100 Tips for Improving Annual Fund & PolioPlus Giving

1. At Least 100 Tips for Improving Annual Fund & PolioPlus Giving PDG Donna Phillips, Annual Fund Chair DGN Scott Mills, Paul Harris Society Chair

2. “It’s called, as I understand it, . . . a horcrux.” Harry Potter’s Tips for Rotary Foundation Annual Fund Giving Destroy the Horcruxes that are Limiting Your Club’s Foundation Success

3. Gain Access to the Chamber of Secrets Learn to Navigate the New RI Website: Update Your Internet Browser, Register for My Rotary, Establish a Profile, Post Your Club’s TRF Goals on Rotary Club Central

4. Don’t Hide Under an Invisibility Cloak Appoint a Club Foundation Committee and Establish and Follow a Donor Stewardship Plan.

5. Light the Goblet of Fire Educate Your Club, Your Fellow Rotarians, & Yourself

6. Win the Hogwarts House Cup Promote Individual Recognition; Recognize and Thank Donors; and Assist Your Club in Attaining Banners and Other TRF Recognition.

7. Establish an Order of the Phoenix Set and Attain SMARTER Foundation Goals

8. Share Your Marauders Map Learn to Read & Use Foundation Reports. Teach Fellow Rotarians to Access Their Donor History Reports.

9. Stupify! Maximize Giving by Using Recognition Programs and Community-Based Fundraising

10. Learn the Five Steps to Donor Stewardship and Successful Major Gifts

11. Five Steps to Success • Plan: Get organized by creating a strategy and a work plan • Effective fundraising requires discipline and hard work. Successful fundraising programs will have a calendar of planned activities, clearly laid out areas of responsibility and preparation of necessary resources and materials.

12. Five Steps to Success • Prospect: Identify and qualify prospective donors • Who among the club’s Rotarians, spouses, friends, corporate sponsors of events, etc. has a reason to be interested in a particular project or program of TRF? Are there philanthropists who would support the mission? From among those with potential interest, who has the financial resources to make substantial gifts? Don’t cherry-pick $100 donations.

13. Five Steps to Success • Cultivate: Engage the prospective donors • Rarely are donors standing in line to make gifts. Clubs and individual Rotarians must engage the prospective donor in a way that makes them feel they have a vested interest in the foundation’s success. The key question to be asked of any cultivation activity is, “Is this activity drawing the donor closer to the organization, increasing his/her awareness of the need and increasing likelihood of a positive response?” Cultivation before solicitation might take months – or even years!

14. Five Steps to Success • Solicit: Actually asking the donor for the money • People give because they believe in TRF’s mission and because they are asked to give. The person actually doing the asking (and, later, thanking) is extremely important. People give to people who they like, trust and respect. Training and preparing before “the ask” is also critical. For larger solicitations, a period of months, or even years, may pass between the request and the response. During this time, the club foundation committee should be constantly aware of the donor’s interests and attitudes and provide answers to all questions and provide ongoing opportunities for contact without being intrusive or demanding.

15. Five Steps to Success • Steward: Retain a relationship and show appreciation • Stewardship starts by recognizing the gift and by showing appreciation and thanks (privately if the donor does not want the gift to be publicly known). Secondly, the foundation committee should regularly apprise donors of the value that their gift is adding to Rotarians’ capacity to serve. Give donors regular opportunities to be involved in your club’s activities and service. Appreciation should be expressed often, and not just when gifts are made. Often major donors do not have the time or desire to be involved in the details of the organization, but they still should be informed of activities and progress.

16. Educate Your Fellow Rotarians: Begin with “Why?” Tell others why you give. Learn why your fellow Rotarians give: What is their passion? Explain why others should make TRF their charity of choice.

17. Why do you give… • To the Annual Fund? • To PolioPlus? • Telling your story shows that you put your money where your heart is, and you help empower your fellow Rotarians to realize • one person can make a difference • A gift to TRF leverages the giving power of 1.2 million Rotarians • Together we change lives, and through our service, the first life we change is…our own

18. Why does your fellow Rotarian give? • What programs “feed his/her soul?” • What does TRF have that can help advance that Rotarian’s passion for service?

19. Why do your fellow Rotarians give… • The answer is different for each Rotarian • But, if you never ask what is important to them, you will never know why they will give to The Rotary Foundation. How do you find out? Ask! • Why have you stayed in Rotary? • What has been your favorite project? • When did you realize that you are a “Rotarian” and not just a member of Rotary? • What Rotary project would you tell someone about to get them to realize why Rotary is an opportunity for them? • What other questions would you ask?

