And so I think sometimes, and correct me if I'm wrong, 250 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.710 Bill, but sometimes we need to make sure that the way that we are 251 00:17:15.109 --> 00:17:19.390 crafting the message, the way that we are connecting the donor with with with 252 00:17:19.630 --> 00:17:25.230 our opportunities for them to join us in stewardship, has more to do with, 253 00:17:25.670 --> 00:17:29.190 you know, tailoring it toward them rather than just giving them a Lett 254 00:17:29.589 --> 00:17:33.099 laundry list of Santa Claus. Here's what I am want for Christmas, and 255 00:17:33.460 --> 00:17:37.099 this is where our marketing colleagues are essential to fundraising and the fundraising case for 256 00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:41.660 support and, to amplify a word that you just use, their part, 257 00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:45.650 and that's story. People might not always remember data, they might not always 258 00:17:45.650 --> 00:17:49.609 remember research findings, they might not always remember the details of your program or 259 00:17:49.650 --> 00:17:53.089 your service, but more often than not they will remember a story, or 260 00:17:53.130 --> 00:17:56.410 at least the essence of a story. And we can even think about how 261 00:17:56.569 --> 00:18:00.920 marketing experts, or even think about our television and movie producers, the Typical 262 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:06.359 Story Arc. Here is our main character, our protagonist, and let's learn 263 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:08.759 about this main character and some things that are true about them, and then 264 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:14.349 we learn about some either challenges that they have in their life or some opportunities 265 00:18:14.430 --> 00:18:18.589 that could come across their way. But then there's kind of this fork in 266 00:18:18.630 --> 00:18:22.630 the road that those problems aren't going to be solved or that opportunity isn't going 267 00:18:22.630 --> 00:18:27.660 to be fulfilled until this resolution point comes about that does solve that problem or 268 00:18:27.779 --> 00:18:33.299 does fulfill that opportunity. And then at the end that main character, their 269 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:36.299 life isn't a good place, but it's a hallmark movie. It starts to 270 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:40.740 snow, the dog barks and and it's all good. So our marketing people 271 00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:45.130 can take that fundraising case for support and create that story, create that narrative, 272 00:18:45.529 --> 00:18:48.849 tell us about that typical student who talk to us, about that typical 273 00:18:49.250 --> 00:18:52.569 member of the alumni, that typical faculty member who's doing the research, the 274 00:18:52.849 --> 00:18:57.319 typical community that benefits from the presence of the college, the typical employment sector 275 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:02.119 that benefits from our students going to intern and coop and work for them, 276 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:06.880 and talk about that story in that way. That then can also be seen 277 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:11.670 and therefore, donor, you have a role in this story. Right, 278 00:19:11.869 --> 00:19:15.349 we have a spot just for we did our casting call and you're in. 279 00:19:15.750 --> 00:19:21.269 You can see yourself as part of this story because, remember, with philanthropy, 280 00:19:21.750 --> 00:19:25.019 and especially now with technology, we can sit in our homes and we 281 00:19:25.059 --> 00:19:26.619 can make a difference. We can pop open our technology device, we can 282 00:19:26.660 --> 00:19:30.619 make a donation or sign a petition or forward something on social media. But 283 00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:37.609 our impact expands exponentially when we join with others who care about the things that 284 00:19:37.730 --> 00:19:41.250 we care about, the causes that we want to pursue, the way we 285 00:19:41.410 --> 00:19:45.769 want to make the world a better place in positive ways, and that's the 286 00:19:45.970 --> 00:19:48.730 story that I'm joining. So I would encourage our marketing people, you are 287 00:19:48.809 --> 00:19:53.680 essential to fundraising, help us craft those stories of which the fundraising case for 288 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:59.880 support fits within, so the donor can see themselves in that story. That's 289 00:19:59.880 --> 00:20:02.839 great. That's great, Bill. What are some of the other elements? 290 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:08.269 Are Topics that should be considered when approaching a major gift marketing or communication initiative? 