For most orgainizations, the vast majority of contibutions they receive will be small, but the majority of their income will come from a few big donations. That’s why it’s essential to have a clear understanding of how to get those big donations. Grassroots fundraising expert Kim Klein lays out the basic principles of securing major gifts and provides a step-by-step approach to the fine art of asking. She also answers some common questions about the care and feeding of major donors.

What should you do if you go with someone from your board and that
person makes a fool of you and your organization?

This depends on what the board member does to make your organization appear foolish. If it is a matter of the board member talking too much, interrupt from time to time and turn the conversation back to the prospect with a phrase such as, “Yes, that’s a good point, Talking Board Member. What do you think of that, Ms. Bucks?” If the board member gets into an argument with the prospect or swears or gives out information about the organization that is inappropriate, try to change the subject quickly. If all else fails, say to the prospect, “Well, thanks for seeing us. I’ll be back in touch. Let’s go, Foolish Board Member.” Afterwards, get that board member off of the Major Gifts Committee, and apologize to the prospect. Keep in mind that the prospect is rarely as aware of how foolish someone seems as you are.

What if the donor promises a certain amount and then sends less?

Send a gracious note for the amount received and don’t mention that you thought it would be more. Next year you can return for a higher gift.

What about sending a person to solicit a gift who is not a donor to
the organization but is personable and charming?

This is a mistake. The chances of getting a gift are significantly reduced when the person asking has not given. It doesn’t matter whether or not the prospect is told. At some level, the prospect will intuit that he or she is being asked to do something that the solicitor has not done. The gift the solicitor makes does not need to be the same size as the prospect’s, but it must be significant relative to the solicitor’s resources. Sincerity is much more important than charm.

How important is it to name a specific amount?

In a study of New York City panhandlers the panhandlers that asked for a specific amount, or for a specific purpose (“So that I can get on the subway”) were more likely to get something than those who asked for the vague “spare change.” The same is true for larger gifts. “We need some money for our important work and we would like you to help” is too vague. The prospect
doesn’t know how much money is needed, or what an appropriate gift would be. Is $50 too cheap? Is $1,000 ostentatious? Is there a plan for the use of the money? Say something like, “We need $10,000 for our community organizing project, and we hope to raise $5,000 of that in gifts of $50-$500. Can you help?” Or, “We want to raise $15,000 in gifts of $200-$1,000. We have already received $5,000 from ten individuals, and hope that you can give $500.” It is
much more convincing and specific.

What if I can’t answer a question that I am asked?

Whatever you do, don’t make up an answer. Say you don’t know the answer but you can find it out and let him or her know. If you do say you will get an answer to a question for a donor, do so as promptly as possible.

When during a meeting should I ask for the gift?

Toward the end. Use the beginning of your meeting to connect with the donor and to make a “case” for support of your organization. Bring the donor up to date on the organization’s activities, talk in some detail about one or two particularly exciting projects, and give the donor the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns he or she might have. Ideally, all of the donor’s questions or concerns should have been answered before he or she is asked for the gift.

If my organization is in a serious financial crisis, should I tell the
donor that or not?

If donors are going to invest in your organization, they should have the benefit of knowing about your financial health. Don’t dwell on the crisis, but let them know that it exists and provide them with all of the excellent reasons you know that the crisis will pass. Then move on to the positive developments and efforts you are making to ensure the organization’s financial stability.

Should all donors be treated the same?

One thing that fundraisers do wrong is to treat everyone alike by making
assumptions about what people want. And often these assumptions are very wrong. What they need to do is ask each individual what most interests him or her about the organization, and how he or she would like to be treated.Then they need to treat donors differently, based upon what they learn from asking.

When individuals indicate that they are interested in certain aspects of your program, you should be providing them with information about those aspects of your program, not other aspects that don’t interest them. And you should be asking them for support for those aspects of your program.

For instance, experts believe that older people give for different reasons than younger people, and that women give for different reasons than men. As an example of this, if you are an environmental organization talking to a 75-year-old about cleaning up an environmental problem over the next 20 to 30 years, you should not be talking about how this solution is going to impact on his or her future. Instead, you should be talking about how it’s going to impact his or her grandchildren’s future. On the other hand, if you are speaking with someone who is 25 or 30 years old, cleaning up an environmental problem would affect his or her future directly and the wise fudraiser will discuss the issue accordingly.

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For most orgainizations, the vast majority of contibutions they receive will be small, but the majority of their income will come from a few big donations.

 

Recommended Resources

Grassroots Fundraising has many excellent books about fundraising and publishes The Grassroots Fundraising Journal.
www.grassrootsfundraising.org

The Grantsmanship Centerin Los Angleles is an excellent resource for information and training on Management, Proposal Writing/Grantseeking, Foundation/Corporate Funding, Government Funding, Fundraising, Nonprofit Business Ventures, Internet Issues, Consulting, Nonprofit Law, and International Funding. They offer a free magazine subscription to staff members of nonprofit organizations and you may access articles from recent issues. www.tgci.com

 

The bottom line is that people give the most money where they are the most involved. Strangers don’t give a great deal of money. Friends do. Our goal as nonprofits must be to seek INVOLVEMENT as well as dollars. OWNERSHIP as well as donations. We must rely on the on-going and increasing support of friends.

Effective asking doesn’t make your prospects feel like they are being “beat up” for money every five minutes. Effective asking creates ownership, involvement and on-going support. Recognize that donors hate to be sold to, and that fundraisers and donors must be on the same side of the table.

Fundraising is entirely inseparable from the cause and donors are shareholders in our cause. It is as much theirs as it is ours.

Fundraising is ultimately an exchange; you have something the donor wants and the donor has something you want. When the exchange is made, it is magic for all involved. After all, doesn’t every parent have a need to see their children maintain Hindu values?

Although it can be anxiety producing to ask for money the first few times you do it, it is thrilling to get a commitment from a major donor. The most effective way to raise the most amount of funds from people is also the oldest way. Asking for it. Although there is no quick fix” in fundraising, it is easy to say “no” to a letter or a phone call. It is hard to say no to your face!

5 Pointers on Fundraising

1. Our real competitors are not other charities, but the less tangible adversaries of distrust, uncertainty, fear of criticism, inertia, and confusion.

2. Present a positive picture; your donors are betting on a winner. Donors like to contribute to strong agencies with a solid future. (This is especially important when presenting the financial information.) “We need your help getting this project off the ground. This Temple will be solid and will serve our community for several hundred years.”

3. You and the donor are on the same side of the table. We are a team working together for a common interest – “We have the vision. You have the resources. Together we will …”

4. The bottom line for the donor is – What’s in it for me. How will the donor benefit? A sense of community. Keeping their children interested in the culture. The feelings of peace and solace that come from visiting the Temple. Feelings of magnanimity.

5. Be proud of your cause and your organization. Remember you are not begging. Your organization is contributing a valuable service to the community.

WHAT KEEPS US FROM ASKING?

Now, the time has come. The potential donor is willing to see you. You head for the door and STOP COLD! “What keeps us from going? What keeps us from asking for money?”

The response almost always will be “FEAR OF REJECTION”

What does it feel like? Rotten. Is it permanent? We hope not. Does it happen often? You bet.

Some requests will result in rejection. So what? Rejection is a way to find out how the donor can become more involved in the future. Many rejections turn into positive responses in the future – after we learn how we best can involve the prospects. If you get to have a face to face discussion with a prospect to talk about your agency, you are ninety percent there! If the prospect cannot donate at this time, they almost always will tell you why and you may learn what you need to know to turn the rejection into an acceptance in the future!

Remember, you may “lose them in the wash,” but you’ll “get them in the rinse!”
“What Keeps Us from Asking” from How to Ask for Money without Fainting by Susan M. Scribner.

• 60 percent of an organization’s income comes from 10 percent of the donors;

• 15 – 25 Percent of the income comes from 20 percent of the donors;

• the remaining 15 – 25 percent comes from 70 percent of the donors.

