THE TIMELESS ART OF THE TELETHON - Blackbaud · 2016-08-30 · telethon can’t take place if your...

THE TIMELESS ART OF THE TELETHON:

Executing a Successful School Telephone Campaign

By Dan Keyworth

In this ebook, you will learn:

Develop your telethon resources—from software to staff—and use them wisely

Plan and prepare your staff of callers and record keepers

Manage the data and donations your school garners from the telethon

Communicate with telethon contacts and school supporters for maximum engagement and impact

Sounds interesting, right ?

THE TIMELESS ART OF THE TELETHON

3©2016 | BLACKBAUD, INC. | BLACKBAUD.CO.UK/NOTFORPROFIT/SCHOOLS

• TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .............................................................................4

Chapter One: Telethons in the Digital Age ...................................5

Chapter Two: Resource and External Support Considerations ........8

Chapter Three: Preparing for Your School’s Telethon ..................11

Chapter Four: Training Your Telethon Team ................................17

Chapter Five: Turning Contact Calls into Impactful Outreach .......21

Chapter Six: Pledge Fulfilment and Data Enrichment ..................26

Conclusion ............................................................................29

Editor’s Note..........................................................................31

About the Author ....................................................................31

About Blackbaud ....................................................................31

This eBook is for informational purposes only. Blackbaud makes no warranties, expressed or implied, in this summary. The information contained within

represents the current views of the authors on the topics discussed as of the date of this publication; it is the intellectual property of Blackbaud, Inc. and may

not be reproduced without permission. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc. The names of

companies or products not owned by Blackbaud may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Edited by Ginny Perkins. Cover art and book design by Jamie Rusenko.

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4


INTRODUCTIONIn today’s digitally connected world, you might be asking if telethons can still benefit schools, and if they can, whether the benefit really outweighs the cost? We aim to address that question in this eBook, and we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the answers. Not only do telethons still overwhelmingly benefit schools when executed properly, but they offer multiple benefits, not all of them monetary.

Telethons bring your school community together, connecting pupils, alumni, administration and so many other supporters. Telethons provide your governing body with the enriched data it needs to engage on a higher level with donors and prospects. Telethons give you a window into potential concerns, opportunities for improvement, and long-term strategies that your school’s administrators should be considering for sustainability.

But all of these benefits depend on you hosting a well-run event. And a well-run telethon can’t take place if your team is not prepared. You must take into account the legal, software, staff, training and follow-up factors that drive the most streamlined, successful telethons.

That’s why we put together this guide: a thorough introduction that walks you through a well-executed school telethon from start to finish. But you will undoubtedly still have questions, particularly if your school is hosting its first-ever telethon. The good news is that our team at Blackbaud is always here to answer questions and can guide you every step of the way. Take a look at this eBook, and visit blackbaud.co.uk/notforprofit/schools or contact us at [email protected] for more information.

©2016 | BLACKBAUD, INC. | BLACKBAUD.CO.UK/NOTFORPROFIT/SCHOOLS








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CHAPTER 1: TELETHONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE










Telephone fundraising works. If organised smartly, telethons may become your institution’s main unrestricted or

broad-purpose source of recurring philanthropic income. They are one of the most effective tools for raising donor

participation levels—especially of regular gifts—and an invaluable way of building relationships and gathering

prospect information for the future. Telethons also have a surprisingly inexpensive cost-to-benefit ratio.

Central to every successful telethon are the callers—the students or recent alumni who embody the raison

d’être of your school. It is precisely because they are not professional fundraisers, nor tele-salespersons, that

they deliver formidable results. Giving occurs when benefactor and beneficiary are connected personally. Callers

have shared interests, experiences and passions with the former pupils they are calling. When phoning parents,

family members or other friends of the school, callers speak with familiar voices. Students are inspiring and, quite

understandably, succeed in gaining trust and confidence. They also bring the need for financial support to life,

making it direct and real.

Central to every successful telethon are the callers—the students or recent alumni who embody the raison d’être of your school. It is precisely because they are not professional fundraisers, nor tele-salespersons, that they deliver formidable results.

Nearly every call should deliver a positive result, whether financial or otherwise. In a well-run telethon, 30-75%

of those reached may make a gift, with many factors accounting for the large variation. In comparison, a carefully

written appeal letter may reasonably produce a response from 0.5-10% of your constituency, with smaller average

gifts. Good telethon calls allow for much more flexible, personalised giving conversations: they can inspire non-

donors to make their first-ever gifts or persuade them to donate in the future, and they can motivate existing

contributors to give more. In particular, past donors of modest single gifts are much more likely to become regular

supporters this way, and many alumni respond well to the notion of joining (or leading) their peers in giving.

Telethons also deliver positive non-financial results. They help engender community among alumni, parents

and the student body, and provide a platform for stewarding existing supporters and bringing distant alumni

closer to the school. By uniting former pupils with their successors, you can effectively engage your constituency

and demonstrate the benefits of a global network with each generation supporting the next. Equally, telethons

may inspire shared passions for the school’s future, such as providing transformational learning or access to

better facilities.










Unlike a mailing campaign, telethons present the opportunity for dialogue, where the caller can discuss the case for support, answer any queries, and learn if and why the contact may have concerns before personally responding.

Telethons should not induce guilt. They should succeed by making it as easy and compelling as possible for each

contact to donate. Unlike a mailing campaign, telethons present the opportunity for dialogue, where the caller can

discuss the case for support, answer any queries, and learn if and why the contact may have concerns before

personally responding.

