How to Pivot To Solicitation & The Four Types of Professional Time

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The Art of Pivoting from Cultivation to Solicitation

Donor solicitation plays a critical role in the sustainability and success of any organization looking to generate funding for its cause. Hopefully, you have been working hard on building a relationship with donors and staying in touch with them regularly. If you are regularly engaged with donors it makes it much easier to solicit a donation.

This is the first of a five-part series on donor solicitation.

1. The Art of Pivoting from Cultivation to Solicitation
2. Selecting the right ask amount
3. The Value of Impact-Based Giving
4. Including Storytelling as part of your ask
5. Creating a transparent solicitation proposal

In this article, we walk you through the process of transitioning from donor cultivation to preparing for an ask.

Three Keys To Effective Donor Solicitation

In general, there are three sections of donor solicitation that you need to prepare.

1. Focus on the Money
   Articulating the impact of the gift, how their donation will impact the community, and preparing a budget for transparency in financial allocation.
   preparing
   
2. Knowing The Donor
   Personalizing your solicitation approach based on the donor's profile.
   
3. Making The Ask
   There are several components to an ask that require planning. Some points to ponder include handling potential objections, deciding on the ask environment, creating an immediate follow-up plan, and much more.

When to pivot from cultivation to solicitation

Timing is crucial in every aspect of our lives, and the transition from cultivation to solicitation in moves management is no exception. Recognizing the optimal time to pivot can significantly increase your chances of solicitation success. Here are some detailed tips to help determine the right timing:

1. Engagement Level: Monitor the potential donor's engagement level. If they're frequently attending your organization's events, actively responding to your emails or phone calls, showing genuine interest in your work, and initiating conversations about your projects, these are strong indicators that they're ready for the ask.
   
2. Verbal Cues: Pay close attention to what the potential donor is saying. If they start asking about how they can contribute more or express a desire to be more involved, it's likely a good time to discuss donation options.
   
3. Financial Readiness: If during your conversations or through their public information, you understand that they are in a sound financial position, it could be an opportune time to make the ask. This, of course, should be done delicately, respecting the potential donor's privacy.
   
4. Alignment of Interests: If a particular project or initiative is coming up that aligns well with the potential donor's interests, this could present a perfect opportunity to pivot to a solicitation. Explain the project, the impact it can make, and how their contribution could help turn it into reality.
   
5. Significant Moments: Pay attention to significant moments or milestones in your relationship with the potential donor. This could be an anniversary of their involvement with your organization, a recent accomplishment, or even a personal milestone. These moments can provide a natural segue to discuss deeper involvement in the form of donations.
   
6. Donor's Schedule: Consider the donor's personal and business schedule. It may not be the best time to ask if they're extremely busy or dealing with personal matters. Conversely, a quieter period might provide them with more time to consider your request.

Optimal Times and Situations for Donor Solicitation

1. Annual Giving Time: The end of the year, especially around the holiday season, is a traditional time for giving and can be a good time to solicit donors.
   
2. Project Launch: When your organization is about to embark on a new project or initiative that aligns with a donor's interests.
   
3. During or After Special Events: Galas, fundraisers, or other special events can provide an excellent opportunity to make an ask, as donors are already engaged with your organization.
   
4. Donor's Anniversary: The anniversary of a donor's first gift or their initiation into the organization can be an opportune time to solicit another donation.
   
5. Milestone Achievements: When your organization reaches a significant goal or milestone, it can be a good time to ask for donations to fuel the next stage of growth.
   
6. Matching Gift Campaigns: During a matching gift campaign, when another donor or organization has promised to match donations, can be a motivating factor for some donors.
   
7. In Response to a Local Crisis: If your organization is involved in relief efforts for a crisis, it can be an appropriate time to ask for support.
   
8. Personal Milestones: Events in the donor's personal or professional life, like birthdays, anniversaries, or business successes, can also present solicitation opportunities, as they may be feeling particularly generous or reflective.

Remember, every donor is unique and these are general guidelines. Developing a keen sense of empathy, observing, and adapting to individual situations is key to correctly judging the timing of the pivot from cultivation to solicitation.

The Four Types Of Professional Time

Nonprofit professionals juggle various roles and responsibilities, from fundraising and managing volunteers to program development and stakeholder engagement. Balancing these demands requires a nuanced approach to time management that considers the unique needs of nonprofit organizations.

The Four Types of Professional Time in Nonprofit Management

1. Management Time: This includes activities like coordinating volunteers, staff meetings, back office management, and email communications. While necessary, it's vital to ensure that this time is efficiently used to support rather than hinder the organization's mission.
2. Creation Time: For nonprofits, this involves running programs, meeting with new donors, creating marketing plans, or anything else that contributes directly to the organization's growth and impact. Protecting this time is crucial for the sustainability and innovation of the organization.
3. Consumption Time: This is dedicated to learning and absorbing new information, such as researching best practices in the field, attending workshops, or learning from your peers. For nonprofits, staying informed is key to adapting and thriving in a changing landscape.
4. Ideation Time: This is where strategic planning and brainstorming happen. Taking time for reflection, envisioning future initiatives, or simply walking to clear the mind can lead to breakthrough ideas for increasing the organization's reach and effectiveness.