In other words, the vast majority of of the gifts you get will be small, but the majority of the income will be from a few big donations.

 

 

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Donors are shareholders in our cause. It is as much theirs as it is ours. Explain that the Temple does not have a need; our congregations do. Two words you must remove from your vocabulary forever are “we need!” Donors don’t give US money. They give the money to all of those who benefit from the Temple.

 

Recommended Resources

Grassroots Fundraising has many excellent books about fundraising and publishes The Grassroots Fundraising Journal.
www.grassrootsfundraising.org

The Grantsmanship Centerin Los Angleles is an excellent resource for information and training on Management, Proposal Writing/Grantseeking, Foundation/Corporate Funding, Government Funding, Fundraising, Nonprofit Business Ventures, Internet Issues, Consulting, Nonprofit Law, and International Funding. They offer a free magazine subscription to staff members of nonprofit organizations and you may access articles from recent issues. www.tgci.com

This report is presented to promote the development of Hindu Temples in America by improving their level of managerial professionalism, including the selection and compensation of specialized staff members. This report recommends that temple boards of directors study and adopt the methods used by established religious institutions that have developed a reputation for professionalism, strategic management and long-term growth including Christian Churches and Jewish Synagogues.

Board members and staff are the “face” of the organization. How they conduct their duties is of great importance to the long-term health of the religious organization. Poorly managed Hindu Temples not only undermine their own long-term growth, but also undermind the cause of Hindu dharma throughout the world. Every Hindu Temple must develop a management standard that avoids these problems at all costs.

This report is therefore written to benefit both sides of the management/labor issue: namely the board of directors that are charged with the responsibility to run the religious organizations, and the staff who are expected to adhere to professional levels of performance.

In the United States, over 90% of the clergy in all major religions are college graduates with almost 60% holding masters degrees or higher. Priests are trained not only in ritual and language but management, counseling, and theology. In general a priest in the American religious community is not only a respected member of society but also a learned practitioner of that religious tradition. A priest is genuinely spiritual and feels that his or her ordination is a “calling from God.” The priest serves the community as a first priority. The priest is an dedicated worker who goes above and beyond the call of duty. In the Christian and Jewish traditions the typical priest or rabbi is seen as a tireless preacher, teacher, minister, counselor, fundraiser and administrator. Nothing less should be expected of a Hindu priest.

While most of the priest’s salaries in this report are much higher than those presently being offered in Hindu temples, temple managers must realize that if they wish to operate their religious institution on a professional level, they must be prepared to hire qualified priests and management staff. This means that priest salaries must be high enough to provide not only a viable living, but also a reasonable standard to attract quality individuals. The positive side is that quality priests and management staff members will ultimately increase contributions to the temple. Qualified priests and other staff provide the organization with a reputation for being conscientious and professional.

Many donors demand a high level of performance. They are impatient with sloth and amateurism. They will support only those organizations that consistently produce results . Therefore, the real competitors to any mandir are not other religious institutions, but the less tangible adversaries of distrust, criticism, inertia, lack of cleanliness, and confusion.

Staff Job Descriptions and Salary Ranges 

The salary ranges in this report are based on The 2001 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff by Church Law & Tax Report. This handbook is a data survey from over 2,000 United States religious institutions including Christian Churches, Jewish Synagogues. The survey information was obtained between January, 2000 and April, 2000. Comparisons were made regarding church attendance, income, and setting, and priests’ gender, education and years employed.

The survey did not take into account differences in the cost of living from one part of the country to another. For example, Riverside California, a mid-size city near Los Angeles, has a cost of living that is 10.60% higher than the national average for general workers and 28.03% higher for executive workers.

Items that make up the salary averages include base salary, housing, retirement (not including social security payments), life insurance, health insurance, vacations, auto allowance, and education funds (amount provided for continuing education). The average annual increase for priest’s salaries was 5-6%.

