Presentation by Shona Nicholson for ABS "How to Start up an Annual Fund" June 2011

1. 1 How to Set Up an Annual Giving Campaign Presented by Shona Nicholson The Association of Business Schools - June 2011

2. 2 Back to basics Senior management commitment Database Alumni Relations Programme Case for Support Make it easy to give! Donations Processing Stewardship Procedures Disbursements Policies

3. 3 The Famous Pyramid of Giving Estate or Planned Giving Legacies Planned Gifts Major Giving EventsPublicationsStewardshipWebsite Endowment Campaigns Capital and Special Gifts Major Gifts from Individuals/Corporations Annual Giving Special Events & Benefit Events Annual Giving/Direct Mail, E-mail & Tele-fundraising All Public Awareness Activities

4. 4 The Giving Pipeline Education Acquisition Retention Upgrades Major Gift Legacy Involving and identifying the types of donors who can truly make a difference to your organisation Demonstrating everyone is doing their bit Cultivating and stewarding them with: Your Ethos and Mission Your Success Your Commitment

5. 5 Amount of effort to be expended

6. 6 A Possible Strategy? Establish a Culture of Giving KPI: Annual Participation Rate Provide regular income KPI: Annual Fund£s raised per year Major gift pipeline KPI: Number andgiving potential ofidentified Prospects

7. 7 What is an Annual Giving Programme? A FUNDRAISING PROGRAMME THAT IS…

8. 8 Donor-centred Donors are now in control of their ownphilanthropy and they want: Prompt, personal gift acknowledgement Confirmation of gifts being set towork as intended Measurable results

9. 9 Direct Marketing-driven Send messages directlyto donors/potential donors Specific "call-to-action“, with an emphasis on trackable and measurable responses

10. 10 Regular Ask them each year… Ask them more than once a year… Ask them in a variety of ways…

11. 11 Repeatable That you’ve asked before shouldn’t impact your asking again That they’ve given before shouldn’t impact their giving again Link their support to your organisation’s ongoing needs

12. 12 World-wide Ask everyone Donors and non-donors Major prospects Younger and older people UK and overseas

13. 13 Put These Together And… The secret to Annual Giving is? Sustainability

14. 14 Sustainable Fundraising A well-structured Annual Fund that raises £500,000 this year is likely to raise at least £500,000 next year, whatever the climate This is equivalent to a £12.5 million endowment*

16. Renew donor support

17. Support alumni relations

18. Generate success stories

19. Involve prospects

20. Information gathering

21. Accountability through annual reports

22. Enroll volunteers … …The trinity … monetary, recency, frequency.

23. 16 Target Audiences

24. 17 Annual Fund Tools Annual Fund Direct Mail Email / Online One-to-One Telethon

25. 18 2/10 Relatively cheap Opportunity to enclose Case for Support In-House/Outside Expertise High volume Less responsive Direct Mail

26. 19 Direct Mail Uses Annual fund acquisition Donor renewal/upgrade Reminders Special or emergency projects (St. John’s College Organ Appeal) High-end monthly donor packages (Greenpeace Frontline) High-end donor packages Advance and/or Follow-up to telethons Parents Community (My Ashmolean, My Museum) Major donors Legacies

27. 20 6/10 High response Personalised Student contact In-House/Outside Expertise Requires significant resource Telethon

28. 21 ?/10 Very inexpensive Quick delivery of message and high volume Opportunity for multiple asks / follow-ups Address and formatting issues – less guarantee they’ll receive or read it Easy to opt-out Email

29. 22 Online You need to be where your donors are ...

32. The best Annual Giving programmes incorporate all four types of approach and take advantage of other activities going on within the institution

34. 27 Seasonality Most donors think in calendar year timeframes (January to December), not academic years or your fiscal year end. Annual appeals versus episodic appeals. Spring and Autumn are traditionally good times for direct mail. Avoid June, July, August and December, if possible. Balance your fundraising with other communications. Canadian/American tax year end. International Foundations for tax efficiency.

35. 28 Other Pieces to Ponder Reporting back to Donors Capital Campaigns and Annual Funds Apply learning from the Charitable Sector CASE motto: “Copy And Steal Everything” Consultancy Student involvement

36. 29 What Should You Do Today? Write a mission statement for your Programme. What is its key aim? Produce a month-by-month calendar for your Annual Giving Programme Add three new elements to your programme this year Get out and meet some alumni! Benchmark your performance

37. 30 Questions? Contact details: