Welcome toUsing Events as Cultivation/Stewardship

Opportunities for Major Donors

Welcome toUsing Events as Cultivation/Stewardship

Opportunities for Major Donors

Please take this time before the start ofthe session to silence your cell phone or pager.

Your feedback is valuable. At the end of the session, we ask that you take a moment to complete an

evaluation form.

Thank you.

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• Jeffrey Bell, WNED

• Bradley Hurlburt, WPBT

• Ellen Oppenheimer, WPBT

• Virginia Thumm, WHRO

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• MGI – Culture Change

• Why do an event?

• How do you create a successful event?

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• Event Strategies

• Types of events and speakers

• Who to invite - lists

• Regional events

• Working with Hosts Committees

• Invitations

• Assign prospects to staff and board

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• Event Planning– Research attendees– Staff ratio and assignments– Presentations

• Station background• Giving opportunities• Speaker• Video

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• Invitations– Don’t forget that the invitation is a “touch” too– Formal and fancy may not be the best option– Mailed invitations only one part of multimedia

process – Mix it up– Examples

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• At the event– Engage everyone in the building for event– Pre-game meeting with everyone, including

board members, committee members– Designated ‘runner’– Importance of check-in desk– Be prepared for tours

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• At the event (continued)– Have renewal / pledge cards handy– Wine, wine, wine– Use department camera– Write things down– Take away materials

• Always include an opportunity to give• Major donor magazine• Gift related to event program

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• staff meeting to review what information was gained – what needs to be entered into database

• thank you letters to all attendees from President/GM

• plan appropriate follow-up for each attendee

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• Further Engagement– Lunch/dinner– Station taping/tour– Testimonial– Committees– Screening lists– Host event– Top Tiers & Strategies

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• Examples of how events lead to major gifts.– Fay Aronson– Bob Elmore– Marion Gendron– Richard Schmidt– (other examples)

Using Events as Cultivation/Stewardship Opportunities for Major Donors

• Examples (continued)

• Questions and Answers