20. Why make TRF your charity of choice? • Where does my donation go? • Who controls the money? • Will it benefit persons in my community? • Will my club have access to the funds? • How will my donation advance the service goals of my club and the service opportunities of my fellow Rotarians? • Is it well-spent? • What portion goes for programs? • How do independent evaluation organization rate TRF (e.g., Charity Navigator, 4-star, 6 years running) • Is it carefully invested? • Rotary volunteer service makes the donation do more • Other reasons?

21. Why We Give: Educate Year-Round • Tell the story about TRF year-round • Foundation Moments—weekly 2 minute discussions about TRF • Program speakers (suggest one every quarter) • Club newsletter & website articles • Social media

22. District 7610 Foundation Newsletter • Use the District 7610 monthly Foundation Newsletter to educate Rotarians, promote programs, and publicize clubs’ giving/EREY/RFSM status.

23. Why We Give: Tell Rotarians Where the Money Goes • Educate Rotarians and potential donors about where the money goes. • The SHARE concept is a powerful tool, ensuring 100% of each Annual Fund donation dollar goes to programs and providing clubs an opportunity to determine where DDF—half of the money—will be spent.

24. Annual Fund (Share) Contribution Earnings pay for TRF administration YEAR 1 100% YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 2 SHARE World Fund 50% 50% • District Designated Fund (DDF) which funds: • District Grants (up to 50% of DDF) • Global Grants • PolioPlus • Rotary Peace Centers World Fund provides 1:1, $-for-$ match of all DDF funds, and .50:1 match for all cash, committed to Global Grants

25. Individual and Club Recognition

26. Club Recognition • Promote Foundation requirements in the RI President’s & Governor’s citations and club banner programs. • Club citation requirements usually have EREY, RFSM, per capita requirements due March, April, and May. Encourages your club members not to wait until June, or their club may not qualify.

27. Individual Recognition • Promote Individual Recognition opportunities and how they help and obtain recognition for the club: • Major Donor (e.g., over time, outright, or three-year pledge of $10,000 to any fund) (how this will help the club meet its goal and fund programs and expand its service opportunities) • Sustaining Member (individual and 100% club) • EREY (individual and club) • Paul Harris Fellow (individual and 100% club) • Paul Harris Society • Triple Crown (club and individual) • Arch C. Klumph Society

28. Individual Recognition • “Recognize” and thank donors every chance you get at club and district events, at special receptions, and with special trophies or appreciation gifts. [We don’t give to be recognized, but it’s always nice to recognize those who do give.] • Make recognition meaningful and public • Thank donors personally • Present recognition items: EREY stickers to Major Donor crystal

29. Educate Rotarians to Access Reports • Educate Rotarians continuously on recognition points and on how to access their donor histories • Learn how to access member’s donor information and recognition status on the Club Recognition Summary and EREY Eligibility reports. [Knowledge breeds familiarity; familiarity breeds giving.]

30. Goal-setting and Goal attainment Achieving SMARTER Foundation Giving Goals

31. Goal-setting and Goal attainment • Set SMARTER Goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant,time-bound, evaluated, and reevaluated

32. Goal-setting and Goal attainment • Setting goals and gaining buy-in gives Rotarians additional motivation and commitment to attain the goal • Tips for monitoring success • Record keeping: Build a club spreadsheet • Establish a baseline • Track progress of each member • Learn when a member likes to give

33. Goal-setting and Goal attainment • Know your club’s and individual Rotarians’ giving history . . . and capacity to give • Where can that be found?

34. Goal-setting and Goal attainment • Hold club goals assembly (preferably before the term starts) to gain buy-in of club • Gain the buy-in and support of the incoming board, first • Then expand it to key employees and the general membership • Mail goals post cards • Place goals card or flyers on tables

35. Goal-setting and Goal attainment • Progress Reports: Keep your fellow Rotarians aware of the club’s and their individual progress towards achieving the goals • Personalized “on target” flyers, accompanied by pre-populated donor forms • Focus reports on: • Where are we now vs. goal (or, if more, last year)? • What is needed to achieve goal? • What is our “challenge goal” if the first goal is already well within reach? • Number of EREYs to reach 100% • Number of Sustaining Members to reach 100% • Number of PHF needed to reach 100% • Per capita giving amount • Recognition/thanks, if applicable, of what that donor gave to help the club already that year • How to generate reports? • Prepare detailed table from TRF reports • Generate flyers in Microsoft Mail Merge • Personal discussions with each Rotarian are most effective • Don’t rely on emails or flyers. They are only tools.