A key result of any telethon is the new information that it acquires. Calls help your school:

• Improve understanding of contacts’ relationships with the school

• Identify new prospects

• Update details and communication preferences in databases

• Encourage event attendance

• Elicit career support and mentoring

• Identify interest in your legacy programme

• Collect consents

• Feel empowered with insight into passions and interests of future major donors and highlight factors

to address to fully harness their support










CHAPTER 2: RESOURCE AND EXTERNAL SUPPORT CONSIDERATIONS










Many schools decide to hire external consultants to assist in running telethons. A good consultant provides

a safety net, guaranteeing previous experience and some promise of success—the absence of which might

otherwise deter getting started. To succeed, any telethon must be tightly managed and professionally organised,

whilst ensuring that the conversations remain relaxed and engaging for the caller and the recipient. Established

consultants know how to train enthusiastic and motivated callers. They also have experience managing the

processing and transfer of data between systems, which should deliver more effective calling, better supervision

and faster fulfilment. Many consultants provide vital extra manpower and specific technology to aid telethon data

management: both may alleviate the risk of an over-stretched development office.

Good consultants can, however, cost upwards of £10,000, depending on the extent of their involvement and their

reputation. Many development offices will budget for this as a worthwhile recurring investment, but some—often

larger and/or more experienced offices—may be confident that they can achieve similar results in-house. As

a middle option, some schools elect to have just the telethon software component provided externally. Each

institution is different: Determine the right balance of external support and internal investment required to deliver

success at your school.

Each institution is different: Determine the right balance of external support and internal investment required to deliver success at your school.

Consultants vary in quality and experience, and even established consulting companies deliver different results

depending on the experience of the staff deployed. The single best method of quality control you can use is to ask

your consultant for contacts at the last three or four telethons they ran. Make sure the consultant does not cherry-

pick favourite clients. Ring your counterparts and ask for honest feedback. Asking the right questions of others

who have been through the telethon process will help you to understand how much work needs to stay in your

control and how much can be devolved to consultants.

Aside from any financial savings, your own involvement in the telethon will enable you to more readily manage

donor relationships and results; you can pair key prospects with particular pupils or balance the potential trade-off

between maximum income and donor numbers. You know your school’s alumni. You know the institution’s case

for support. You understand what makes the school unique. That is why your input will be pivotal to unlocking the

full enthusiasm and passion of your callers. Therefore, whether or not you use consultants, it is worth allocating a

considerable amount of your development team’s time to telethon preparation and implementation. At minimum,

this process should include briefing consultants and overseeing their output and meeting with students before,

during and after the campaign.










Telethons require meticulous data management and can create a large amount of paperwork. You will need to

consider how best to manage this during the campaign. The technological investment required to run a paper-

free telethon without third-party assistance may be beyond the capability of many offices. The right software and

hardware can help your telethon run smoothly and efficiently, whilst also providing more real-time insight into

areas of progress, risk and opportunity.

The right software and hardware can help your telethon run smoothly and efficiently, whilst also providing more real-time insight into areas of progress, risk and opportunity.

Regardless of the method used—and whether the information you capture is recorded using software or

handwritten on paper forms—each piece of data requires careful checking before migrating it into your primary

CRM or contact database. Train a colleague to validate data from caller notes. This will ensure that formatting

consistency is used and will add an opportunity for quality checks. Also, take into account how calling software

might enhance callers’ conversations (by making it easier to see relevant information or giving pointers on what to

say next), whilst conversely safeguarding that it does not lead to overly scripted calls. Regardless of approach, it is

important to focus on students’ primary intentions: to have excellent conversations, share institutional experiences

and make the best asks possible.

Crucially, the questions of whether to use software and consultants are a matter of determining if your school

has sufficient resources, manpower and requisite experience to internally manage all aspects of a successful

telethon. Quite commonly, a school development team may hire a consultant to oversee its telethon for the first

year or two and retain a multi-year subscription to the consultant’s telethon software for its own telethon delivery

in subsequent years.

Whatever options you select, remember that a successful telethon will generate a substantial demand on your

team. You will ultimately be responsible for the cleanliness and utility of the data you gather and for making your

institution’s high-quality case for support. Only you can answer certain questions raised by contacts that require

special replies. And only you have accountability for your gift processing systems. Do not hire consultants thinking

that they will remove your administration altogether. Instead, hire a consultant that will provide you with excellent

training, calling support and software—a consultant that will share from experience what works best and help you

meet timelines and deadlines.










CHAPTER 3: PREPARING FOR YOUR SCHOOL’S TELETHON










At the outset, determine your telethon goals. Once your institution has decided to run a telethon and you have a

timetable, it is imperative to prepare thoroughly. Sensible planning will ensure that benefits are maximised and

expectations are clear. Your success requires the full backing of your school, so bring everyone on board early in

the planning process. It is important to iterate the fact that telephone fundraising may take some time to become

established in the minds of your supporters, but patience will be rewarded in the long term.

Your success requires the full backing of your school, so bring everyone on board early in the planning process.