291 00:20:10.109 --> 00:20:11.990 You know, I think you know, we certainly want to think about 292 00:20:12.029 --> 00:20:15.630 all the the leading edge ideas. Like you know, how do we now 293 00:20:15.789 --> 00:20:22.299 get those ads that are tailor to each individual listener and viewer on our streaming 294 00:20:22.339 --> 00:20:26.259 devices. You know, I'm tuned into my serious Xm channel, listening to 295 00:20:26.339 --> 00:20:30.460 my favorite sports talk show. I reside in Indiana, but at the moment 296 00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:34.930 I'm in Illinois. This is a true story. And suddenly the host takes 297 00:20:34.970 --> 00:20:41.690 a commercial break and I'm hearing a radio AD ON SATELLITE RADIO FOR NONPROFIT BACK 298 00:20:41.809 --> 00:20:45.650 IN INDIANA. Why? Because somehow, you know, my technology device is 299 00:20:45.730 --> 00:20:48.609 registered in Indiana and they found out. Well, just go find the Indiana 300 00:20:48.690 --> 00:20:52.119 people and, you know, plug in this this spot into the satellite show. 301 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:55.519 We see that. For those of you who've cut the cord and stream, 302 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:57.319 you know Hulu, Youtube TV and so forth. You know, suddenly 303 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:02.400 I'm getting a TV AD. I'm watching my ball game and it's our local 304 00:21:02.440 --> 00:21:06.349 community college in Indiana. HMM, how did that write that? So all 305 00:21:06.390 --> 00:21:08.869 the sophisticated, cutting edge things that are happening at the same time, let's 306 00:21:08.910 --> 00:21:12.829 not leave out kind of the old school right to make sure that we're still 307 00:21:12.950 --> 00:21:17.150 in the the local media, whether it's the newspaper, even if it's not 308 00:21:17.269 --> 00:21:19.539 on paper anymore and it's on the tablet, the local radio, the local 309 00:21:19.619 --> 00:21:22.660 television, the local billboards that those are still important. And I'll give you 310 00:21:22.660 --> 00:21:26.539 an example again. I'm on the Board of my Regional Food Bank here and 311 00:21:27.220 --> 00:21:32.660 the New York Times comes a calling and interviews two of our staff members about 312 00:21:32.700 --> 00:21:37.769 how the supply chain problems in our economy are actually affecting the provision of food, 313 00:21:37.170 --> 00:21:41.170 especially for marginalized communities. Exactly the people were solving at our food bank. 314 00:21:41.210 --> 00:21:45.130 Those two people part of a New York time story. One of the 315 00:21:45.289 --> 00:21:49.799 national news networks picks up on it, MSNBC, and interviews our CEO on 316 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:53.440 one of their Sunday morning programs. Nice teen in interview in the CEO did 317 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:57.079 a great job and about a week or two later, unsolicited, comes this 318 00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:03.589 twentyzero donation from a resident in the state of New York, where in Indiana, 319 00:22:03.910 --> 00:22:06.750 who said Hey, I saw that TV interview. You guys are doing 320 00:22:06.829 --> 00:22:10.630 great work. I love how you're overcoming these economic challenges that all of us 321 00:22:10.630 --> 00:22:15.230 are facing. Here's Twentyzero. Now that doesn't always happen, that's not always 322 00:22:15.230 --> 00:22:18.779 the guarantee, but it was traditional media that helped us get the story out 323 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:22.299 right. In addition to all the cutting edge things that your firm is providing, 324 00:22:22.339 --> 00:22:26.380 important leadership on it's a both and so again, help us find those 325 00:22:26.420 --> 00:22:30.730 themes, help us find those delivery methods. Different people, different demographics, 326 00:22:30.890 --> 00:22:34.529 different age groups, are going to find information in different ways. Who's your 327 00:22:34.569 --> 00:22:38.450 key audience? Where do they consume information? And that's where we need to 328 00:22:38.529 --> 00:22:42.490 be with information about our nonprofit, not even about making the ass but just 329 00:22:42.650 --> 00:22:45.880 putting the information out there about who we are and what we do that can 330 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:51.039 get donor attention. One more quick example. The research shows that a key 331 00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:55.440 way for nonprofits to fund raises through their advocacy when they're out in the public 332 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:57.990 square, when they might have a public event to hey, let's reduce food 333 00:22:59.029 --> 00:23:02.950 and security, for example, let's say. or it might be raising awareness 334 00:23:02.950 --> 00:23:06.230 around an important social justice issue for an example. Well, what are you 335 00:23:06.269 --> 00:23:08.509 doing? You're creating positive exposure for yourself. So when it comes time to 336 00:23:08.630 --> 00:23:12.579 make the ask the donors like, Oh, I you guys had that big 337 00:23:12.619 --> 00:23:17.259 event or you did that big social media campaign or you hosted that that, 338 00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:21.099 you know, a very positive demonstration in our public park and I'm aware of 339 00:23:21.180 --> 00:23:22.980 you. So, marketing folks, we need you to help us create that 340 00:23:23.019 --> 00:23:27.650 awareness so that the we can come in and ask those donors for financial support. 