36. Goal-setting and Goal attainment • Emphasize to your club the importance of understanding the relationship of membership “Start Numbers” and “End Numbers” to Foundation giving and recognition. [Too many clubs don’t understand this.]

37. Goal-setting and Goal attainment • Continue to advocate special fundraisers for Polio. [This reduces the loss of individual Annual Fund contributions to Polio—the “robbing Peter to pay Paul” syndrome.]

38. Making it Easy to Give Encouraging Gifts to TRF

39. Making it Easy to Give • Make giving easy for your members • Pre-populated donor forms (now online) • Allow donations with dues • Recurring giving via Rotary Direct • Links to online giving portals • Personal calendar year-end reminders and Rotary Year-end reminders • What have they given in the past • What matches are available • Amount needed to next recognition level • Tell them how they can access their Donor History Report • Remind about club’s per capita giving goal

40. Making it Easy to Give • Institute a Recognition Point matching point campaign at least once during the year. • District 7610 usually has two per year, which specify minimum of $500 donation to Annual Fund, with a 500-point transfer.

41. Maximize Giving and Points Global Grants • Paul Harris Society Major Gifts • Planned Giving Lead by Example

42. Maximize Giving and Points with Global Grants • Use the “Annual Fund Match” alternative funding approach in appropriate Global Grant applications. Give cash to the Annual Fund instead of grant, in exchange for more DDF. [This can significantly increase your future District Designated Funds. Make sure you execute a Memorandum of Understanding each time you do this.]

43. Maximize Giving and Points with Global Grants • When giving cash to a Global Grant project, send the contribution to TRF via a 123EN Global Contribution Form, designating the approved grant number. • Club/donor receives Recognition Points for the donation • Points can be used for matches towards PHF to encourage additional donations

44. Maximize Giving through Paul Harris Society • PHS: TRF-administered recognition for donors of $1,000 each year a donor is financially able • District 7610 Rotarians asked to make the donations annually to Annual Fund-SHARE • With Rotary Direct, monthly contribution of less than $85 (daily, less than a Grande Starbucks) • Individual and Club recognition • Membership forms • District website • Monthly District TRF newsletter

45. Maximize Giving through Major Gifts • Major Gifts are gifts of $10,000 or more • Major Gifts can be one-time, outright gifts or three-year pledges and are instantly recognized as Major Donors • Don’t forget to suggest gifts via appreciated securities • Donors who promise a Major Gift or Bequest of $10,000 before October 1 of this year will be invited to the Zone 33 Million Dollar Dinner to be held on October 19 in Charlotte, NC

46. Maximize Giving through Planned Giving • Donors who make planned gifts through estate planning (insurance, trusts, will bequests, etc.), where bequests to Endowment Fund are $10,000 or more are members of the Bequest Society • Benefactors: $1,000 or more through estate planning or lifetime gifts to Endowment Fund • How does Annual Fund benefit? Donor can designate SHARE to receive the earnings from the bequest: Half of SHARE (DDF) to District 7610 • Think of it as your “Last Happy Dollar”

47. Maximize Giving Lead by Example • Don’t expect others to follow you if you do not lead by example • Assemble a TRF committee made up of Rotarians with a history of giving • Pair potential donors with committee members who already have given at or near the level being asked of the prospective donor

48. Raising Funds for PoiloPlus and Annual Fund from the Community Increasing Giving Capacity

49. Community-Based Fund Raising Local fund raising resources & project partners: • Other foundations • Community banks • Corporate donors • Employer matching programs • In-Kind sources (hospitals, medical centers, used equipment sources) • Globus Relief and similar non-profits • Donor lists of local non-profits

50. Community-Based Fund Raising Some possible fundraiser events are: • Purple Pinkie Project: Millions of children in endemic countries know that a freshly painted purple pinkie means freedom from Polio. When local community members make a $1.00 contribution to PolioPlus, Rotary volunteers mark their pinkies with the same gentian violet used around the world on NIDs (National Immunization Days). The purple pinkie is a personal symbol of helping one child become free from Polio forever. For more information, visit the following website: http://www.rotary6940.org/uploads/District_Purple%20Pinkie%20Project%20Handbook.pdf • Celebrate a Big Day: Rather than exchanging gifts for a special occasion, request that friends and family make a contribution to PolioPlus. • Raffles Big and Small: Raffle off a car, a seven-night cruise or four tickets to a local event such as a basketball game or a concert. Clubs can have a weekly raffle for local restaurants or area businesses.