Join trainer and fundraising coach Lori L. Jacobwith for this interactive fast-paced session that is chock full of tips and strategies about increasing fundraising dollars from individual donors.

Former attendees report that strategies from Lori’s session dramatically increased dollars raised from individual donors immediately.

Powerful Concise Communication

• Simple tools for success
• Increased fundraising dollars from individual donors

Investment

$81 per person if alone or $72 per person for two or more from one organization

Topics include:

• Raise awareness about how your Organization talks about and deals with money
• Learn to share the story of your organization POWERFULLY
• Identify tips for raising funds in challenging times
• Find ease in asking people to be involved or give money
• Identify how you may be missing donor cultivation opportunities

Crisis Center of Tampa Bay
One Crisis Center Plaza
Tampa, Florida 33613

I’ve been coaching staff from social profit organizations for most of my career…even when I was working alongside them as the Executive Director or Development Director. One of my “soap box” topics has always been share MORE stories.

This week while helping a CEO and Founder of a wonderful health related organization I found myself struggling to keep engaged in the words she was using to describe their work. I asked Sara to share more stories to give real life examples so I could stay connected and continue to care throughout her 15 minute presentation.

Sharing client stories wasn’t new to Sara, but she struggled with how to use a story in short 3 – 4 sentences bites to paint a picture. The speech she gave was good, but it could have been even better had she used a few rules about stories:

• 1. Stories should be about real people who need something. Hopefully something that YOUR organization provides.
• 2. Allow the person in your story to have a real name, age and to speak for themselves.
  
• 3. Minds wander, get real quickly. In about 4 – 10 seconds your listeners tune out if you haven’t grabbed them. Don’t tell me you are going to tell me a story about someone…just tell it. Starting with the person’s name. age and a few descriptive words.
• 4. Keep your story short. 6 words to 2 minutes is the length I recommend.
• 5. Allow your story to cause me to feel something. Anger, sad, happy, proud–it doesn’t matter what the emotion is, I just have to feel something.
• 6. Your story should have a moment when people see themselves or someone in their own lives. Could be their aging parents, the daughter of the person who made their latte today or their own child.
• 7. The best stories are told by the person themselves. Clients telling their own stories are the most moving way to share how your organization makes a difference.

A great story versus a good story can make the difference between keeping your donors and volunteers connected or losing them to the next good cause. Make sure to put a face on your work today.

Twitter has been described as “email on a double espresso!” I’d agree that’s how it can feel sometimes. I happen to love it, but it’s not for everyone.

Twitter is a web application that allows 140 character messages to be sent via text or online on any topic. I receive “Tweets” on my Blackberry from a handful of people and once or twice a day I check online to quickly scroll through the many Tweets I’ve received.

I “follow” experts in the social profit sector to stay current on the “hot” fundraising conversations and topics each day. Translate that to: Daily I receive bunches of 140 character doses of great fundraising advice, suggestions on helpful books, awesome fundraising blogs and lots of really helpful information.

You can “follow” my Twitter updates without using Twitter by visiting my page online to see the latest updates about fundraising, money, giving, and more.

Today I’ve compiled a list of some of the resources I’ve shared so you have them all in one place.  Enjoy!

3 helpful resources for Fundraising in a Challenging Economy from Community Shares WI:
A Survival Kit for Fundraising in a Bad Economy–from the Association for Fundraising Professionals

Managing in Tough Times: A Collection of Resources for Nonprofits and Funders Navigating Turbulence–from The Bridgespan Group

10 Things You Can Learn from Real-World Donor Thank You Letters–from Fundraising Success Magazine.

Wise words on direct mail. The Huntsinger tutorials.

A Definitive Guide to Government Grants. Simple and clear.

Good listen: What to cut when the budget is tight. Always helpful podcast from Fundraising is Beautiful.

Another AFP goodie: Major Gifts: It’s Not the Donation Amount that Matters-It’s the Strength of the Relationship.

Some good tips.”6 Ways to Build Your Email Subscriber List through Social Media”

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