Implementing a Balanced Schedule for Nonprofit Leaders

Identifying Your Current Mix:
Start by reviewing your past week's schedule, and categorizing your activities into the four types of time. This will help you understand where your time is currently being spent and identify areas for adjustment.

Optimizing Your Schedule:
Based on your assessment, consider the following strategies:

• Batch Management Time: Schedule specific blocks for administrative tasks to prevent them from overshadowing other important activities. This might include setting aside certain times of day for emails and meetings, allowing for focused periods on other work. For many people, the best time of day to do this is mid or late afternoon when fatigue starts to creep in and routine tasks are easier to accomplish than creating.
  
• Prioritize Creation Time: Block out uninterrupted time for tasks that directly contribute to your organization's mission and growth. Make this time non-negotiable to ensure that you're consistently making progress on key projects.
  
• Schedule Regular Consumption and Ideation Time: Allocate specific times each week for learning and strategic thinking. Even a small amount of dedicated time can lead to significant insights and innovations for your organization.

Conclusion

For nonprofit leaders, effectively managing professional time is not just about personal productivity; it's about maximizing the impact of their organization. By thoughtfully balancing management, creation, consumption, and ideation time, nonprofit professionals can drive their organizations forward, ensuring they continue to make a meaningful difference in the communities they serve.

This article is based on an essay from Paul Grahm and an article from Sahill Bloom We recommend reading both articles for a more in-depth framework for leaders to evaluate and adjust their schedules, promoting a more balanced, effective approach to achieving their mission.

Enhance Your Fundraising: 20 Powerful PhoneRaise Features You Should Know About

In the world of nonprofit technology, there are several powerful CRMs, Fundraising platforms, and other tools that can help your fundraising. When it comes to donor communications, PhoneRaise is the only platform designed to deepen donor engagement and amplify fundraising efforts. With its innovative approach, PhoneRaise caters to a wide array of campaign needs through two distinct campaign types: Giving Day Campaigns and Engage Campaigns.

Giving Day Campaigns are tailored for events such as matching campaigns, giving days, end-of-year campaigns, and phone-a-thons, where coordination among volunteers, staff, and ambassadors is crucial for reaching out to a vast number of people within a specific timeframe. 

Engage Campaigns, on the other hand, are crafted for ongoing engagement, focusing on building relationships and moving donors to the next level of giving through meticulous planning and daily interactions.

Let's explore the features that set PhoneRaise apart, categorized under its two versions:

Giving Day Version Features

1. Simple & Intuitive Card-Based System: Facilitates smooth donor interactions with a swipe-to-next-contact feature after updating call statuses.
   
2. No App Install Necessary: Provides immediate access to contact lists via a simple link, enhancing convenience.
   
3. Desktop Version: Ensures accessibility for fundraisers without smartphones, compatible with devices like Chromebooks or desktops.
   
4. Easy Import Features: Allows the uploading of CSV files to seamlessly bring data into PhoneRaise.
   
5. Filter & Sort Your Data: Employs advanced sorting and filtering tools for efficient contact management, with the option to save views for quick access.
   
6. Multi-Channel Communication: Enables communication through calls, texts, emails, or WhatsApp messages, broadening outreach capabilities.
   
7. Message Templates: Offers dynamic messaging templates for various channels, giving fundraisers the flexibility to choose or customize their messages.
   
8. Assign Call Statuses and Leave Notes: Provides customizable call statuses and note-taking features for detailed follow-ups.
   
9. Integrates with Top Fundraising Platforms: Automatically updates donor statuses when donations are made through platforms like CauseMatch, Charidy, or Raisethon.
10. Powerful Assignment Features: Streamlines the distribution of contacts to fundraisers with the click of a button or based on custom criteria.
    
11. Auto-Add Contacts: Automatically refreshes fundraisers' contact lists, ensuring continuous engagement opportunities.
    
12. Bring Your Own Contacts: Allows fundraisers to add personal contacts from Google (with iCloud integration coming soon), personalizing the outreach effort.

Engage Version Features

13. Mobile Apps for Multi-channel Engagement: Offers a mobile app for managing touchpoints, activities, and contacts across various communication channels.
14. Set Up Touchpoints to Engage Donors: Guides users on who to contact and when, making donor engagement strategic and timely.
15. Get Notifications When Touchpoints Are Due: Sends daily push notifications and text reminders for upcoming touchpoints.
    
16. Integrates with Zapier, Salesforce & Bloomerang: Bring data in dynamically and push activities into Saleseforce and Bloomerang. Use Zapier to connect a spreadsheet, calendar and thousands of other apps with PhoneRaise.
17. Create Donor Journeys: Allows for the assignment of multiple touchpoints to multiple contacts with a single click, streamlining the engagement process.
18. Dynamic Touchpoints (Coming in Q2 2024): Introduces rules-based automatic touchpoint assignments based on engagement, donations, and other metrics.
19. Touchpoint Goals (Coming in Q2 2024): Enables setting and tracking of engagement goals with donors, enhancing interaction strategies.
20. Special Dates (Coming in April): Automates the addition of touchpoints for special dates like birthdays and anniversaries, ensuring personal engagement.

PhoneRaise is more than just a tool; it's a comprehensive solution designed to transform the way organizations connect with their donors. Through its Giving Day and Engage Campaigns, alongside an impressive suite of features, PhoneRaise empowers nonprofits to not only reach but exceed their fundraising goals with efficiency, innovation, and a personal touch.