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This webinar is designed for organizations conducting phonathons using volunteers or paid in-house staff, Board or students. We will cover the steps to take for a successful phonathon before, during and after the event. In addition to data-related issues, we will define ways to make the calling location comfortable, offer tips on how to get callers interested and motivated, best times to call, and much more.
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Sponsored by:A ServiceOf:
Phonathon:
From Preparation through Follow-Up
Kelly Sheetz
November 15, 2011
Sponsored by:A ServiceOf:
Protecting and Preserving the
Institutional Memories of
Nonprofits Since 1993
www.cjwconsulting.com
(866) 598-0430
Sponsored by:A ServiceOf:
Affordable collaborative data
management in the cloud.
Sponsored by:A Service
Of:
Today’s Speaker
Kelly SheetzDirector of Development Services and Operations
North Park University
Hosting:
Cheryl J Weissman, CJW Consulting & Services, Inc.Assisting with chat questions:
April Hunt, Nonprofit Webinars
Phonathon Preparation/Followup
8331 Central AvenueMorton Grove, IL 60053
800/977-6377www.cjwconsulting.com
Presented by
Getting data and human resources ready for what happens before, during and after the
calling
Steps for a Successful Phonathon
Who do we call
Create calling pools
Groups of prospective donors matched with callers
Prepare needed materials
Training materials
Scripts (do not steal/reuse)
Pledge Cards
Steps for a Successful Phonathon
Prepare for Training/Warmup
Explain training materials
Plan exercises/role play
The right location
Parking available?
Directions to location
Good space for serving food
Before
Data Management
Develop pre-call list
Compile good prospect list(s)
Organize into calling pools
Eliminate duplication
Develop a pledge card
Design call sheets
Demographics
Giving history
Class year, etc
Before
Send a pre-call letter
Include response device/envelope
Let constituents know when calls will begin
Ask for gift now to have their name removed from call list for this phonathon
Before
Location, location, location
Lots of phones
Good food, beverages, snacks
Confirm site 1-2 days prior
Arrange for cleanup each night
When to call
Best evenings said to be Tuesday through Thursday, best times 6:30 to 9:30 PM
9:30 might be too late for some donors – know your constituents!
Volunteers
Allow 4-6 weeks to recruit
Get 1/3 more than needed, twice as many workers as phones
Callers can pair up with one calling, one doing paperwork; then switch
Volunteers uncomfortable on phones can do clerical tasks
REMIND Volunteers a week prior
Make it enjoyable
Get a photographer
Before
Before
Volunteers
Educate your callers
Communicate value
Be passionate
Say thank you first to those who are already donors
Don’t give up at “No”
INFORM your callers
What do we know about the people they are calling Call Sheets
Ask Amounts
Provide packets
Letterhead, note cards, forms, stamps, etc.
During
Don’t focus on the money Don’t sacrifice participation in the quest for a
larger gift. You will need those donors in your pool
Don’t use the same ask amounts every year
Tweak based on donor capacity to give and needs of the institution
During
Give each caller a packet
Train volunteers
Mission
Goals for callers/phonathon
Explain all materials
Discuss confidentiality
Use of phones and script
Call length
During
Train volunteers
Recordkeeping requirements
Thank yous
TEAMWORK
ENCOURAGEMENT
Use demonstrations or role
Ask volunteers to commit
Volunteers who have pledged/given will do better
During
Assign Rovers
Check on callers
Pick up paperwork
Bring water, snacks
Watch the time
No one should be on the phone for more than 3 hours
If possible, have callers switch between calling/clerical work
Ask volunteers to fill out questionnaire
Mail thank you letters
Review/record lessons learned
Compute statistics
Send summary to all volunteers
Update your database!!
Do Not Calls, updated demographic info, etc.
After
Using Data
Compute Statistics
#/$ of pledges
Average pledge
# Unspecified pledges
# Reached
# Refusals
# Unreachable
Remember: Statistics have shown that 5% of people who say no are truly unable to give, up to 50% will not be at home when you call, and pledges of unspecified amounts can increase the bottom line by up to 50%
After
Using Data
Update your database!
Do Not Call
Demographic information updates
New Phone number
Death/divorce
Etc.
Enter pledges
Indicate unspecified pledges
A few more thoughts
Supervisors/Managers
Don’t gloss over the warmup
Do manage callers during phone hours
Don’t use the time for paperwork, etc.
Telemarketing
More effective with cold calls/non-donors
Will not get discouraged by repeated refusals
Try to pair callers with prospects they know
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