"Selling" to a company

Fundraisers have a lot in common with a sales force in terms of their motivation, of their job descriptions and of their need to hit targets, keep to budgets etc,/

However fundraising is also very different from selling commercial products/services.

Firstly one is dealing with 'selling' something that the donor will get very little tangibly in return. Secondly a fundraiser is more likely to be able to talk to a donor and seek advice than a commercial sales person. This means that a fundraiser has access to the potential to find out information free of charge If you want conduct research then it is highly likely that people will give you their time more willingly. You can get expertise free of charge.

Is there any expertise you can use to help not only your fundraising but also your organisation? Can you tie anything else together e.g. are there potential volunteers that your organisation can target?

Fundraising is not about begging, although sometimes it can feel like it! However, if you cannot feel that there is an exchange going on - be it support-oriented or financial - this is not a good way to start fundraising with a company.

What are fundraisers selling?

Why are they making the world a nicer place i.e. the cause.
What benefits are there to a) the company, b) the individual that you are dealing with? (tax benefits, mortality issues?)

Other points

The cause and the company

You must know what your organisation is up to. Fundraising is not the goal of the charity. If you can keep in contact with those within your organisation who are carrying out the cause, you will have real stories to tell people within meetings. It will also help you to keep a clear idea of why you are doing what you are doing!! Personal stories are much more interesting than official 'spiel'. For certain situations it may be important to take along someone who is closer to the cause to have him or her at hand to discuss the project that the money will fund. This is vital. Fundraising is not about the money, it is about what the money can do.

For example:

a) If you work for children go along and talk to them, if you work for animals e.g. make sure you know if there's a lecture at the National Geographic Society to fire your imagination!

b) Become an Expert. Find out stats about your cause, know what is happening. It is important to have facts at your fingertips whenever necessary.

Both the above will make you appear eloquent, sincere and committed. The more you believe in what you are doing, the more evident that will be when you 'sell' your charity.

What benefits the voluntary organisation can sell to the commercial sector?

Feel good factor
Expertise in an area
Training in an area (information about that particular cause, etc.)
Services e.g. members of donor organisations may require service or knowledge of service
Ideas
Employee motivation
Possible links with charity donors to develop target markets etc i.e. increase in sales.
Possible opportunities for a company e.g. PR opportunity, exposure etc.
tax benefits
leaving a legacy of some sort (e.g. funding a specific project that fits in with the strategy of the company etc).

Get a pen and blank paper and ask yourself the following questions:

a) In 50 words what does the cause mean to your personally

b) Is there anything going on in your organisation, statistically, that would give you some idea of how big the cause is e.g. how big is your 'cause' growing?

c) Can you break down your 'cause' into projects? If so list them.

d) Externally, what sources of information could you tap into to find out what's going on now e.g. hospitals, trade magazines, nature magazines etc. How do you know what is happening to your 'cause'.

e) Thinking about expertise, who are the experts who could talk to you about your cause e.g. board directors, external societies, doctors, environmentalists, vets, universities? These people should be contacted and they may have some useful insights into how to fundraise or even whom to go to who may be interested. For example, can these people represent you in talk shows, speeches at dinners etc?

Here we begin to compile a dossier that will give you a template of information that you need to draw on in many situations. Obviously, you could write more questions to yourself. This dossier will help you to have information available at short notice and stop you from rushing around trying to put things together. This information keeps you up-to-date and provides you with a resource of people you may need to bring in to your 'selling' at a later date.

Other fact sheets in Corporate
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