To run a successful telethon, you will need sufficient administrative support and the right physical facilities,

including room space, internet access, phone lines/VOIP, computers/laptops etc. These requirements will also

affect the scope of the telethon, which includes:

• How long the telethon will run (typically 1-3 weeks)

• How many callers you will have (typically 5-15)

• Who those callers will be (typically current pupils or recent graduates, depending on your school’s

age profile and availability of student time)

• How many supporters you will attempt to contact (typically 500-2,500)

• The timing of your calling sessions (typically weekday evenings and weekend afternoons or evenings,

aside from any international calling sessions)

A thorough, strategic case for support will make your task of persuading individuals (the governing body,

teachers, students, parents and alumni) to donate much easier. Developing the most persuasive case takes time

and consideration. You can help to satisfy the entire school community by ensuring that the appeal covers a

reasonable range of areas; however, unrestricted support should always be an option (happily, many supporters

will choose this, allowing your institution to direct funds to the areas of greatest need). Where restricted funds are

preferred for a specific objective, know that the objectives with short timeframes, manageable financial targets

and visible impacts will typically be the ones that receive the most support.

Make it as easy as possible for contacts to give to your school. Minimise the time and resources needed to chase

pledge fulfilment, keeping unfulfilled pledge numbers low at campaign end. Sound investments can be made in

the time leading up to your first telethon. Set up the capacity to process credit and debit card donations, either by

obtaining a merchant service directly from a bank (enabling you to enter payments electronically via the Internet

or a PDQ machine) or by registering with a third-party online provider, such as Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

In both cases, a minimal fee will allow you to take single gifts immediately over the phone, without relying on










pledgers to return cheques at a later date. You may even be able to process credit or debit card donations directly

through your database, including recurring gifts from overseas donors without UK bank accounts. Ensure that any

payment solutions are certified compliant with The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

You may be able to process credit or debit card donations directly through your database, including recurring gifts from overseas donors without UK bank accounts.

Just as important is your office’s ability to accept Paperless Direct Debits (PDD). These enable you to sign

up customers for direct debit collections online, in person or over the telephone. The process of setting up

functionality to collect PDDs can take several months—particularly if you do not already run direct debits—but

once authorised, you will be able to accept regular gift instructions. This will remove the need to send standing-

order gift forms in the post to pledgers (some of whom may not respond). To receive Originator status, Automated

Direct Debit Instruction Service (AUDDIS) authorisation and PDD authorisation require that you have a sponsor. If

you have BACS to administer your school’s transactions, then your bank may sponsor you to run PDDs through the

same software. You will also need to confirm wording of your call script, provide advance notice of confirmation

letters and giving forms and demonstrate that your database is capable of producing the required electronic files

to process direct debits in this manner. An alternative to BACS, favoured by some schools, is to appoint CAF or

another external provider to set up, process and manage PDDs on your behalf.

Now it’s time to ensure that your CRM database is in excellent condition. That means you have accurate contact

details and the ability to effectively segment data. Ideally, you should be able to segment contacts into groups

according to age/year-group, employment, giving history or interests. Data cleansing can be time-consuming

for many schools, but there are external data enrichment services available which can advance this process. Of

course, each telethon will also help you invaluably in gathering richer data.

Having updated and cleaned your database, the next step is to select your contacts for calling. Be sure to

include a good proportion of your top prospects and previous donors to give your first telethon the best chance

of success. At the same time, try to avoid a temptation to call all of your best contacts on round one if you are

planning to run further telethons in the near future. Whilst the desire to do so is understandable, it is important

to retain good prospects for successive telethons so that they also have a great chance of success. If possible,

aim to contact a relatively consistent mix of donors and non-donors between years so that you are cultivating

new relationships with some previously unengaged contacts, and also reach out to contacts with a similar mix of

different professions. The benefit of year-on-year consistency also aids reporting post-telethon so that accurate

comparisons can be made between each campaign year to determine the techniques that have worked best.










This assumes from the outset that you will run telethons repeatedly (ideally, annually). Most institutions find that

they grow dependent on them quickly! If managed correctly, a school can expect participation levels to increase

over successive telethons, as the community gets used to the culture of telethon giving and new contacts are

persuaded to contribute.

It is similarly important to know whom to exclude from calling. It is not permissible under Privacy and Electronic

Communications Regulations (PECR) law for a school to make marketing telephone calls to numbers registered

with the UK Telephone Preference Scheme (TPS)—a UK-wide do-not-call register—without explicit opt-in consent

from an individual for the specific method and purpose for which you wish to contact them. The presence of an

existing relationship is not sufficient to override this; nor is it permitted to call individuals on the TPS to obtain their

consent to phone them in future, as this would still be defined as a marketing call.

You must screen everyone you intend to call in your telethon against the TPS. Submit mobile numbers for screening

as well as landlines, and any phone numbers that match the TPS should be removed from the calling pool. Do not

delete these numbers from your CRM database—just make sure they are clearly flagged as TPS registered. If

someone’s landline is registered, but their mobile is not—or vice versa—then you can keep the constituent in the

calling pool but must only call their unmatched number. Screening should be renewed prior to each new telephone

fundraising campaign (unless the next telethon takes place within 28 days of your previous campaign).

If managed correctly, a school can expect participation levels to increase over successive telethons, as the community gets used to the culture of telethon giving and new contacts are persuaded to contribute.

If it is not your first telethon, then those who responded with an objection to being called previously should also

ordinarily be excluded—and certainly if they have expressed a communication preference from a Data Protection

Act standpoint. Be sensitive to any relevant health or wellbeing concerns, too. If including your most recent leavers

(many of whom may be at university), then place them in a special segment with a low and carefully-constructed

ask. Consider omitting those who already respond generously to mailings and are elsewhere engaged, if a phone

call may not be especially beneficial to your school. It is often advisable to remove those over 75 years old and

those who live in areas where the time zone makes calling difficult and/or where there are no tax advantages to

giving, except of course those who have requested a call.

