Launching the CoChair Model

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Launching the Co-Chair Model
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Launching the Co-Chair Model

• Educate Your Co-Chairs
• Solicitation Process
• Keys to Successful Fundraising
• Communication
• Information Management
• Motivation

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Educate Your Co-Chairs

• Roles and Responsibilities
• Mission and Programs
• The Big Picture
• The Event
• Setting Goals

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Educate Your Co-Chairs
Roles

• Clearly outline the co-chairs roles and
  determine how staff can assist in the process
• Co-Chairs Lend their name and contacts to your
  organization in order to raise critical funds for
  your programs, and to market your organization to
  a broader audience
• Staff Facilitate the process of marketing your
  organization/raising money, and make it as easy
  as possible for each co-chair

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Educate Your Co-Chairs
Responsibilities
Staff
Co-Chair

• Identify prospective donors
• Provide contact information for prospective
  donors
• Determine ask amount
• Approve letters
• Make follow up calls
• Report pledges and revenue to staff
• Attend event

• Help co-chairs brainstorm prospects
• Create and maintain prospect lists
• Help co-chairs set appropriate goals
• Draft marketing materials
• Merge and mail marketing packets
• Notify co-chair that letters have been mailed
• Send follow up materials make follow up calls
  as needed
• Record revenue
• Recognize co-chairs efforts at event
• Write thank you letters and collect outstanding
  pledges

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Educate Your Co-Chairs
Mission and Programs

• Your Co-Chairs should be familiar with your
  organization
• Who does your organization serve and what does it
  provide?
• Why is your organization compelling to others?
• Why is your organization unique?
• What will this specific contribution fund?
• A personal anecdote to share?
• Provide your co-chairs with brochures, annual
  reports, press materials, statistics, or other
  measures of outside credibility
• Sound Bites

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Educate Your Co-Chairs
The Big Picture

• One is the loneliest number Make your co-chair
  feel like part of the team!
• Build a Co-Chair Community
• Share the leadership chart
• Update every co-chair on progress
• Host a kickoff or motivational meeting where
  co-chairs can share stories, challenges, advice,
  etc.

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Educate Your Co-Chairs
The Event

• Explain the Event Concept
• Explain Event Benefits
• Sponsorship Packages
• Opportunities for Networking
• Signage and Branding
• Roles for Sponsors
• Provide Materials as Necessary

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Educate Your Co-Chairs
Setting Goals
Your co-chair must be committed to a set GGA
amount. Strategize and brainstorm - work
closely with your co-chair to examine his/her
networks and figure out the best way to achieve
his/her goal
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Solicitation Process

• Prospect Lists
• Writing Marketing Letters
• Sending Marketing Letters
• Follow-Up Calls
• Pledges will discuss closer to event
• Collecting Revenue will discuss closer to event

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Solicitation Process
Prospect Lists

• Set a deadline for co-chairs to submit their
  prospect lists to you (give them a date that is
  at least 2 weeks before you really need it)
• Make an appointment to meet with them while
  they go through their address book (this forces
  them to get their lists compiled in a timely
  manner)
• Take good notes
• Appropriately nudge until the list is in hand

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Solicitation Process
Prospect Lists

• Make sure your prospect charts include all of the
  information you will need in order to merge
  letters.
• If you have 2 co-chairs working in the same
  field, it is a good idea to compile one master
  prospect chart and cross reference the names. If
  there are duplicates see if your co-chairs are
  interested in co-signing a letter.

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Solicitation Process
Marketing Letters

• You should provide a draft letter to each
  co-chair for his/her approval
• Ask if co-chairs would prefer to send letters
  on organizational letterhead or their personal
  or business letterhead (latter is preferable)
• Ask if you may sign for them, use a digital
  version of their signature, or if they would
  like to sign for themselves
• Have your marketing letters ready so you can
  merge and mail as soon as you get the prospect
  lists

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Solicitation Process
Getting the Letters Out

• Determine who will send the letters you or
  the co-chair (or his/her assistant)
• If the assistant is doing the mailing, be sure
  to gently prod him/her until they are sent
• Even if the assistant is sending the letters,
  get a copy of the prospect list so that when
  money starts to arrive, you know who is
  responsible.
• Ask for copies of all letters that are sent
  from co-chairs offices this way you know that
  they were really sent!

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Solicitation Process
Follow Up Calls

• Help Your Co-Chair Develop a Convincing Pitch
• 1. NPO mission/program focus what do you do and
  why is it interesting?
• 2. Why is your NPO specifically compelling to
  your prospect?
• 3. Why should they give what you are asking for?
• 4. What will the prospect receive?
• Coach Your Co-Chair Teach him/her how to make
  an effective ask
• Elevator Pitch

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Solicitation Process
Follow-Up Calls

• 4-6 days after letters are sent, begin prodding
  co-chairs to make follow-up calls
• Assist by providing each co-chair with a copy
  of his/her prospect list with phone numbers
• If necessary, schedule a meeting to sit with
  your co-chair while he/she makes follow-up calls
• Check in regularly with co-chairs regarding the
  progress of their asks

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Keys to Successful Fundraising
Communication

• Communication facilitates successful fundraising
• Get to know your co-chairs assistants
• Learn which communication method is best
• Meetings
• Phone Calls (what time is best to catch them?)
• Emails
• Through assistant or directly with co-chair
• Communicate clear expectations (and cc
  assistants)
• Set agreed upon timelines and send reminder
  emails
• Prod/motivate to ensure that deadlines are met
• Communicate with each co-chair at least twice a
  month from now until September and at least once
  a week from September until the event

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Keys to Successful Fundraising
Information Management

• Keep a detailed communication chart (this can be
  a combination of your revenue and prospect
  charts) with notes on your conversations and
  emails with co-chairs and donors
• Record
• when marketing letters were sent
• when follow up calls were made and the results of
  each call
• when pledge form was sent/received
• amount of gift received and the date on which it
  was received
• when invoices/thank you letters were sent
• any other pertinent information
• Keeping detailed records can avoid difficult
  situations and shows a high level of
  professionalism that bolsters trust and impresses
  and motivates your co-chairs

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Keys to Successful Fundraising
Motivation

• Think about why your co-chairs agreed to get
  involved
• Did they owe someone a favor?
• Have they been long time supporters?
• Are they invested in your mission?
• Are they looking to improve their companies PR?
• Use their reason for involvement when thinking
  about how to motivate

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Keys to Successful Fundraising
Motivation

• Having Trouble Getting What You Need?
• Email anecdotes, photos, or statistics focusing
  on the kids
• Have the original contact person call or conduct
  an update session
• Inspire competition by updating entire group on a
  regular basis
• Encourage your co-chairs to visit a program at
  your site

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Keys to Successful Fundraising
Motivation
Dont forget the Youth, I.N.C. team is here to
help!

• We can
• Send reminder emails that you can forward to
  your board and co-chairs
• Fill the bad-guy role
• Meet with you and or your co-chairs
• Provide timelines, deadlines, etc.

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UPCOMING DATES

• April 16th TOMORROW You will receive templates
  for your marketing materials
• April 26th Request number of Save the Dates
• May 13th Best Practices in Board Governance
  Workshop INVITE your Board!
• May 14th Marketing materials DUE to Youth,
  I.N.C.
• May 28th BIG DAY SUBMIT Fundraising Goal and
  Leadership Chart have co-chairs SECURED
• June 11th Vellum text and logo DUE
• June 15th COLLECT all prospect lists
• June ? Co-Chair Kickoff
• June 30th MAIL marketing packets and Save the
  Dates