Most Hindu temples will have the following four categories of paid staff positions:

1. Senior Priest(s)
2. Assistant Priest(s)
3. Bookkeeper/Secretary
4. Custodian

1. Senior Priest

Salary
The 2000 national average salary for a 40 hour work week of a senior priest was $66,096 with 3-4 weeks vacation and an average annual increase of 5-6%. This amount represents compensation for priests who serve full-time and includes base salary, housing, retirement (not including social security payments), life insurance, health insurance, vacation, auto allowance, and education funds (amount provided for continuing education).

In 2000 approximately 85% of senior priests were married ministers with families and earned between $50,000 and $82,101. The salary of a Catholic priest who has taken a vow of celibacy and a vow of poverty (comparable to a sannyasin) averaged $29,698.

Annual Senior Priest Compensation–Averages by Education.
Over 92% were college graduates, 42% held master’s degrees and 20% held doctoral degrees.

High School $53,387

Associate 55,920

Bachelor 58,317

Masters 65,902

Doctorate 79,668

Five-Year Compensation Trend: United States National Average for Pastors
1993 $49,536
1994 50,400
1995 51,592
1996 55,027
1997 56,172
1998 59,067
1999 62,869
2000 66,096

In addition, sabbaticals are generally offered to senior priests. A sabbatical is an extended leave of absence during which a priest is allowed to pursue writing, education, or other religious related activities. Religious institutions that provide a priest with a sabbatical usually continue his compensation in whole or in part during the absence. The length of the sabbatical is based on number of years employed and dedication of the priest.

The objective behind a sabbatical is that a priest needs time to refresh himself periodically with a leave of absence for rest, introspection and spiritual growth. Commenting on the importance of the religious sabbatical one religious commentator states, “In general priests have an excessive, compulsive absorption in work, and tend to neglect their personal needs. . . . Diversity of expectations is a common factor, a priest is expected to be spiritually deep, theologically wise and fiscally clever, while being good at preaching to the young and old. Each person in the congregation expects only a limited something, but the conglomeration can be overwhelming. . . . We need to install mechanisms for preventative care and guided growth, with procedures for intervention before stress leads to burnout and crisis.” A sabbatical is one mechanism to avoid these pitfalls.

Description of duties for Senior Priests
• Performing and overseeing of daily pujas and daily operations of Mandir
• Organizing and teaching of classes including Bal Vihar, Teen classes, Adult and Senior’s classes.
• Arranging and organizing Sunday programs and other regular festivals including monthly Durga pujas and Janmasthami, etc.
• Arranging for and providing weekly pravacans (lectures).
• Greeting, teaching, and visiting various outside groups including educational, religious and civic organizations.
• Overseeing altar maintenance and cleaning.
• Counseling, including bereavement and marriage.
• Hospital visitation.
• Overseeing assistant priests and volunteers.
• Assisting in fundraising.
•Participating in special projects including construction, library development, various promotionals, etc.
•Attending management meetings.
•Creating and overseeing Mandir publications: newsletters, advertisements, yearbooks, etc.
•Public relations–meeting with newspaper reporters.
• Overseeing special events such as summer camps, variety cultural show, etc.
•On call in emergencies.

Assistant Priest

Salary
The national average of compensation in 2000 for full-time assistant priests was $51,973 with 2-3 weeks vacation and an average annual increase of 5%. This amount represents compensation for priests who serve full-time and includes base salary, housing allowance, retirement contribution, life and health insurance payments, and educational funds.

Annual Assistant Priest Compensation–Averages by Education.
In 2000 approximately 90% of Assistant Priests were college graduates, 46% held master’s degrees and 11% held doctoral degrees.

High School $42,832

Associate 45,707

Bachelor 46,433

Masters 57,353

Doctorate 60,807

Description of duties for Assistant Priest
• Performance of daily pujas
• Greeting visitors.
• Maintaining and cleaning of altars.
• Murti-shringar
• Decorating for special festivals.
• Maintanence of altar supplies and altar storage facilities
• Opening and closing Mandir.
• Hospital visitation
• Outside pujas, including weddings and funerals, etc.
• Counseling, including bereavement and marriage (if qualified)
• Assisting in teaching classes
• On call in emergencies.