These restrictions aside, do not make the oft-repeated mistake of removing your biggest prospects and donors

from the calling list on the premise of contacting them personally, unless you absolutely will do so. Numerous big










prospects are left untouched, year after year, because development offices set them aside for bigger things, but

never get around to asking. This segment will likely provide your largest gifts during the telethon and some of the

most enjoyable calls for students—so include them!

Ideally, pre-determine ask amounts for each contact. Be bold, and err to the top-end estimate. One of the strengths of

a telephone call is the ability to discuss any reservations, and for that reason, the initial ask amount should be aspiring.

Teachers may willingly give £25 per month and investment bankers £1,000 or more per year, but if your callers start with

lower asks and the contact says yes right away, the callers cannot easily switch to a higher ask. Unless a contact works

in a profession with irregular income, your initial ask should nearly always be for a regular gift. Most people are paid

monthly and can afford to give more over time than they can in a single lump-sum. That said, some people—especially

those with high incomes or who receive big annual bonuses—may prefer to make single gifts, so callers should

stay flexible.

Numerous big prospects are left untouched, year after year, because development offices set them aside for bigger things, but never get around to asking.

When determining ask amounts, in addition to obvious employment indicators, try to consider each contact’s wider

picture. You are looking for their desire to give and their ability to give. Your ask should reflect both determinants.

Take into account your contact’s age, job, career path, residence location, family status, estimated (joint) income

and outgoings. Determining desire is more difficult. Look at previous giving history, attachment to specific appeals,

previous responses, wider philanthropic interests and whether they have made many visits back to the school.

Since your callers will be at the heart of your success, it is important to select the right people. Outstanding callers have

been known to raise as much as £30,000+ over a two-week period, whilst some have raised below £500 during the

same time. It is an unpredictable business, and there is no such thing as a correct caller type. What typically works well

is to have a balance of outgoing, bubbly personalities and quiet, reserved, sensitive listeners. After all, no two contacts

are the same and different people prefer different types of conversation. Your principal aim in caller interviews should

be to find individuals who are engaged and open to learning new skills and approaches in fundraising.

It is important to seek callers who have a degree of confidence (but not arrogance) and the intelligence, ability and

willingness to persevere politely with a case, rather than concede at the first objection. Enthusiasm is a positive

quality and a deep belief in the cause—such as often occurs with bursary or scholarship recipients—is a bonus,

as a persuaded caller will be a persuasive ambassador. That said, do not worry unduly over your choices, as a

great deal can be achieved during training Be prepared to pay your callers generously. What they are doing is

demanding work, and returns will far outweigh the costs. You are also likely to get better applications if your pay










scale is competitive!

The final task is preparing the two types of post or email communications (each with variations) that contacts should

typically receive as part of a telethon. The first is the notification sent shortly before the telethon to inform contacts

that they can expect to receive a call from the school sharing news and inviting their support. These communications

should be written in a positive, enthusiastic style that emphasises the importance of the appeal and creates a

sense of anticipation about an enjoyable conversation with a current pupil. They should also be tailored to take

account of whether the contact is already a major, regular or past supporter and include thanks for previous gifts

if relevant. Further segmentation may be desirable based on age/year-group, interests and more. It is helpful if

the correspondence can be hand-signed by or emailed from a leader—often the head of school, but sometimes a

popular teacher or school figure is a good stand-in. This emphasises the personal nature of the appeal.

This pre-telethon notification can be a letter, email or postcard. When it comes to this outreach, think innovatively!

Many schools enclose or link a brochure, video or microsite explaining the need and objectives in more detail, as well

as a return card or online form which contacts can complete if they do not wish to receive a call. Alternatively, provide

a specific email address. As many as 5-25% may decline a call, but the advantage to this communication is that it

emphasises that you are not cold-calling and may also help avoid a few, otherwise difficult contacts. If prompted to

do so, some contacts may also enclose a gift with their response, which gets your telethon total off to a good start.

Please note, however, that European PECR laws forbid the sending of email communications to any individual

without their explicit opt-in consent for the specific method and purpose for which you wish to contact them. As

with telephone calls, the presence of an existing relationship is not sufficient to override this; nor is it permitted to

email individuals to obtain their consent to email them in the future, as this would still be defined as a marketing

communication. Therefore only include in any email segments those individuals for whom you have explicit

consent to send electronic fundraising, alumni relations or other marketing messages.

The second set of communications are those to be sent to each contact immediately after their telephone call

takes place, following up on what was agreed. Segment these according to the response, tailoring them based

on whether the result was a paperless direct debit, donation by credit or debit card, pledged regular giff, pledged

cheque, unspecified maybe, soft no, hard no or could not reach. It is well worth accompanying any letter directly

from the school with a personal thank-you card that the caller handwrites after completing each call. Some

institutions have produced really inspiring follow-ups, coupling an iconic image from the school with students’

prompt, tailored thank-yous—resulting in higher response rates, including responses from those who originally

declined. To make the card-writing process as efficient as possible, prepare some content examples in advance.

Unless they have already made their gift and only need to be thanked, it is usually preferable to enclose a donation

form with every follow-up package. Together, the form and follow-up communication should encourage people

who agreed over the telephone to fulfil pledges, people who were unsure or declined to reconsider and people

who did not answer to contribute. Drafting these templates in advance should enable you to respond promptly after

each call. Again, solid preparation is integral to the telethon, because time will be scarce once calling begins.










