So here I am, a philanthropy professional for over twenty years, and I hate getting telephone solicitations. I even ran the telephone program at Brandeis for several years. I know, "dialing for dollars" is the most efficient way to raise funds from a house list. It has a much better response rate than direct mail, and is second only to face-to-face solicitation - even for major and campaign gifts. Yet I hate being on the receiving end of the calls. I always answer, I'm always polite, and sometimes I even engage in a bit of conversation with the caller (especially if it's a cause I like,) but I won't make a pledge over the phone. Am I being hypocritical when I tell my clients to use phoning as a tool in their fundraising program? I don't think so, since it is still effective with many, many people (just not me!)I really think the combination of e-mail and phone might just be the best set of fundraising tools these days. Unfortunately they both have problems - answering machines/voicemail for calling, and spam filters for e-mail. Viral e-mail is probably the best way to go at the moment. Get your friends to e-mail their friends, etc. Of course viral phoning is the VERY best - get your friends to CALL their friends. Then it's not a telemarketing call! It's a personal solicitation! It starts with a relationship and builds on the relationship for the benefit of the non-profit.
As always, it's all about building relationships. If you'd like some advice about building your philanthropic relationships, e-mail or call me. I promise I'll answer!
