How to ask for a Gift without Sounding like a Telemarketer:
You will feel more genuine and confident if you believe in the purpose of the funds for which you are asking. First ask yourself why YOU contribute to the School, remembering that people usually give for the following reasons:
1. Because they are asked.
2. Personal interest in issue/organization.
3. To be generous – they regularly give money away.
4. To belong to or associate with a worthy cause.
5. Belief that it will make a difference.
It is most important to acknowledge the concerns of your classmates before the needs of the School. As you read on, you may discover some interesting information about the purpose and goals of the annual Alumni Fund but do not forget that your classmates’ needs and desires come first.
The Difference between the Alumni Fund and The Campaign for Thacher:
Gifts from alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends to the Annual Fund support the daily operations of the School. These regular contributions, along with a draw from the endowment, help to make up the difference between the actual cost of a Thacher education and the amount provided by tuition and fees – that gap is currently about $20,500 per year per student.
The Campaign for Thacher was a multi-year effort to raise funds for new and improved facilities, competitive faculty salaries, more financial aid, and an increased unrestricted endowment. While this $80-million Campaign was completed at the end of the 2007 calendar year, fund-raising for the Annual Fund continued.
Goal of the Alumni Fund:
For the 2008-09 fiscal/academic year, our goal is to raise $950,000 in unrestricted donations from 50% of solicitable alumni. (That’s 1,300 alumni gifts.)
Last year, 1,100 alumni made unrestricted gifts totaling $862,278.
Unrestricted Donations:
Unrestricted donations allow the School to maintain its excellence in all areas of student life. Last year, $2,137,000 was raised in unrestricted donations from the following constituencies (figures are rounded):
Alumni Fund $862K
Parents Fund $774K
Grandparents Fund $55K
Past Parents & Friends Fund $393K
Corporations & Foundations $53K
Gift Clubs:
The following Gift Clubs were created to honor annual giving and are recognized in the Annual Report.
Diamond Hitch Club $250 to $999
Casa de Piedra Society $1,000 to $2,499
Chambered Nautilus Society $2,500 to $4,900
Pegasus Society $5,000 to $9,999
Sherman Day Thacher Associates $10,000 to $24,999
Head’s Circle $25,000 and above
Trustee Match:
Gifts from alumni in younger class (i.e., 1998-2008) and those celebrating reunion years (classes ending in 4’s and 9’s) are eligible for a 2:1 match from the Board of Trustees, applied to all first gifts and raises in gifts over last year, up to $500.
So, if someone gives $50 more than last year, the gift is matched by $100. Also, a matched gift may enable a donor to reach a new Gift Club!
Ways to Give:
There are several ways to make a gift:
• Check by groundmail
• Credit Card – online any time (recommended)
• Stock or other securities – contact the Alumni Office to find out how
Making the Call: Each call is unique but here is a general outline to follow.
1. Be caring and informed – Before calling, review this information and the Thacher website – www.thacher.org – to build your confidence. It is unlikely that you will need any of this data but it may help you feel more secure in asking. The most important part about asking for a donation to Thacher is that you believe in the purpose of your request. Often it helps tremendously if you have made your own gift.
2. Connect – The purpose of your call is to connect personally to your classmates, to share news, and to discover their giving desires.
3. Ask – Your phone call can serve a few purposes. You can ask for:
• A Donation to the Alumni Fund.
• News for the Class Notes section of the magazine and the website – write them down or suggest that they submit news and a photo (with the alum included in it) online.
• Updated contact info, particularly email addresses.
4. Acknowledge – Thank for his/her time and consideration.
Conversation Tips:
• Engage the person in conversation about the School and their lives.
• Be enthusiastic!
• Use the word “consider.” (“Would you consider a gift of $20 this year?”)
• Ask for a specific amount or increase. (Refer to the Gift Clubs, a graceful way to request an amount.)
• If the person has no recent giving history, stress participation and the matching gift, if relevant. (Reunion years and young alumni within 10 years of graduation receive a 2:1 match on new and increased gifts, up to $500.)
• Listen – let them respond to you.
Solicitation Tips: Common Objections to Giving:
“You just asked me!” or “Why do I get so many solicitations from Thacher?”
Many alumni are confused by our solicitation/fiscal calendar (July-June). The Alumni Office will commence solicitations in September (both for the annual Alumni Fund AND for the Campaign for Thacher) and will continue through June, unless a donation is made in the meantime.
I give to other causes or I feel like my dollars have more impact closer to home.
Be sure to acknowledge the value of the prospect’s current philanthropic commitments. Share with them that their support of Thacher does benefit the greater world. Thacher educates a diverse student body: 31% on financial aid, 33% students of color, 25 states and 9 countries represented. All of our students are instilled with the values of honor, fairness, kindness and truth, and are encouraged to spend their lives improving their local community and our world.
Thacher is rich. It doesn’t need my money.
Yes, it does! Thacher is not as fiscally strong as the majority of its peers. Tuition covers approximately 55% of the actual costs of a Thacher education. Thacher’s endowment per student is less than half the average of its peers. The ranking of our School is increased in the eyes of its peers, our faculty and staff, and potential parents as alumni giving increases.
If there are financial pressures, why not reach into the endowment principal?
The endowment is a trust that enables the School to carry on its most vital work, independent of the ups and downs of the national economy. A strong endowment is also crucial to maintaining the School’s competitive edge and holding down tuition increases. It would be fiscally imprudent to chip away at the base of Thacher’s future financial security.
If it costs so much to run Thacher, perhaps it should cut costs.
Thacher has reduced its costs. However, we are unyielding in our commitment to excellence; the finest teachers, deserving students with financial need, the horse and outdoor program, technology, and facilities are expensive.
