In This Issue: Time for Review: Jean’s 10 Rules for FUNdraising Success Live Internet Seminars Make Training Affordable Internet Resources for Nonprofits Two Great Books Available Now Online Book Order Form How Can I Help You? Take This Quickie Quiz What People Say About Jean Block Sign Up for Future Newsletters! If you find this newsletter helpful and interesting, there’s only one way to keep receiving it  - become a part of the email subscription list. If your email address changes or you want to add a second address, just send me an email with the new or additional information so you don’t miss out on a single issue. IMPORTANT: Remember to include your email address printed carefully and clearly! THANKS! Click here for the electronic form "I love your newsletter! It's refreshing, fun  and filled with helpful hints" Toni Paglia, Director of Development, The ARC Syracuse, New York

I was reminded the other day about how valuable these practical rules are and how they contribute to FUNdraising success, so it’s worth sharing them again.

#1: Ask for What You Want or Take What You Get. A donor or funder can’t respond to your request if you aren’t specific. Merely asking for ‘help’ or worse yet, saying ‘Anything you can do would be helpful’ doesn’t give your donor a clue about the level he or she should give. Make your request specific, asking for more than the last gift.

#2: Create Opportunities. Consider creating a Menu of Opportunities for people to get involved and support your organization. Money isn’t the only thing people have to give - they can give time, in kind goods or services, etc. For sponsors, I also suggest creating sponsorship levels, but don’t offer a potential sponsor all the levels at once. Instead, start at the top and negotiate down as necessary.

#3: Assume a Yes! Attitude is everything in successful fundraising. Take on a positive attitude before you write or speak and your prospect will sense that positive energy and focus on that - with you. Nod and smile - even when you are writing. It shows.

#4: If Your Prospect Says YES Immediately, you may not have asked for enough. Just after you finish congratulating yourself on what a great job you did and how easy it was, you’ll have a nagging feeling that it may have been too easy and that you may have left time, talent or treasure on the table. Aim high and negotiate so that everybody wins.

#5: Never Speak to a Person Who Can Say NO. Especially in soliciting corporate gifts, your path to the Person Who Can Say YES is cluttered with those who can head you off. Resist the temptation to tell everyone along the way who you are and why you are calling. Get the information you need by asking direct questions. Nod and smile. If you are told the Person Who Can Say YES isn’t available, ask for voice mail. I never trust my message to someone who might not deliver it with as much positive energy as I would! Leave the voice mail and say that you’ll call again to discuss this great opportunity.

#6: No Won’t Make You Shrivel and Die. OK, your first reaction to hearing NO is probably to make like a turtle, pull everything in and slowly walk away. But WAIT! You don’t know enough about that NO yet! Maybe this just isn’t the right opportunity, or the right time, or the right amount. Think of NO as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship with the potential donor/underwriter/funder.

First, say Thank You for considering your request. Then ask what you need to do or know to ask better next time. Ask for a referral to someone else who might want to take advantage of the opportunity. Ask if there is an opportunity here for an in-kind contribution.

#7: People Give to People. Nothing is more powerful than delivering your opportunity in person. To the extent possible, especially for large asks, do it in person. Select your team carefully and be sure you have put the best person forward.

#8: People Want to Back a Winner. Gone are the days when you can solicit sympathy and Big $ by whining and telling sad stories about how bad things are. This merely makes you look as though you can’t get your act together - and why would someone want to invest in a sinking ship?

#9: You Can’t Ask Others to do What You Haven’t Done. It’s pretty simple - how can you ask your community and others to support you if your Board hasn’t set the example of annual giving? Don’t waltz around this issue - all Board members - and even key management staff must give annually. When you recruit Board members, be specific about this critical success factor.

#10: Thank You, Merci, Gracias, Danke. Spend as much time and creativity on thanking as you did on asking. Seize this opportunity to connect the donor with the reason they gave and the results of their investment. Consider thanking at least 3 times: when you get the pledge, when you receive the money and later with a progress report.

Thanking must be timely and it must be meaningful. Ask funders/donors/investors/underwriters how they want to be thanked. Don’t assume everyone is the same and miss a perfect opportunity to nurture and strengthen an important relationship.

Finally, never confuse thanking with acknowledging. An acknowledgement is that boring letter on letterhead that is standard Letter A, Letter B or Letter C. One of the most important things in your desk is a thank you note - whether it is personal or agency-specific. Use it! Hand write the thank you note. Send the thank you from someone whose life has been touched by your organization.

To learn more about Jean’s 10 Rules and other important fundraising ideas, order Fast Fundraising Facts for Fame & Fortune . Click here to order your copy.

And What About the FUN of FUNdraising? You know, if you aren’t enjoying what you are doing for your organization, you better take a break. Your genuine enthusiasm and excitement about the opportunities you provide for others to invest in the mission with you is the real key to fundraising success.

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Traditional training for Board and staff can be pretty expensive in time and direct costs. Consider the amount of time and money spent on travel alone. Or consider the cost of bringing a trainer to you organization.

In these days of tight budgets, I know how difficult it can be to schedule quality training.

While nothing can take the place of face-to-face training, regardless of the cost, Internet seminars are a viable alternative.

I will offer one-hour live Internet seminars again this year, based on the successful series I began in 2005. For only $125 per session, you can set up the computer in your office and invite as many people as you like to participate. There is no limit to the number in attendance - it’s just one fee per computer hook up.

