by Haley Limo

We are now halfway through the year! As the summer heats up, many pregnancy centers are shifting their focus toward planning for the busy gala season. As you prepare for your upcoming events, keep this short list of key strategies to help you get the most from your fundraising efforts when it comes to your most generous supporters!

Before the Event:

1. Personally Invite Your Top Supporters

Both general mail and emails can easily get lost in the mailbox or your inbox! Don’t just send a general email or invitation and expect to receive responses from your top supporters. Follow up with a personal email, text, or phone call, however you know they like to best communicate. Don’t be afraid to follow up more than once, twice, or even three times. They will give you an answer eventually - either yes or no!

2. Assigned Seating and Table Heads

With your top supporters, you never want to leave anything to chance. ALWAYS have assigned seating at your events. Not just “tables” but individual place cards at every seat. This will ensure that each major donor will be placed strategically by a staff member, board member, or client. This takes time, but it pays off!!! Getting to be in-person with your major donors is a huge win - don’t let it go to waste - or chance!

3. Research and Strategize

Prepare a document of research for each top supporter and share it with the staff, board, or volunteers who will be sitting next to your top donors. Make sure key information is shared, such as how they got involved, their favorite program in your center, or if there is a recent gift. Make sure that all key event staff are briefed thoroughly on who they will be sitting with and work to strategize a goal for each top donor. Does Mr. Jones have an outstanding pledge that needs to be fulfilled? Has Mrs. Smith been by to see the center yet? Are you about to ask Tom for a gift? Use the manpower in your staff to help you with your development goals for the year! You have all your major donors in one place for one night - use the time wisely.

During the Event:

1. Thank!

Outside of whether or not you are making an ask at the event, make sure that all your major donors are thanked in person for attending and for their support of the center. Make sure every donor (not just the major ones) has a conversation with a staff, board, or volunteer.

2. Listen

During the event, besides paying attention to the program, you should be paying attention to the donors! Make sure your staff knows that it's more important for you to listen to what they have to say than for them to talk! They are getting information on how the center is doing from the event program - make sure when the audience isn’t engaged with the program, someone is engaged with and listening to every donor. Find out how they got involved in the center, why they are pro-life, their daughter’s name, anything and everything!

After the Event

1. Write It Down

Immediately after the event, make sure that the staff that was assigned to sit with and engage with the supporters write down and share with you everything they learned about the supporter. This will be crucial information for you to use in filling out their “profile” and helping you build that relationship with them and craft their next ask. Make sure it is done soon - people forget very quickly! I always wrote down my notes immediately after my interactions!!

2. Thank! Again!

Make sure the donors are thanked for their attendance at the event after the fact. Don’t just do a generic email. For your major donors, give them a call, send them a text, or shoot them a personal email. The best is a handwritten note if you can!

3. Follow-up

This is probably one of the most important things you could do after an event. If you promised a donor you would do something, send them something, etc. do it!! Any action items you received from a supporter at an event should be followed up on as quickly as possible. Don’t delay getting Suzie those updated numbers she asked for, or Robert that book he asked to borrow. Not following up on something you promised is a fast way to tank a relationship!

If you follow all of these key strategies, you will be using the in-person event time with each donor as wisely as you can!

I wish you all luck, loads of support, and endless amounts of caffeine during the fall event season! You got this!

Practical Tip: Personally contact one person a day until your event about their attendance.