Meet in the MiddleHow to find, engage, and solicit mid-level donors

Garth Allen, Senior Consultant, Schultz & WilliamsCarla Ricci, Senior Consultant, Schultz & WilliamsJulia Newman, Director of Annual Giving at the Museum of the American Revolution

Development • Direct • Planning • S&W StaffSolutions™ • Digital • Data Analytics • Marketing

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Meet in the Middle

Meet in the Middle

• Defining the mid-level• Challenges of the mid-level• A story of success at the Museum of the

American Revolution• Solutions for the mid-level

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Defining the Middle

• Gifts typically in the $1,000 to $9,999 range.• This varies from organization to organization.

• Donors frequently sit in the middle – between annual giving and major giving efforts.

• Sometimes a neglected audience.

• Donors often are motivated by mission and values and look for higher levels of engagement and connection.

Meet in the Middle

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Investing in mid-level donors

• The audience is small, but the revenue is significant.A recent study showed that donors at the $1,000 to $10,000 levels represent about one percent of the donor population--and give more than one-third of the dollars.

• All fundraising channels benefit from the collaborative work that mid-level programs require.

• Mid-level donors provide stability and opportunity.

Meet in the Middle

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Goals of a mid-level program

• Stabilize and increase revenue• Alignment of mission and values• Engagement and loyalty

• Create a pipeline to major giving• Movement from transactional to philanthropic giving

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Basics of a Mid-Level Program

• Societies and Levels which motivate giving

• Benefits which inform and engage

• Cultivation and stewardship that are personalized• Solicitations to invite, renew and upgrade

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Challenges of the MiddleManaging donors and prospects

• How to identify prospects

• Making cultivation and stewardship personal.

• Managing a complex pipeline.

• Scaling down and personalizing digital outreach

• Creating meaningful benefits

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Challenges of the MiddleInternal Issues

• Finding time and allocating resources

• Establishing ownership of donors and prospects

• Managing the competition for dollars

• Bringing leadership on board

Meet in the Middle

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Story of SuccessMuseum of the American Revolution

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Story of SuccessMuseum of the American Revolution

• Revolution Society• Benefactor (from $1,000)• Fellow (from $2,500)

• George Washington Council• Member (from $5,000)• Vice Chair (from $10,000• Co-Chair (from $25,000)

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Story of SuccessMuseum of the American Revolution

Success by the numbers:• 3 percent of file are mid-level donors• 38 percent of revenue from mid-level donors• 40 new members this fiscal year so far• 44 upgrades from general membership and within

program

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Story of SuccessMuseum of the American Revolution

• Benefits• Unlimited free admission to the Museum• Behind-the-scenes access• Receptions and signature events with curators and historians• Invitations to lectures, historian-led excursions and other programs• Previews of special exhibitions• Concierge services for museum visits• Discount on annual gala

Meet in the Middle

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Story of SuccessMuseum of the American Revolution

• Stewardship and cultivation methods• Personal outreach before and after events, throughout the year• Quarterly e-newsletter• Personalized acknowledgment letters• Revolution Society Committee• Other duties as assigned

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Story of SuccessMuseum of the American Revolution

• Upgrade tactics• Quarterly acquisition and upgrade mailings• Personalized outreach• Being smart about benefit levels

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Story of SuccessMuseum of the American Revolution

• Internal Partnerships• Leadership• Curatorial

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Story of SuccessMuseum of the American Revolution

• Challenges• Porous boundaries between membership and Rev Society• Maintaining robust pipeline• Collaboration with Major Gifts• Many events = resource challenge

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Solutions for the MiddleCreating a Program

• Benefits that deepen the relationship with the donor.

• Branding that is distinct and cohesive with the organization’s brand.

• Society that is meaningful to donors and levels that are easy for donors to understand.

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Solutions for the MiddleManaging donors and prospects

• Predictive Modeling for identification

• Staffing for personalized stewardship and cultivation

• Staffing and data solutions for pipeline management

• Digital strategies for integrating personalized outreach

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Solutions for the MiddleInternal Issues

• Turning competition into collaboration• Leadership matters• Metrics development and reporting standards• Liaison role between annual and major gifts

Meet in the Middle

Thank You!