And here’s an idea - you can be the sponsoring organization and charge others to attend, covering the cost and earning some additional money!

You’ll need high speed Internet access and speakers on your computer. If you have a microphone, you can ask your questions directly. If not, you can just type your questions live.

There are 5 sessions in each series: Fast Fundraising Facts for Fame & Fortune and The ABCs of Building Better Boards.

Click here to view the schedule and session topics. You can choose one or all of the sessions. Note the discount if you participate in all 5 sessions of either track.

Questions? Call me (505) 899-1520 or email me at .

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Here’s a good resource recently brought to my attention. www.powersponsorship.com offers free online Sponsorship School for those seeking sponsorships. It includes theory, reading, homework and case studies from six nonprofits as they went through the program. Their site also has articles, tools and a confidential survey with a report analyzing your strengths and weaknesses in seeking sponsorships. It’s worth checking out.

Need to learn more about planned giving? Go to the National Committee on Planned Giving web site at www.ncpg.org. There may be a chapter in your area.

Of course, the Association of Fundraising Professionals is your best bet for membership in an organization that promotes the highest ethics in fundraising. Check their web site at www.afpnet.org.

Lots of the sites I’ve found are hot linked from my web site. Of course, from time to time, organizations and sites disappear, so if you find a broken link on the site, please send me an email () and let me know. Thanks!

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Now you can add two great books to your agency library. The ABCs of Building Better Boards is just what you need to improve your Board’s potential. It includes ideas for recruitment, retention and recognition and has some great forms for you to copy and use.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals says of this book: “Here is a book that every senior fundraiser responsible for board recruitment and development should read once and then review annually...takes up where books full of theory fall short...give it a chance and you will discover a gem to be treasured.”

Learn how to deal with unproductive Board members and how to better define the roles of staff and Board. There is a chapter on financial and fiduciary facts, one on simple parliamentary procedure and much much more.

Discover how Board Job Descriptions and annual Commitment Letters will dramatically improve your Board’s effectiveness. See how a truly effective Nominating Committee will lead to a better Board.

Get good ideas for more efficient Board management and administration, including how to set up and manage effective committees.

It’s only $24.95 plus shipping and handling. Take advantage of a volume discount of up to 20% and give this book to all new Board members as part of their orientation.

The 3rd Edition of Fast Fundraising Facts for Fame & Fortune is full of ideas to improve your fundraising, including how to ask effectively, special events essentials and new ideas for fundraising.

Help volunteers get over the fear of asking for money and in-kind resources for your organization. Learn how marketing principles will make fundraising easier.

Learn about Jean’s Ten Rules for Fundraising Success and apply them to your organization immediately. This book puts the FUN into FUNDraising and gives good examples and ideas that really work, rather than using hard to follow formulas and theories.

It’s only $24.95 plus shipping and handling. Take advantage of a volume discount of up to 20% and give this book to all new Board members as part of their orientation..

Or buy both books for only $45.00 plus shipping and handling. Order your copies today!

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Please give me a call if you want to turn any NO into a YES. I can help with:

• turning your Board into a dynamic group of volunteers,
• facilitating a strategic planning session,
• analyzing your current fundraising and suggesting some new ideas, and
• training volunteers and staff in becoming more effective fundraisers.

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Here is what people have said about my training and facilitation:

“You certainly shifted my paradigm. After hearing you last Friday, it is the first time in 11 years as an ED that I was excited abut fund development. And you got my Board members to that point as well. “

Kay Hopper
RDC for Children, Richardson, TX

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“Your seminar in Dallas was the best I ever attended. You are wise and hilarious.”;

Mary Jo Dorn
Catholic Charities of Dallas

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"Jean conducted an extremely well organized and productive [Board] retreat, one that I can say with confidence that our members count as the finest ever conducted for us. Jean's follow-up report was in-depth and meaty, and both Board and staff have referred to it time and again. The knowledge of boardsmanship the members took with them has made a remarkable difference in their levels of commitment and support."

Eileen Cook, Executive Directorr
Casa Esperanza

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"Jean Block is a powerhouse in the Non-Profit world. You don't move about these circles long before her name is prominent in the conversation. Her commitment to training, fundraising, motivating, and cultivation is unsurpassed. To say she is an influence is to miss the point. She gives new meaning to the word enthusiasm! You don't know Jean, you experience her! She is a force unlike any other I have every met."

Randy Gleason
Randy Gleason Consulting, Inc.

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“Your training was invaluable to me. I dreaded doing this because I couldn’t even sell someone a candy bar in the past but I was inspired by your advice to try. I raised about $377,000!

Joan Shepack
Keystone Botanical Garden, El Paso, TXX

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"I attended the Corporate Sponsorship Workshop - WOW! You were amazing! What an OPPORTUNITY for me!

Your presentation style was EXCELLENT. By far the best workshop I've been to in a long time (content and style both!)."

Vicki Kopplin
Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota

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"As a senior-level development officer, I have a hard time finding useful workshops. Jean's programs should be required for even us old CFREs."

Trisha Dunbarr
Visiting Nurse Association, Dallas, TX

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Jean Block Consulting, Inc.
7915 Cliff Road NW
Albuquerque NM 87120

(505) 899-1520
Fax (505) 890-5285
Email:

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