CHAPTER 4: TRAINING YOUR TELETHON TEAM










Training takes one or two days and will be the most important part of the process. There is a great deal of ground

to cover, and it will require an attentive group of callers. It also requires informed and well-versed trainers (possibly

external consultants) who are aware of all the required skills and can articulate these effectively to the callers,

creating excitement about the campaign.

Perhaps the first task in training is to address the taboo—to shake out any misconception that your telethon is

doing unwanted cold-calls or telesales and to inspire belief and confidence in the callers. Explain why calling works.

Win over the callers. If callers believe they can be successful and have an enjoyable time in the process, then they

probably will. Inevitably some contacts will find phone calls intrusive, but if callers clearly understand this channel is

for improving engagement and raising funds, then such a sentiment will come across much better in their calls.

Win over the callers. If callers believe they can be successful and have an enjoyable time in the process, then they probably will.

Early on, discuss your case for support. Callers need to be fully aware of the wider picture, and they should fully

understand the need to fundraise for the school. They may recognise the need to raise money for student support

or sports, music and drama activities but be less aware of other goals, such as protecting teaching investments or

supporting future building projects.

It is important that callers understand the telethon’s broad aims. Emphasising the importance of pledges, at any

level, should help to minimise the occurrence of callers missing out on impactful gifts by conceding too readily

at the first potential concern or objection they hear. Similarly, minimise the likelihood of calls concluding with

a “maybe” or unspecified response by getting callers to focus on persuading each contact to pledge an exact or

minimum gift amount. Clearly specified commitments are more likely to be fulfiled. Make sure they understand

why regular gifts are so helpful—they provide long-term support and enable the school to plan ahead effectively

across several years.

By setting clear goals for callers, they will better persevere with their negotiation. Ensure that callers are aware of

the difference between a soft and hard no, and between an unspecified response and a “maybe,” so that they fully

appreciate the importance of accurate record-keeping to meet their goals.

Next, training should move to the stages of a good call. There is no such thing as a perfect script—conversations

should be personal to each contact—but some key phrases provided by the development office or consultant

might stand the callers in good stead, particularly when it comes to opening their conversations and delivering

initial asks. Take callers carefully through the stages of a successful telethon call:










Greet

Begin with a greeting and the reasons for the call—inviting support for the institution, updating the contact about

the school, and finding out the contact’s own latest news.

Engage

Develop a rapport, keeping in mind that intelligent listening not only forms a bond between caller and contact, but

also leads to more insight and better decision-making amongst school leadership.

Ask

Move into a discussion that builds a quality case for support, and make a clear, defined ask so that there is little

room for ambiguity on the part of the contact or the caller.

Discuss

Negotiate in a friendly, personable way—when appropriate. Listening skills also become critical here. Understanding

a contact’s hopes and concerns for the school, trepidations and giving threshold will help you in the giving conversation.

Thank You

You is the key word in this stage. Close with a genuine thank-you that focuses on inclusiveness. Remind the

contact that they are part of a community focused on doing good, and point out the possibilities that will arise as a

result of their donating.

Plenty of time should be reserved for developing and honing callers’ handling of each separate stage. When

covering rapport, identify possible conversation topics and discuss useful open questions. The callers’ aim is to

bring the school to life, highlighting real needs of the individuals and community that it supports. If callers can

bring colour to an alumnus’ sepia-toned image of their alma mater, then the later stages of the call will be easier.

Likewise, parents can be reminded of how vibrant and special their children’s school is. It may be handy for each

caller to identify a stock of inspiring anecdotes or topics to draw upon during the rapport stage of the call. Ensure

callers know the listening component of the call is as significant as their messaging. By listening carefully, callers

should be able to match your school’s case for support to the contact’s interests, making the ask a very natural

occurrence that flows from the rapport they’ve built.

Callers’ success is best defined by how they handle contacts that initially decline to give—helping those contacts to realise that almost everyone can give something.










Callers’ success is best defined by how they handle contacts that initially decline to give—helping those contacts

to realise that almost everyone can give something. Once callers understand this, the key focus becomes inspiring

and persuading alumni and parents of the many benefits of giving. Training should bring out the importance

of listening to and understanding why a contact might say no and addressing their concerns thoughtfully and

confidently. The best fundraisers are those who can successfully find the highest level at which the individual is

comfortable giving. Each contact should ideally be asked three times—typically at decreasing levels. If the first ask

is £20 monthly, then the second ask may be £10 monthly, with the final ask coming in at £5 monthly—or a one-

time £10-50 donation if possible. All of these asks should be made without being rude or forceful. Callers should

not, unless prompted by the contact, ask more than three times within a call.

The primary purpose of practice conversations should be to inspire confidence and fluency in pupils, so it is important to encourage them and highlight areas for improvement.

In the closure stage of the call, train callers to repeat everything clearly so that there is no doubt as to what has

been agreed. This includes confirming the amount and details of a donation if one is pledged, which include:

• The contact’s preferred designation

• Whether Gift Aid can be applied (ensuring that this is asked every time has a big impact on the total)

• If the contact’s name can be listed as a donor

• Any payment details

Thoroughness here avoids later complications. The end of the call is also another opportunity to offer multiple

thank-yous, check contacts’ email addresses, find out if they have further questions or requests and wrap up

loose ends.

Conclude training by incorporating as much practice as possible. This is your chance to see how each caller copes

under pressure, with supervisors or other callers watching them take on a typical call. Another caller or a trainer

can play the role of the contact. The primary purpose of practice conversations should be to inspire confidence

and fluency in pupils, so it is important to encourage them and highlight areas for improvement. Two or more

hours of practice can be the difference between successful and unsuccessful telethon callers. The more practice a

caller has, the better prepared they will be for the real thing. Include software data entry and/or manual form-filling

in the practice for the same reasons.










CHAPTER 5: TURNING CONTACT CALLS INTO

IMPACTFUL OUTREACH










If preparation and training have been rigorous, then the calling period itself, whilst busy, should be very enjoyable.

Your role within the telethon will be to:

• Supervise callers

• Ensure that gifts are processed appropriately and securely

• Focus on the donor experience and ensure that contacts—and the pupils—are really enjoying their calls

• Administer data entry into your CRM database

• Ensure that any problems are quickly resolved

• Continue motivating and training callers, ensuring that they are enthusiastic and focused

throughout each call session

Assign a number of contacts to each caller. Every contact should have his or her own software-based record

or printed record sheet, which lists all details that may be of assistance to the caller. This includes biographical,

affluence and giving information. Match callers to contacts according to shared passions, interests and

experiences. This might include hobbies, sports, clubs, activities, subjects studied, their house within the school,

teachers, background and demographics, and intended study or career paths.

Match callers to contacts according to shared passions, interests and experiences.

Get callers on the phone as quickly as possible each evening. They will probably be nervous until the first call, so it

is better to encourage them to do this almost straightaway. Callers should carefully but quickly study their contacts’

records before making each call and consider what they might say and ask. For example, they should check the

time in the country to which they’re calling, common or contrasting touch-points for discussion and whether the

contact is a past donor.

There is a delicate balance that needs to be struck between having a fulfiling, well-paced conversation, raising

as much money as possible and ensuring that you do not keep the contact on the telephone for an unnecessarily

long time. There is no magic number here, but typically a call of 15-30 minutes is sufficient, unless the contact

indicates that they would prefer a shorter or longer conversation. Similarly, there is a fine balance between keeping

up the pace between calls, ensuring that administration is completed correctly and guaranteeing that adequate

(but not excessive) preparation is made for each call. A standard rule of thumb is to allow 5-10 minutes between

completed calls. Spend time individually with each caller to ascertain whether they are managing time well.










After completing a conversation, a caller should immediately note as many relevant details as possible about

what was discussed and agreed upon. Information is power! Good note-taking helps not only for writing more

personalised follow-ups to each contact (which in turn aids fulfilment), but also makes the job of calling them

easier and more enjoyable for future callers. It is sensible to have a carefully designed form or software process

for taking notes which callers can fill in quickly and accurately after each call.

It is important to check each student’s progress regularly. Your calling software or CRM database should allow you

to pull up reports on success levels with indicators such as average gifts, participation rates and calls completed.

Initially, try to assign callers to contacts that have low-to-medium ask amounts in order to inspire confidence in

callers without challenging them with too much too soon. Assign contacts with bigger ask amounts to specific

callers as soon as you are confident that they can handle them. Do not let this process take place too many days

into the telethon. Potential larger donors will often be the most difficult to get hold of and may require numerous

attempts before being successfully reached.

Identifying your best callers early on is key. It will enable you to match them with the wealthiest or most

challenging call recipients, ensuring that other callers who are struggling to get good results do not take on your

most important prospects.

Nonetheless, do not show a lack of confidence in your weaker callers. Team spirit is very important. Ideally,

every caller should come away not only having enjoyed the telethon experience but also feeling that they were

successful and worthwhile in the process. Some of your callers may only be 16 or 17, and you have a duty to care

for pupils first and foremost. It may be the case that some of your students are better at making affinity1 or thank-

you calls or at encouraging support from contacts with low giving potential. Alternatively, some student supporters

may be able to assist in other ways, such as with data-checking, administering the call room, or writing thank-you

cards. Celebrate their successes as loudly as you celebrate those who deliver big gifts from major prospects.

Bear in mind that less successful callers can improve—sometimes significantly—with the right support. Try to

spot problems as soon as possible, because it may become increasingly difficult to change a caller’s style or

remove bad habits over time. Common caller problems can include:

• Inadequate rapport-building

• Using the wrong tone of voice

• Lack of confidence in the ask

• Not being courteously persistent in the negotiation stage

• Lack of understanding the school’s case for support leading to inadequate explanations

1 Affinity calls are non-fundraising telephone calls which focus on building engagement— for example with recently reconnected alumni—and exclude any direct ask.










One of the best ways to reduce “no” responses is to work on callers’ cases for participation. It is extremely helpful

to have many donors making a gift—however modest—because higher participation levels encourage others to

contribute, including major donors and the contact’s own peers.

It is extremely helpful to have many donors making a gift—however modest—because higher participation levels encourage others to contribute, including major donors and the contact’s own peers.

Simultaneously, if a caller is receiving few commitments for regular gifts, then the caller may be switching to a

participation gift ask (e.g., a one-time £10-20 gift) too quickly. Extra training can involve addressing the first “no”

by identifying and responding to the specific objection(s) and then, making the ask again at half or quarter the

original amount if possible. It can be as simple as sitting a caller-in-training next to a skilled caller and asking them

to listen in on the next call. Reinforce the point that a £10 monthly donation is worth the equivalent of sixty £10

single gifts over a five-year period, and that—with the right case for support—most alumni can willingly commit

to a £10 per month investment.