Book keeper/Secretary

Salary
The national 2000 average for compensation paid to full-time bookkeepers was $27,992. Most part-time bookkeepers worked about 19-29 hours per week and earned an average of $10.52 to 12.09 per hour. With the example Riverside 10.6% cost of living increase that would make the salary $30,959.

Full-time secretaries earned $21,965. Most part-time secretaries worked over 30 hours per week and earned an average of $8.15 to 12.22 per hour. With the example Riverside 10.6% cost of living increase that would make the salary $24,293.

A secretary should be knowledgeable in all necessary computer skills including word processing, accounting, database and simple page layout applications.

Description of Secretarial duties
• Entering financial data
• Answering the telephone
• Organizing the office
• Filing
• Purchasing of office and custodial supplies
• Organizing fund-raising mailers and other promotionals
• Preparing minutes to meetings
• Mailing/faxing announcements for meetings
• Assisting senior priest in various management duties such as correspondence, insurance, real estate and legal issues
• Paying routine bills
• Preparing thank you notes to donors
• Preparing routine flyers and advertisements
• Maintaining mailing lists.
• Printing address labels.
• Maintaining library catalog .
• Preparing sustaining membership mailer
• Public relations: notify newspapers of upcoming events and preparation of press releases, etc.

Custodians

Custodians includes cleaning staff, handyperson, and security and parking attendant. Each of these positions could be filled by separate individuals or one person. If one person filled all of these duties then the position would be full-time. If each position was fill separately then the positions should be considered part-time and compensated accordingly.

Salary
The national 2000 average for compensation paid to full-time custodians was $26,161. Most part-time custodians worked about 16 hours per week and earned an average of $8.74 to 10.79 per hour. With the example Riverside 10.6% cost of living increase that would make the salary $28,934.

Description of duties:

Cleaning

• General cleaning: bathrooms, kitchen, carpets, floors, trash, siderooms, etc.
• Deep cleaning: windows, cobwebs, kitchen.
Handyperson
• Small and medium maintenance including painting, changing locks, replacing light bulbs, plumbing drains, etc.
• Setup for festivals
• Setup and take down of tables, chairs and stage.
• Cleaning parking lot
• Care of lawns and flowerbeds, etc.

Security and parking attendant.

• Opening and closing Mandir.
• Directing traffic and parking during Mandir functions.

March 2001

 

 

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Board members and staff are the “face” of the organization. How they conduct their duties is of great importance to the long-term health of the religious organization. Poorly managed Hindu Temples not only undermine their own long-term growth, but also undermind the cause of Hindu dharma throughout the world.

Many donors demand a high level of performance. They are impatient with sloth and amateurism. They will support only those organizations that consistently produce results.

The real competitors to any mandir are not other religious institutions, but the less tangible adversaries of distrust, criticism, inertia, lack of cleanliness, and confusion.

 

Recommended Publications

*The Church and Clergy Tax Guide $17.95. A must for mandirs and priests. It contains complete and extensive information on all major tax issues that affect churches and clergy. Updated annually.

Compensation Handbook for Church Staff by Church Law & Tax Report. This handbook is a data survey from over 2,000 United States religious institutions including Christian Churches, Jewish Synagogues.

 

1. Know thy donor: You should know more about the prospect than he or she will ever know about you. This immediately puts you in a stronger position!

2. Get an appointment: You should try to make an appointment at a place that is most comfortable for the ASKERS, as well as the prospect. It always isn’t possible, but try to meet at your agency (if it is active) and let it sell itself. Others like meeting in homes or restaurants, away from busy and distracting offices. Do the best you can to find a place convenient for your prospect and comfortable for the askers.

3. Chit chat: Spend five minutes or so in casual conversation with the prospect. The discussion should focus on one of the three reasons that people give money:

• Relationship with you or the agency (the prospect is a friend or is connected with the agency in some meaningful way)

• Mutual interest (your agency focuses on areas of personal interest to the prospect)

• Prospect’s needs (the prospect is interested in visibility or something special that you can provide)

4. Present your case: Soup to nuts. All ten minutes of it. Start with the focus on the problem your clients face, how many are affected by it, the solution you have in mind, the difference it will make for them, why you are unique to do it, the total cost of the program, and then…

5. Ask for a specific amount of money: Say the words “I would like you to consider a gift of $5,000 dollars (or whatever amount you are requesting).”

