Volume 2, Issue 2, 1996/1997
Table of Contents

1. Identify potential donors
   Your potential donors should be identified from across your college's catchment area. For Canadore, these people had some connection to the College and included all contributors to the College's 1988 campaign, annual donors, current and past Board members, the top 25 prominent families in the area and 25 successful employers in the region.
   
2. Evaluating the potential to give
   In evaluating potential, the following should be noted and communicated clearly:
   the gift requested is not an assessed amount, but one which is worthy of consideration as a fair share given the individual's resources;the request relates well to the overall scale of giving required for success;the evaluated amount relates to what the prospect could give rather than what he or she will give.
   
3. Ranking potential prospects
   Canadore's Scholarship and Bursary Office produced an accurate list of prospects who have been evaluated for potential. This ranking then determined the top 50 contributors considered likely to make a major contribution. It also distinguished "leaders" to be canvassed first with the hope that they will not only contribute but may, in fact, help to champion the campaign.
   
4. Going to the public
   Do your canvassing in phases. Start with the solicitation of the highest rated prospects and work through the identified lists. (Additional prospects who are identified from time to time will be considered for a personal approach after first being qualified.) The top 50 will be solicited on a one-to-one basis, while those prospects outside of the top 50 can be reached through a mail/telephone canvass.
   
5. Your volunteers
   In order to present the case for support effectively and efficiently, a significant number of volunteers must be recruited. Considered "special friends," volunteers are generally the College's varied stakeholders ­ individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the College. It is imperative that solicitors are familiar with the College's case for support and are themselves convinced of the need, having made their own financial commitment. Sights must be kept high, for this is an important undertaking.
   
   Solicitors are provided with an information kit containing a proposal tailored to the prospect, campaign brochures and other information items deemed pertinent to the solicitation. It is crucial that volunteers appointed for solicitation are able to motivate their prospects in an exemplary manner.
   
6. A strategy for approaching major contributors
   Approaching your major donors is the most crucial component of the campaign. The gifts received from these donors will set the tone for giving to the campaign.
   
   First of all, your major gift givers must be carefully informed and cultivated before being asked to give. They should then be approached by someone considered most appropriate for the job. After this, "prospects" should be met on a face-to-face basis ­ there is no substitute for this type of approach. The deliberate matching of volunteer to prospect is the vital connection to receiving the largest gift possible.
   
   For top-rated prospects, events such as a small breakfast or lunch, hosted by the college President, Chair of the Board of Governors, or other appropriate college personnel, will provide the opportunity to present the case for the campaign.
   
7. Undertaking the mail/telephone campaign
   Prospective donors being canvassed by mail and telephone first receive a letter which has been endorsed by a prominent donor. Follow-up is undertaken over the phone. The calls are scripted and made by trained callers who are current students or alumnus who themselves have benefitted from a scholarship or bursary. The callers work in shifts of 10 for three months.
   
8. How to cultivate interest
   Each prospect must be provided with strong and compelling reasons for supporting the campaign as well as made aware of the positive effect their support will have on other potential donors. All efforts must be aimed at increasing and understanding the college, its needs and benefits which will result from their philanthropy.
   
9. The pitch
   At the time of solicitation, carefully and deliberately discuss the entire campaign while concentrating on the strengths of the program. Listen for areas of interest. Outline the prospect, the importance of their gift to the success of the campaign. Stress the need for leadership giving which will set the tone for universal support. At the appropriate moment, extend a direct invitation to participate and encourage the prospect to think of an exemplary gift.
   
   All prospective donors expect to be "sold" on the program. Most anticipate being asked to provide something specific. Experience shows that in most cases, the prospect will respect a direct approach as being well thought out and thus representing a truly important need. You must ask! Prospects are not clairvoyant and want you to think them important enough to make a specific request. Most calls which fail do so because the individual soliciting did not ask ­ not because the donor would not give.
   
10. Administering the campaign
    College departments responsible for administering fundraising campaigns are different from institution to institution. At Canadore College, the Scholarship and Bursary Office has the responsibility of confirming the objective and activating the detailed strategies necessary to ensure success. These responsibilities encompass:

    	becoming familiar with and able to present the College's case for support;
    	becoming familiar with solicitation techniques;
    	overseeing activity in the mandated areas;
    	organizing the breakfast/luncheon events;
    	assisting in the evaluation of each prospect's potential to give and the assignment of prospects to volunteers;
    	developing a donor recognition plan (how to say thank yo
    	in seven ways).

    This team is continually involved in building an effective solicitation team and providing necessary and accurate data. They must also be available to assist in making key calls with volunteers with whom they are in constant contact.

    At Canadore College, the Executive Director of Student Development and Community Relations plays an important role by:

    	overseeing the implementation of the matching gift strategy
    	preparing the matching gift brochure
    	authoring the letters
    	offering training in leadership recruitment
    	leading the matching gift prospect research effort
    	providing assistance in rating and assignment
    	presenting training in "how to make the ask"
    	developing the telephone script
    	delivering the mail/telephone caller training

    11. Your campaign workplan
    Set up a workplan for the campaign. Canadore's workplan looks like this:

    Month 1:	Develop case materials Write letter series Recruit eight to 20 volunteers Set up mail/phone campaign
    Month 2:	Recruit callers (mail/telephone) Write script and train callers Begin mail/telephone campaign
    Month 3:	Evaluate campaign to the present Design schedules for lead "asks"
    Month 4:	Continue mail/telephone campaign Begin breakfast series Continue solicitation, individual solicitation where necessary Follow-up with prospects
    Month 5:	Continue mail/telephone and breakfast campaigns Continue solicitation and follow-up Continue follow-up
    Month 6:	Thank you and recognition program Clean up and completion of all prospects Completion of program

The final word
With the recruitment and solicitation of major donors taking place in an increasingly complex fundraising environment, it is important that any fundraising efforts be built upon a solid base of prospects which is maintained with some diligence. It is important to note that cultivation does not stop when the gift is achieved. Cultivation is an ongoing and vital process which should be monitored continually. Individual experience is very important in qualifying a prospect. Know your donors. Understand their profile. They are part of your College's future.