In this episode, Mary dives into the number one challenge faced by her major gift coaching clients—fear of making the ask. Whether it’s the fear of rejection or the fear of damaging a relationship, many fundraisers struggle with taking that final step. Mary shares practical strategies to help you confidently make major gift asks, even when fear kicks in. From mindset shifts to cultivation tactics, and knowing when it’s time to ask, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Mary also discusses how to handle objections and what to do if your prospect says no.

Key Takeaways:

• Fear of Rejection is Real: Mary shares her own experiences with the fear of rejection and how getting past that initial "no" helped her grow as a major gift officer.
• Mindset Shifts: Learn how to reframe your thinking from viewing an ask as a withdrawal in the emotional bank account to seeing it as an opportunity for your prospect to make a meaningful impact.
• Cultivation Tactics: Discover the importance of preparing your prospect for the ask by understanding their motivations, interests, and connection to your organization’s mission.
• Permission-Based Fundraising: Mary emphasizes the value of gaining permission for next steps in every interaction to build trust and ensure that the ask won’t be a surprise.
• Handling Objections: Mary provides examples of open-ended questions that can help you understand and address any concerns your prospect might have, reducing the chances of a "no."

Resources Mentioned:

• Free Download: 15 Questions to Ask During Cultivation - These questions will help you deepen your relationship with your prospect and get you closer to a successful ask.
• Schedule a Game Plan Call: Book your free 45-minute call with Mary to discuss your unique challenges in major gift fundraising and how to overcome them.

Subscribe & Follow:

• If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Hey Fundraiser! podcast so you never miss an episode.
• Join Mary in the Major Gift Fundraisers Facebook Group for more fundraising tips, funny moments, and promotional content.

Connect with Mary:

• Website: www.heyfundraiser.com
• Email: mary@heyfundraiser.com

→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group

→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary

In this episode, Mary dives into transforming board members into effective storytelling fundraisers. She highlights the significance of board members feeling comfortable and skilled in connecting with donors through the organization's stories. Mary categorizes board members into four types: connectors, storytellers, visionaries, and closers. She offers insights on how board members can craft three vital stories: their involvement story, impact story, and thank you story. Additionally, Mary outlines key storytelling rules and suggests conducting storytelling exercises during board retreats to enhance these skills.

Book a FREE gameplan call with Mary

Watch this podcast episode on the Hey Fundraiser! Youtube channel

Grab a copy of the slides here

Listen to the previous podcast episode
Four Types of Board Members

Takeaways:

• Board members are pivotal in fundraising by engaging with donors and narrating the organization's stories.
• Board members can be identified as connectors, storytellers, visionaries, or closers.
• Each board member should develop three core stories: their involvement story, impact story, and thank you story.
• Stories need to be genuine, relatable, and focused on the organization's community impact.
• Board retreats offer a great opportunity for board members to hone their storytelling abilities.

→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group

→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary

In this episode, Mary discusses the importance of fundraising operations and how it can make or break a fundraising program. She outlines six pillars of strong fundraising operations, including strong technology and systems management, enhancing the donor experience, supporting fundraising efforts, data-driven reports and analytics, building collegial partnerships, and standard operating procedures. Mary emphasizes the need for fundraising operations professionals to prioritize supporting fundraisers and highlights the importance of proactive gift entry and communication between different departments.

Chapters

07:32 Fundraising Operations Pillar 1: Strong Technology and Systems Management
09:13 Fundraising Operations Pillar 2: Enhancing the Donor Experience
10:09 Fundraising Operations Pillar 3: Supporting Fundraising Efforts
12:43 Fundraising Operations Pillar 4: Data-Driven Reports and Analytics
20:12 Fundraising Operations Pillar 5: Building Collegial Partnerships
22:54 Fundraising Operations Pillar 6: Standard Operating Procedures

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

→ The Fundraising Operations Success Formula—Free Masterclass
→ Ask Mary A Question on Speakpipe

Connect With Mary Petersen (mary@heyfundraiser.com)

→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group

→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary

In this podcast episode, Mary Hackett discusses the importance of metrics in annual giving. She emphasizes the need to measure what truly matters and avoid vanity metrics. Mary then dives into specific key performance indicators (KPIs) for annual giving, including retention rate, retention rate for first-time donors, upgrade rate, total raised, donor pool growth, and second gifts in the same fiscal year.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Metrics
03:03 Importance of Annual Giving
07:13 Retention Rate
08:32 Retention Rate for First-Time Donors
10:29 Upgrade Rate
12:51 Total Raised
14:31 Donor Pool
16:10 Second Gift in the Same Fiscal Year
18:07 Trendy Annual Giving Slogans

Downloads and Resources Mentioned In This Episode

→ Download KPI's For Annual Giving

→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group

→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary

In this week's Hey Fundraiser! episode, Mary Hackett discusses the importance of creating an effective fundraising board and how to engage board members based on their unique profiles. She highlights common mistakes organizations make with board members and provides strategies for deploying them strategically.

Mary introduces the four board member profiles: connectors, storytellers, visionaries, and closers. She explains how to engage each profile and offers an audit tool to assess the composition of your board. By understanding and leveraging the strengths of board members, organizations can maximize their fundraising efforts.

Episode Takeaways

• Board members should be strategically deployed based on their unique profiles and strengths.
• Common mistakes organizations make with board members include assuming they know how to raise money and expecting them to be full-time major gift officers.
• The four board member profiles are connectors, storytellers, visionaries, and closers.
• Engaging board members based on their profiles can lead to more effective fundraising efforts.
• Assessing the composition of your board and recruiting the right personas can strengthen your fundraising board.

Downloads and Resources Mentioned In This Episode

→ Download Board Member Audit

→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group

→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary

Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction: The Importance of an Effective Fundraising Board
02:26 Strategically Deploying Board Members
03:25 Common Mistakes Organizations Make with Board Members
08:41 Effective Strategies for Engaging Board Members
11:30 The Four Board Member Profiles
19:23 Engaging Board Members Based on Their Profiles
26:34 Conclusion: Deploying Board Members for Success

Join our host, Mary Hackett, as she bravely shares three impactful stories of fundraising failures, revealing valuable lessons and pitfalls to avoid in this very personal Hey Fundraiser! episode.

Link mentioned in today's episode >>> Questions To Ask

Valuable Resources From Hey Fundraiser! ↓

→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group

→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary

In this episode, we are diving into two inspiring and creative cultivation stories from my experience as a major gift officer. Join us as we explore the lessons learned and the power of personalized connections in cultivating lasting donor relationships for maximum impact.

Do you have an inspiring creative cultivation story you want to share? We would love to hear from you! Click the link below to submit your story for a chance to be featured on the Hey Fundraiser! podcast.

>>> Click here to send us your story!

Valuable Resources From Hey Fundraiser! ↓

→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group

→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary

Director of Development Reports | Free Download
https://www.heyfundraiser.com/Director-of-Development-Reports

In this episode, I am sharing all my tips and tricks so you can quickly gain visibility, attain early wins, and assess your staffing and resources. Grab my free reports download to see exactly what I request when I start a new position as a director of development so that I can fully understand the lay of the land and easily set myself up for long-term success.

Valuable Resources From Hey Fundraiser! ↓

→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group

→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary