Nonprofit call time is an underutilized tactic for getting donors to engage and reengage for your cause. This post explains how to use principal call time to engage and reengage donors and get them committed to your fundraising pool. We discuss the need to have a plan and core goals, the importance of doing your homework and researching donors, setting up call sheets, staffing your principals and keeping them on task, and sticking to the schedule. So, let’s get into it!
Have goals for call time. A good call time program starts with a plan. Know what you are trying to get out of this and how it fits into your overall development plan.
What level of donor are you calling? At what level do donors get a call from the head of the organization? Have a donor level that is connected to the time.
Who will make calls? Just because the president is only calling folks who donate at a potential write-and-raise of $5K doesn't mean other folks cannot call donors too. Board members, fundraising staff, and potential hosts can all call people.
Start with donor research. Donor research for nonprofits is an underused skill. Understanding who you should approach and why is critical, so consider these core questions.
Who is a good donor for you? Think about who has been a good donor in the past and what makes them special.
Who is a lapsed donor? Reengaging lapsed donors can be a gold mine for fundraising. Remember that there are many reasons folks don’t give. People move or change jobs, so addresses and emails change. One-time givers may never have been successfully converted to yearly or monthly givers. If you have an event-based fundraising program, look for this.
Finding donors. Donor research is a craft, and the more you do it, the better you get. So dig into donor research, and know it will take time and skill.
Engage your network. Your network can be a very powerful place to build donor engagement. Look at your best donors and try to organize them to find new donors. Ask your donors to introduce you to folks you need to know.
Past event lists. Use this to find folks who are not recurring donors and build funnels to reengage them.
Donor history. Good donor history lets you see how much your donors have given in the past and who else they have given to. This can allow you to find patterns around like-minded nonprofits.
Board lists. Past board lists allow you to reconnect with folks who care about your organization or similar orgs. This has been a place for needed reengagement and potential high-dollar donations.
Event lists. Past events are a good place to find new event hosts, future board members, and donors.
Email sign-ups. If you have a good website or email program, you will likely get sign-ups to your email list from folks who have never donated. This can be especially true if you do advocacy story collection. Don’t forget to ask these folks for money. Some of these folks can turn into mid- or high-level donors or board members. Make sure they get on your call list once you have researched them. These new members can have a lot of enthusiasm to get involved.
Dig into messy lists. There are a lot of random lists that organizations receive around their work, volunteer lists, in-kind donations, etc., so make sure these lists get into your CRM. These lists can strengthen your fundraising pool because they extend the relationships you already have.
Socials. Social media is another extension of your network. These channels are often ignored for high-dollar engagement. This is another entry point for potential donors that you shouldn't ignore.
Petition sign-ups. These are easy ways for folks to engage in your issue. Once you research them, these new folks may be great donors and can also be strong advocates and volunteers.
Google multiple names. People show up in searches and on LinkedIn with different names, so don't just look for the full name.
Search by company. Think about sponsors, employees, where they work, and who could be a potential donor.
Look up spouses. Partners have their own networks and can be a large source of increased contributions.
Summarize the donor. Make sure all this information is usable for call time. Instead of handing your principal ten pages to read, create a clear summary of what they need to know and what the pitch is.
Writing the call sheet summary. Make sure you clearly understand who you are calling and why. Quick tips:
- Who are you calling?
- Why are you calling them?
- What is your connection?
- Why should they care?
- What is the give–get goal?
Get your pitch down. A good pitch matters. Don't just wing it. Base your pitch around RATE: reason, amount, time, and expand:
- Why you are calling.
- The amount you’re asking for.
- When you need the check by.
- Your final step is to expand beyond the initial ask and get others involved: invite event help and suggest involving others from their network.
A clear understanding of your message as an organization also helps.
Vary the pitch by donor. Customize each donor’s pitch. The better you understand your donors, and the more you listen to them, the stronger your pitch will be. Keep a glass of water nearby when you call, and take a sip when you ask questions. It forces a natural pause, giving donors space to respond. Don't rush the pitch, and be okay with leaving silence as you ask questions. Be prepared for a yes, not just a no. If they do say yes, have additional follow-up ready.
Immediate follow-up is key. The quicker you follow up, the more likely you are to get the money, buy-in, and long-term commitment to your organization. Have a text, email, and thank-you note ready to go, and clearly define roles so everyone on your team knows who is responsible for following up. This is especially important if you are staffing execs or board members.
Staying on schedule. Just like in any campaign or organization, using your resources correctly matters. People, time, and money are your core resources. Make sure you manage a clear call schedule, creating defined time blocks so your principal is used most effectively. This will take some flexibility. You should also factor in what is the best time for the donor. This may mean experimenting with different times so you reach donors when they are available.
Know your financial goal. Call time is a tactic, so understanding the goal is critical. Understand what will make this a successful endeavor. Be intentional by asking how many calls you are making per week. How many per day? And make sure you analyze your results. This will allow you to stay on task, and it will also help you motivate your team as you get closer to your goal.
Staffing call time. Staffing call time properly will make the difference between success and problems. Before you begin, make sure you have a clear game plan. Use these tips for good call time:
- Researched donors
- Call sheets
- Quiet room
- Defined schedule
- Clear goals
- Water and snacks
- Clear process
- Analysis spreadsheet
Good, updated data makes a big difference. Get all the info in there, and keep it updated. Keep the coding the same. A good CRM keeps you organized by making sure you have the most up-to-date info on your donors.
Software can help. Software can help in many ways, from donor research to automating or systematizing follow-up. The right software can make a massive difference and help increase your yield by 10–20 percent. Some of our favorite software for fundraising:
- CallTime.ai
- Numero.ai (for call time)
- EveryAction/NGP VAN
- KitWorkflows (for list organization)
- DonorAtlas (for donor research)
Test and analyze for better results. Testing and analysis are the key to improved call time. Good fundraising analysis can help you improve from one week to the next.
Debrief after each session. Every session can improve if you review what worked and what didn't.
Vary pitches. Switch out your pitch and test different approaches for different donors. The more you test and analyze, the better your fundraising will be.
Look at time of day. Not everyone is available the same hours. By trying different times, you can increase your yield.
Try different CTAs. A call to action is a very powerful thing. Test out different ways to get people involved. Sometimes it may be a donation; other times, it may be hosting an event or joining an advocacy program. Remember, by trying different approaches, you will figure out different yields for the donor.
Use event or board tie-ins. Whether it’s an ask to be a board member or to host an event, trying different tie-ins in your asks can be powerful. You may start with a donation, but you can make more specific asks during the pitch. This can be quite successful.
TL;DR: What did we learn? Be methodical with call time, and be diligent about it. Good call time is about planning, process, and chipping away at it for the long term. Check out these key points:
Define your goals
- Have the pitch down (RATE)
- Block out your time
- Staff your principal
- Get info in the CRM
- Know your follow-up process
- Analyze your results
Have questions about call time for your nonprofit? Reach out.