Grassroots Fundraising for Social Change

Category:Bootcamp
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*Manish Vaidya - Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT) (Moderator) 
*Rona Fernandez - Californians for Justice 
*Dolores Garay - Fundraising Consultant; Development Executives Roundtable (DER) 
*Janet Upadhye - San Francisco Women Against Rape; Community United Against Violence
www.grassrootsfundraising.org
*funders: ability to give, belief in your cause, contact
*12% foundation. 4% corporate, 72% individuals
*3 key donor strategies:
**acquisition- first time donation. Donors should be treated as friends. Build friendships. 2/3 of donors will go on the next year. 
***direct mail (put out money first), magazine has subscribers to buy from
***email
***personal contact (canvassing door to door), give a list of 10 names
***special events (sign in name & email), DATABASE
***house parties
***Thank you system (within 48 hours) and give them info, 
**upgrading- (courting)- only after you know that they are interested. Double the gift from last year. 
**retention (cultivation)- building relationships, personalize thank you notes, newsletters, quarterly emails, birthday cards, THANK YOU, find out their interest (and send them info on the interest), join us at our events, meet our board
*Board insurance
**Board should give the biggest donation gift & fundraiser.
**Train and engage in the board
*Network: identify acquisition donors in the network
*House parties- raise awareness about your work, acquisition strategy
**Very little staff time (host does the work)
**Engage volunteers and donors
**Ask board to host a party
**HOST (enthusiastic host, already a donor) tell a story & ask for donation
**Invitation clear that it’s a fundraiser- bring checkbooks- address where to send checks
**Host doesn’t have to be rich
**staff talks about the org, and Host does the pitch
*Making fundraising the core of your work
*7/10 households give
*Donor database: EXCEED, don’t use RAZOREDGE
*Get donors involved 
*Network for Good, Ground Spring to collect credit card info
*IDEAS: wine fundraising party, Dance party – DJ pro bono
Notes by: Vanae Tran, Rock Your Awareness