341 00:23:29.049 --> 00:23:32.970 That's great. That's great and I think that just to kind of piggyback 342 00:23:32.970 --> 00:23:33.769 a little bit on that, because I just want to make sure that everybody 343 00:23:33.809 --> 00:23:37.410 understands and they heard what you said. Bill, the idea of segmentation is 344 00:23:37.490 --> 00:23:41.960 so critical when it comes down to I mean, we talked about that enrollment 345 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:45.519 sometimes, you know, with generation Z and and talking about millennials and things 346 00:23:45.559 --> 00:23:48.079 like that, but I think sometimes we forget, especially when we look at 347 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:52.240 advancement and development work and fundraising work, that it's just as effective there, 348 00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:56.150 because we're now talking about boomers, we're talking about you know, greatest generations. 349 00:23:56.190 --> 00:23:59.589 Still have a few of those around, but you know, exers. 350 00:23:59.750 --> 00:24:03.549 We've got to really start crafting not only the messaging for those audiences but also 351 00:24:03.549 --> 00:24:06.309 the delivery channels that they prefer. And Bill, I think you've made some 352 00:24:06.430 --> 00:24:10.740 really good points there that you know, while some of the technology channels might 353 00:24:10.779 --> 00:24:12.980 kind of go back and forth a little bit and and you know you're certainly 354 00:24:12.980 --> 00:24:17.299 going to have a boomer and an excer that might be listening to serious satellite 355 00:24:17.299 --> 00:24:19.259 radio like you, like you mentioned, you're also going to have some more 356 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:25.569 of those traditional elements you're going to have letters that still work in in traditional 357 00:24:26.089 --> 00:24:29.730 mailings and things like that, and so we've really got a as marketers, 358 00:24:30.170 --> 00:24:33.410 do our homework to understand who the audience is that we're going to be communicating 359 00:24:33.410 --> 00:24:37.250 with and the fundraising case or support, to go back to our key topic 360 00:24:37.329 --> 00:24:42.799 here today, is the baseline and the foundation for all of that. Whether 361 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:48.759 I'm going to try to fundraise on twitch with a Gamer, which is leading 362 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:52.319 edge right now, or if I'm going to try to get on my local 363 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:57.829 television station community affairs program that fundraising case for support is that same foundation, 364 00:24:57.950 --> 00:25:03.069 that same kind of basis of talking points that we're going to use and grow 365 00:25:03.109 --> 00:25:07.619 from, regardless of, you know, which demographic and where they consume information. 366 00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:11.019 As we approach our time limit, would like to know if there was 367 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:15.220 either a point that we didn't get to that you would like to leave us 368 00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:21.019 with, or maybe a quick tip for fundraisers out there that have really benefited 369 00:25:21.059 --> 00:25:23.730 from our conversation. Well, I would just encourage people, and you know, 370 00:25:23.769 --> 00:25:27.809 obviously we've been through and continue to be in some highly stressful times, 371 00:25:29.690 --> 00:25:33.849 whether it is a worldwide health pandemic or what people have talked about. That 372 00:25:33.009 --> 00:25:41.119 we're into pandemics with a wonderful reawareness around social and racial justice and reconciliation issues 373 00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:45.880 and the the challenges or stresses that sometimes folks can feel can can make people 374 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:49.789 hesitant to fundraise. And I would just tell you from our school our data, 375 00:25:49.910 --> 00:25:52.710 not opinions, but our data show this is a great time to fund 376 00:25:52.710 --> 00:25:56.589 raise. People are responding and it's not to say that there isn't a lot 377 00:25:56.630 --> 00:26:00.309 of economic distress. There is and there will continue to be, but there 378 00:26:00.309 --> 00:26:04.259 are still significant number of folks who were able to keep their jobs, we're 379 00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:10.339 able to stay healthier, relatively healthy, and see the needs that are around 380 00:26:10.380 --> 00:26:15.220 it have been magnified by these twin pandemics and as fundraisers we need not hesitate 381 00:26:15.339 --> 00:26:17.980 to still be out there asking. Remember, at the end of the day, 382 00:26:18.380 --> 00:26:22.410 philanthropy is a message of hope. We have the audacity to believe that 383 00:26:22.529 --> 00:26:26.369 we can make the world a better place and when you're bringing your message to 384 00:26:26.529 --> 00:26:30.210 your donor, even over zoom or teams or whatever format that you might be 385 00:26:30.289 --> 00:26:36.200 using electronically, they are watching the news and seeing these health challenges and economic 386 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:40.720 challenges and and social concerns that are being brought to the forefront and you're coming 387 00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:44.000 to them with a message of hope. We see that in the data. 388 00:26:44.119 --> 00:26:47.430 Folks are still responding. Two Thousand and twenty was a record year for charitable 389 00:26:47.470 --> 00:26:51.470 giving. Even though we intentionally slam the breaks on the world economy, it 390 00:26:51.589 --> 00:26:55.269 was a record year for charitable giving. We see those trends continue. Develop 391 00:26:55.430 --> 00:26:57.869 your strong case for support. That doesn't allow you to compete with the other 392 00:26:57.950 --> 00:27:02.700 nonprofits? No, we're not in competition. That's a scarcity mentality. It 393 00:27:02.779 --> 00:27:07.700 allows you to set yourself apart and meet each donor at their area of specific 394 00:27:07.740 --> 00:27:12.859 philanthropic value and motivation. I'm shared. There are many people that you've inspired 395 00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:18.450 today. For anyone that would like to either contact you or like more information 396 00:27:18.529 --> 00:27:21.690 about the school, what would be the best way for them to get that 397 00:27:21.809 --> 00:27:25.930 information or to connect with you or the school? Yeah, couple ways. 398 00:27:26.170 --> 00:27:30.759 So my twitter account at underscore bill stand at underscore bill stand I only tweet 399 00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:36.519 about fundraising and leadership and somebody could DM me there. Art School's website is 400 00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:44.869 philanthropy dot iui Dot Edu, philanthropy dot IU, Eui Dot Edu. Forward 401 00:27:44.910 --> 00:27:48.109 slash the fundraising school and, even easier than that, the fundraising school app 402 00:27:48.109 --> 00:27:52.309 or where you get your apps are APP is free and with a couple taps 403 00:27:52.349 --> 00:27:55.710 of your thumb you can get the information that you need from the fundraising school 404 00:27:55.710 --> 00:27:59.859 at the Indiana University, Lilly Family School of philanthropy. Bill, thank you 405 00:27:59.940 --> 00:28:03.619 very much for such an inspiring message. I've learned a lot and I'm sure 406 00:28:03.619 --> 00:28:08.259 others will as they take in this episode. Bart, do you have any 407 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:11.819 parting words that you like to share? Yeah, I just want to highlight 408 00:28:11.819 --> 00:28:15.529 a few things that bill said and I would encourage everyone to go back and 409 00:28:15.569 --> 00:28:18.049 kind of read listen to some of the elements of the case statement. I 410 00:28:18.089 --> 00:28:21.890 think there was just so much really good information here, but just that idea 411 00:28:21.930 --> 00:28:23.730 that the case statement is really what's going to set you apart and it's going 412 00:28:23.769 --> 00:28:27.519 to be kind of what that drum beat is. Or as another one of 413 00:28:27.559 --> 00:28:33.319 our guests, another Hoosier, I you person, was Eleanor Bierman, had 414 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:36.519 talked about the idea of a North Star, you know, marketing North Star, 415 00:28:36.759 --> 00:28:38.720 or that case statement is going to be the North Star for all of 416 00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:42.029 the efforts that you're going to be putting into your fundraising, and so keep 417 00:28:42.069 --> 00:28:45.829 that in mind as you as a marketer are helping to, as set create 418 00:28:47.029 --> 00:28:49.269 that through the stories, through the ways that you're developing that out. And 419 00:28:49.349 --> 00:28:52.829 then also keep in mind that as you are being asked as a marketer to 420 00:28:53.309 --> 00:28:57.619 help with advancement, to help get the case for support out there, to 421 00:28:57.819 --> 00:29:02.740 help with the different needs that come up in advancement and development, make sure 422 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:07.740 that you're really paying attention to the segmentation of who you are talking to make 423 00:29:07.740 --> 00:29:10.529 sure that you understand who is it that they're getting ready to go in front 424 00:29:10.529 --> 00:29:12.650 of? Are they going in front of a major donor or they going in 425 00:29:12.730 --> 00:29:17.849 front of a foundation, a business, so that you can craft the messaging 426 00:29:17.930 --> 00:29:22.809 and help them create those stories and those those elements very well. So thank 427 00:29:22.849 --> 00:29:25.279 you, Bill for the time today well, and I look forward to your 428 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:29.400 assessment to see how well I'm doing marketing the fundraising school in the school philanthropy. 429 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:32.240 I hope I did that. That sounds great. I think you did. 430 00:29:32.599 --> 00:29:37.319 Thank you both. The hired market podcast is sponsored by Taylor solutions and 431 00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:44.509 education marketing and branding agency and by thin patented, a Marketing Execution Company specializing 432 00:29:44.509 --> 00:29:48.589 in print, digital engagement and direct mail. On behalf of my cohost, 433 00:29:48.670 --> 00:29:52.579 Bart Taylor, I'm troy singer. Thank you so much for joining us. 434 00:29:56.500 --> 00:30:00.380 You've been listening to the Higher Ed Marketer. To ensure that you never miss 435 00:30:00.420 --> 00:30:04.059 an episode, subscribe to the show in your favorite podcast player. If you're 436 00:30:04.059 --> 00:30:07.529 listening with apple PODCASTS, we'd love for you to leave a quick rating of 437 00:30:07.569 --> 00:30:11.410 the show. Simply tap the number of stars you think the podcast deserves. 438 00:30:11.490 --> 00:30:12.970 Until next time,