SUCCESS IN
FUNDRAISING!
(Formerly Pro-Bono Day)
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Registration at 7:30 a.m.
Stoney Creek Inn, Moline
$35-AFP member; $40-nonmember
TOPICS:
grant writing, office organization,
planned giving, annual giving
Keynote: David Perlmutter, Ph.D.
"Is Your Organization
Engaged in Fundraising?”
Continental breakfast and lunch included.
Contact: Lois Kundel at 563-370-0086
Focus on Members - Steve Wasser
Fundraising is never easy and the current economic climate can make it all the more difficult to solicit charitable funds. Donors have not stopped giving; they just may give less or to fewer charities. Making sure you retain those donors who believe in your mission is critical and the way to do that is through maintaining personal relationships according to Steve Wasser, Development Officer at AugustanaCollege and new AFP member. "Talk to donors about their overall philanthropic interests (to find your common ground) and make the case for why your organization should be at the top. Be direct. Bear in mind that families who previously supported multiple charitable interests may now only support two. Be one of those two."
Steve recently joined the AFP- IL QC chapter in March of this year and has been with Augustana for just over three and a half years. He moved to the area from Virginia four years ago with his wife and son in order to be closer to family. He wasn’t a full time fundraiser at the time, but had some experience in the mental health profession, creating funding packages for both the public and private sector. When he arrived in the Quad Cities he was very interested in transitioning those skills into a full time fundraising position.
Steve researched Augustana and was pleased with how much it reminded him of his undergraduate days at Washington and LeeUniversity. He knew Augustana would be a perfect fit and that through fundraising for the college he’d be able to give back. Steve was a first-generation college student and had been able to expand his worldview through a liberal arts education made possible through scholarships. Working in the Advancement Department at Augustana would provide him the opportunity to create the same chance for others. Steve contacted the Vice President of Advancement and, although he was not an experienced fundraiser, over the course of three interviews was able to make the case for himself. Hired initially as an Assistant Director of the Annual Fund, he quickly showed his aptitude for the field and was promoted to Director and then, just six months ago, Development Officer.
His new position requires more personal relationships with alumni and donors. "In transitioning from the annual fund to my role as a Development Officer, I have moved from making a general case for support to having more individualized conversations with donors and prospects," says Steve. It’s the personalization that is key to building and maintaining relationships. A very good way to do this, he would advise those new to the field, is to "immerse yourself in the culture and history of your organization." He did so when he began raising funds for renovations to the track and field as one of his first projects at Augustana. The direct mail campaign was also designed to honor professor and coach Paul Olsen and through that project he was able to understand "the depths to which alumni love not just the institution of Augustana, but the faculty who bring it to life. Suddenly, I could better empathize with the Augustana community." That's good advice for any fundraiser; novice or seasoned professional. The more informed you are on why someone cares about what your organization does, the easier it will be to cultivate and maintain donors in any economic climate. - Steve Mohr
