A personal hello is worth a thousand emails. A friendly conversation is still one of the most effective ways to encourage donations. Sure, send that email or snail mail letter, but don’t forget the good old fashioned phone call.

Phone calls can be great for:

THANK YOUS
A quick thank you call will let your donor know that they are special. Aim for short and sweet, but listen for clues. Your donor may be excited to hear more details of your event and donations. A conversation may even trigger ideas for a larger donation. Either way, a personal thank you is always appreciated and will be remembered.

PREVIOUS YEARS’ DONORS
A simple hello will remind your donor how much their gift helped.

LAPSED DONORS - a 20% success rate
They supported your cause before, so the interest is there. A quick call will remind them how much their support is appreciated, and it is said that 20% will come back with a new donation. If they are not donating this year, find out why! Whether is it out of your control or a simple adjustment on your end, wouldn’t you prefer to know why? Use the feedback to increase your returning donors for the next year.

ATTENDEES -
Your attendees are already on board with your cause. If they have not donated in the past, give them the opportunity to support you this year with a silent auction donation.

Pointers for Succesful Calls: 

- Introduce yourself and using the person’s name right from the start.
- Plan on making your call short & sweet, but listen for clues. If they want more info, go at it, if not, show your support by not taking much of their time.
- Be personal. There is nothing worse than listening to a read script!
- Don’t be afraid to ask for more. As long as you’re not a nuisance and its genuine, a small increase is often considered.
- Be yourself and have fun. And don’t forget to let your enthusiasm for your event show. Like laughter, enthusiasm is catching!