Always include a proportion of thank-you calls in your telethon. Stewardship is a fundamentally important part of

any successful regular giving programme, and there are few better ways to show appreciation for your existing

regular donors than to have a pupil thank them personally over the phone. These calls do not include any ask, so

they are great for a caller who is lacking confidence about the negotiation. They can focus on having excellent

conversations and building up rapport skills, whilst hearing reinforcing examples of alumni happily giving at the

same levels as those they are calling for during the telethon. The return on investment from these calls will also

come through higher renewal and upgrade rates in future years.

There are few better ways to show appreciation for your existing regular donors than to have a pupil thank them personally over the phone.










As the calling period progresses, ensure that callers are continually motivated. Start each session with a brief

update—use visuals and guest speakers to create excitement, humour and buzz in the calling room whilst also

ensuring that callers are up-to-date on the information they need to maximise their success. Reward them with

prizes for regular gifts, large single gifts and high participation. Spend money on food, drinks and other treats to

keep team spirit high. Chase targets. Let callers know on a daily basis what percentages they are hitting, what

causes they are helping, and what the overall running total is—this should encourage contacts as much as it

does callers! If possible, share motivating statistics and success stories on a projector screen or white board, so

everyone knows about the latest wins. Be supportive and understanding whenever a caller has a bad experience.

Make sure they know they can stop to chat with a supervisor about their experience. Sometimes it is much better

for the caller to take a break after a difficult conversation rather than move straight on to the next contact.

Refrain from overworking callers—you want them to be dedicated, but you also want them to remain fresh and

alert throughout calling. One solution is to move callers around regularly so that each week feels like a new one.

Also, bring your headteacher, alumni and parents to the calling room on several occasions to inspire callers and

report back positive stories, perhaps by reading out letters that have been sent in.

Chase targets. Let callers know on a daily basis what percentages they are hitting, what causes they are helping, and what the overall running total is—this should encourage contacts as much as it does callers!

Finally, ensure that larger ask amounts are worked through before the calling period ends. Inevitably, a number of

contacts will not be reached due to lack of time, inaccurate phone numbers or holiday conflicts—the goal should

therefore be to maximise the chances that your team attempts to contact everyone at least once and that most

have been contacted over separate days. When working out whom to call next, callers should prioritise renewals

(regular gifts about to expire), upgrades (asking for regular gifts from two to five years ago to be increased) and

wealthy contacts. Callers should de-prioritise those which have thus far resulted in multiple answer phones or

reaching other parties instead (secretaries, spouses, parents etc.).










CHAPTER 6: PLEDGE FULFILMENT AND

DATA ENRICHMENT










Using your earlier template preparation, get the process of generating letters, processing gifts and entering call

information onto your CRM database underway from day one. The first golden rule is to follow up each call with a

letter or email within 24 hours whilst the conversation is fresh in the contact’s mind. This maximises the likelihood

that a pledger will fulfil their gift and maximises the appreciation that a donor will feel in response to their thank-you.

The first golden rule is to follow up each call with a letter or email within 24 hours whilst the conversation is fresh in the contact’s mind.

The caller’s follow-up note should be tailored to include any additional information requested. Check each one

before it is posted to ensure it is personalised and engaging, especially as an alumnus may receive a similar card

in twelve months’ time during the next telethon. Any accompanying thank-you from the school should be top-and-

tailed by hand—by the most senior signatory you can muster.

The second golden rule is to enter the updated data from your calling software or paper-based system onto your

CRM database within 24 hours. This matters, as there may be incoming correspondence from the alumnus in the

days after the telethon, and you need to know the latest information when responding. Your telethon may also

coincide with a forthcoming event or mailing, and you want to ensure that any relevant updates are reflected in

each communication or interaction with your contacts.

The second golden rule is to enter the updated data from your calling software or paper-based system onto your CRM database within 24 hours.

Keeping up with this data and paper-load is important, but accuracy is foremost. Each postcard or letter must be

carefully checked, with pledged and fulfilled donors prioritised. The call notes gathered must be transferred or

entered onto the database in appropriate places, without errors or offending information, so that it is possible to

pull up required information easily. Whilst tempting to record everything in one place (e.g., a notes field) for ease,

this will not be helpful in the long run when it comes to effective reporting and segmenting. Have clear systems in

place and be consistent. Remember that data gained from your telethon is amongst the richest and most valuable

you will hold, and over time can lead to much more effective mid-level and major giving programmes. At the same










time, be aware that contacts can request to see a copy of their own personal data held on your system at any

point. UK Data Protection laws obligate you to respond, so it is essential to phrase all updates appropriately.

Produce reports during and after the telethon to analyse results (particularly fulfilment rates). Have sound daily

processes, and do not forget to flag up important issues and respond to bespoke actions quickly. Your telethon

software may be a key asset for this, especially if it has built-in financials and dashboards. These help you to learn

about successes and failures during the campaign, adapt quickly as necessary and provide comparison with past

years. You can use these analyses to demonstrate to the governing body the benefits of repeating the telethon

process. Remember to report results back to callers too. They deserve to hear about the fruits of their labour.

These successes should also help their CVs shine and encourage them to participate again in future. Of course,

also share the successes of your telethon with your alumni, parents and friends to inspire others to give.

Not everyone will fulfil their pledges quickly. Some will not fulfil them at all. Credit card gifts and Paperless Direct

Debits help keep these to a minimum by enabling supporters to donate immediately over the phone to the caller.