Immediately stop talking after asking for the amount.

Basic Fundraising 101 – the first one to talk after the ask LOSES!

We often run over our own words and give the prospect every opportunity to back out of the gift…”we’d like you to consider a gift of $5,000 and I’m sorry it’s so much money and you’ve been so busy and I know this is a shock, etc., etc.” Gone gift.

Stare with a smile. Think of old songs. Plan your shopping list. Write a new computer program in your mind. Do anything but talk.

It will seem like forever. Their eyes may get big. Color may drain from their faces. Discipline. Discipline. Giving the responsibility to the prospect to respond forces them to say SOMETHING (they almost never say just “no.”). It gives you a chance to listen to what they have to say and respond. Be ready. Be quick.

6. Respond: Here are various things you might say to the following prospect responses:

• “Oh, I can’t give that much right now.” Key words, “right now” – would they consider a pledge over a few years… don’t give up the gift easily. If they cannot do the pledge, then ask them what they would like to consider. Don’t go around more than twice. This is not an auction.

• “Let me have a pledge card and I’ll take it home and talk to my family about it.” No way! We don’t have pledge cards. That card will end up in the garbage with your direct mail letter. Of course many people have to discuss gifts with their families. Ask if you can meet with them on a specific day the following week or so.

• “I already give to the United Way or Brotherhood Crusade (or some other umbrella agency).” If you are a United Way or Brotherhood Crusade agency, this is a very common response. Thank them for their generosity and explain how this particular project is not funded by United Way or the Brotherhood and how their gift can make a difference. BRING THEM BACK to your clients.

• “I am very interested in whales and the environment and many other issues.” Empathize. That’s great! Very few people give to only one thing. Most prospects are very generous. BRING THEM BACK to your clients by explaining how their gift will make a tremendous difference!

• If they say “Yes,” restate what they have agreed to do. Guinness Book of Most Embarrassing Moments should include solicitors who have asked for and received pledges and had to call the prospect back because they forgot what he or she agreed to do…

Brainstorm more responses with the group. Talk about the answers. Have people share their experiences.

If donors say “no” -more than likely they will tell you why, which could include any number of things:
• lack of attachment to the agency
• bad timing
• prospect information was wrong
• interest isn’t very strong for the issue

Make a special note of their reason and make a plan to fix it if you can for the future!

7. Send a thank you note: Regardless of the outcome, send a personal thank you note within 24 hours of the meeting. A more formal note can be sent later from the agency. Don’t worry, few people wake up in the morning hoping that no one will thank them. You can’t thank prospects enough.

8. Follow up: Find ways to involve prospects and donors. Be sure they are on your mailing list. Invite them to agency events. Keep them informed and help them to create some ownership in your agency.

Information taken from How to Ask for Money without Fainting by Susan M. Scribner and The Grantmanship Center Magazine issue #29 “Getting Major Gifts” and “The Future of Relationship Fundraising”.

 

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3 reasons that people give money:

1. Relationship with you or the agency (the prospect is a friend or is connected with the agency in some meaningful way)

2. Mutual interest (your agency focuses on areas of personal interest to the prospect)

3. Prospect’s needs (the prospect is interested in visibility or something special that you can provide)

 

Recommended Resources

Grassroots Fundraising has many excellent books about fundraising and publishes The Grassroots Fundraising Journal.
www.grassrootsfundraising.org

The Grantsmanship Centerin Los Angleles is an excellent resource for information and training on Management, Proposal Writing/Grantseeking, Foundation/Corporate Funding, Government Funding, Fundraising, Nonprofit Business Ventures, Internet Issues, Consulting, Nonprofit Law, and International Funding. They offer a free magazine subscription to staff members of nonprofit organizations and you may access articles from recent issues. www.tgci.com