But for those who pledged to make their donation at a later date and then do not respond, a chase is usually

necessary. In some cases, they did not intend to give but merely felt awkward refusing over the phone. Often,

it is simply a matter of an uncompleted giving form being stuck in their in-tray or lost at the bottom of a pile

somewhere. It is well worth reminding and encouraging these contacts, through letters, emails or telephone calls.

Only in very rare instances will pledgers complain at this persistence—usually they respond rather apologetically!










CONCLUSIONTo get the most out of telethons, your institution should invest appropriately and balance short- and long-term

objectives. Remember that you are also indirectly educating your pupils and staff to become ambassadors and

donors in the future. Of course, there are no greater springboards to a successful telethon than an inspiring case

for support; active, relevant and engaging alumni and parent relations programmes; and a strong community

already in place at your school.

Think of future years, and do not just go for the quick buck. Engage appropriately, and target your constituencies

to maximise returns over several years’ worth of telethons. This means:

• Investing in longer, fulfilling conversations

• Focusing on delivering a wonderful donor experience

• Using your major prospects and donors

• Incorporating thank-you calls as well as solicitations

• Cultivating a wide pool of contacts to extend beyond the current reach and focus of the school

Do not merely plan for year one. Instead, try to set good prospects and expectations at the outset for continued

investment in year two and onwards.

Consider including metrics around relationship-building as part of each telethon so that engagement results are

stated clearly. Build metrics around the data enrichment, cleaning and prospect identification benefits of your

telethon. The metrics can answer some the following questions:

• How many future legacy opportunities arose from the telethon?

• How many new donors gave £1,000 or more for the first time?

• How many high net-worth individuals were identified?

• How many gave more this year than last year?

• What impact did calling have on event attendees in the six months to follow?

• How many new sign-ups for the email list were obtained?

• How many new volunteers were identified for the mentors’ programme?

• What new qualitative data and prospect information were captured?










Fundraising does need fine-tuning. There can be a big difference between a badly-run telethon and a well-

executed one with your own time, investment and any consultant support making a real difference. Enhance the

telethon with supporting strategies, perhaps by sending out a personal information form beforehand to gather

more up-to-date contact information and other helpful details. Make sure to ask for telephone numbers on

every event invitation RSVP and gift form too, as that grows your pool for next year. Ensure that you collect the

accompanying consents: formulate a structured plan for potential touch points where phone and email consent

may be obtained, and make your print and online statements simple, prominent, explicit and positive enough that

people will opt in. A comprehensive CRM database is perhaps your greatest tool towards these pursuits—it is

vital to preparing for, executing and following up after your telethon, and for harnessing the long-term benefits this

investment in personal contact achieves for your school.

Above all, aim high—telethons work and they work best when asks are bold and the cause and targets are

ambitious and inspiring. Motivate your callers, and build up as much team spirit as you can. Similarly, motivate

your development office and your governing body. Most of all, motivate your alumni, parents and friends. Promote

your telethon in your newsletter, magazine or email bulletins, through social media, and on your website. Report

results back through them frequently. Let donors know how their gifts are being spent and the impact that they

are collectively making. Regular giving is a culture that prospers over time. In order to bring sceptical alumni and

parents on board, continually demonstrate that the calls are as much about engagement and sharing impact as

they are about fundraising totals. Build this sense of community throughout the telethon process.

If you follow sensible guidelines, then you should expect an excellent rate of return. A typical telethon costs as

little as £10,000-£20,000 to run, much of that being caller wages, software and mailing costs. The telephone bill

itself should be relatively low. Meanwhile, donations typically reach between £50,000 and £200,000, and in some

instances, much higher. Above and beyond this, there are the priceless non-immediate benefits of data enrichment,

community engagement, prospect identification and more. With your institution’s backing and good preparation, a

well-executed telethon will pay dividends many times over.










About Blackbaud

Blackbaud is the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—non-profits, foundations, corporations,

education institutions and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organisations to increase their impact through software, services, expertise

and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and relationship management, digital

marketing, advocacy, accounting, payments, analytics, school management, grant management, corporate social responsibility, and volunteerism. Serving the industry

for more than three decades, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina and has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the

United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.

Editor’s Note

The scale of giving in response to phoning is phenomenal when compared to that achieved via mail campaigns

alone. However, the length and depth of this eBook is only an introduction to the complexity and challenges

inherent in telethon campaigns—they should be undertaken thoughtfully, and with careful planning.

About the Author

Dan Keyworth joined Blackbaud Europe in November 2014 in a role created to help schools and universities

best manage opportunities and challenges in fundraising and alumni engagement—including how to more

effectively use systems, data and technology to achieve their goals.

Dan has a significant amount of experience in running successful telethon campaigns prior to his career in

Blackbaud. Since working as a student caller in University College Oxford’s second annual telethon in 2003, he

has managed or supported more than 20 telephone fundraising campaigns whilst working collegiate-wide in

development and alumni relations across Oxford.

As part of the Executive Team within the University of Oxford’s development office, Dan oversaw their

Development and Alumni Relations System, a collegiate-wide platform built on Blackbaud CRM. He also played

a significant role in Oxford Thinking, the largest fundraising campaign in European higher education history,

including oversight of regular giving, legacies fundraising and cross-University collaboration in advancement.


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THE TIMELESS ART OF THE TELETHON - Blackbaud · 2016-08-30 · telethon can’t take place if your...

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