Major Gifts Fundraiser – Details, episodes & analysis

It's another Masterclass inspired episode. In this episode, Clark Vandeventer shares some of his notes from Levar Burton's MasterClass on Storytelling.

You may know LeVar Burton from his years as host of Reading Rainbow.

LeVar talks about how to tell a great story, but Clark emphasizes that great stories only resonnate when they are told be a trusted source, and trust is developed in relationship.

So, as an organization, where are you lacking?

Are you lacking in storytelling?

Or are you lacking in relationships?

Link to LeVar's MasterClass:

https://www.masterclass.com/classes/levar-burton-teaches-the-power-of-storytelling

Clark also shared in this episode that

1. We are giving away FREE ACCESS to ⁠MasterClass⁠! Sign up for ⁠Peak Performance Fundraising⁠ (basically THE MasterClass of Fundraising) and get a one year subscription to MasterClass for free! Peak Performance Fundraising is normally $1495, but we are offering it now for only $500, but you have to email Clark at [email protected] to get a promo code.
2. We are hiring a Podcast Producer and Social Media Manager! We are seeking a creative and detail-oriented Podcast Producer and Social Media Manager to oversee the production of our podcast series and manage our social media presence. The ideal candidate will be responsible for all aspects of podcast production and will develop and implement social media strategies to promote our content and engage with our audience. This will be the lead person working to transform the Major Gifts Fundraiser Podcast and the Around the World with Mr. Clark Podcast from basic “click record and talk” podcasts and  into beautifully produced podcasts and to create dynamic and engaging social media content to promote these podcasts and grow our influence and impact. If you are interested, or know someone who could be a fit, reach out to Clark directly at [email protected]

Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Major Gifts Fundraiser on Facebook:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/majorgiftsfundraiser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Major Gifts Fundraiser on LinkedIn:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/major-gifts-fundraiser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email Clark:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zoom with Clark:

Find an available time on Clark’s calendar and schedule a Zoom call him: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://calendly.com/clarkvand⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more at:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://majorgiftsfundraiser.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host Clark Vandeventer talks about figuring out the right amount to ask for.

Fundraisers! Do you have a hard time knowing the right amount to ask for? Can you ask for too much? What if you "leave money on the table"?

Clark gives some guidance on figuring out the right amount to ask for.

Check out Clark's "other" podcast Around the World with Mr. Clark, available wherever you get your podcasts! Also of note:

1. We are giving away FREE ACCESS to ⁠⁠MasterClass⁠⁠! Sign up for ⁠⁠Peak Performance Fundraising⁠⁠ (basically THE MasterClass of Fundraising) and get a one year subscription to MasterClass for free! Peak Performance Fundraising is normally $1495, but we are offering it now for only $500, but you have to email Clark at [email protected] to get a promo code.
2. We are hiring a Podcast Producer and Social Media Manager! We are seeking a creative and detail-oriented Podcast Producer and Social Media Manager to oversee the production of our podcast series and manage our social media presence. The ideal candidate will be responsible for all aspects of podcast production and will develop and implement social media strategies to promote our content and engage with our audience. This will be the lead person working to transform the Major Gifts Fundraiser Podcast and the Around the World with Mr. Clark Podcast from basic “click record and talk” podcasts and  into beautifully produced podcasts and to create dynamic and engaging social media content to promote these podcasts and grow our influence and impact. If you are interested, or know someone who could be a fit, reach out to Clark directly at [email protected]

Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Major Gifts Fundraiser on Facebook:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/majorgiftsfundraiser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Major Gifts Fundraiser on LinkedIn:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/major-gifts-fundraiser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email Clark:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zoom with Clark:

Find an available time on Clark’s calendar and schedule a Zoom call him: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://calendly.com/clarkvand⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more at:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://majorgiftsfundraiser.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do you know who your top people are? Your Top 2-3 prospects? Your Top 5? Your Top 10? This may be the masterskill of success in fundraising. And, you could get the names wrong and still be right!

Email Clark at [email protected]

Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Major Gifts Fundraiser on Facebook:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/majorgiftsfundraiser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Major Gifts Fundraiser on LinkedIn:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/major-gifts-fundraiser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email Clark:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Zoom with Clark:

Find an available time on Clark’s calendar and schedule a Zoom call him: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://calendly.com/clarkvand⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more at:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://majorgiftsfundraiser.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have you heard that you should only be talking 25% of any donor meeting? Maybe you have, and you've wondered why. Here's why. It doesn't matter how articulate you are. It's not about impressing yourself. It's about winning the heart of the donor. 

Is it important to thank you donors? Yes, absolutely. You should always be thanking your donors. Always saying thank you. Always exuding gratitude. But your meetings with donors aren't just a massive thank-you tour. If that's your approach, it's going to be hard to get second meetings. Give your meetings a sense of purpose. As a donor I should feel like this conversation and this relationship is going somewhere.

How can your donors know if what you're telling them is actually true? How can they know if you are actually spending the money they give on the things you tell them the money is going towards? In this episode, Clark talks about how to become a trusted advisor to your donors, and when you are TRUSTED, they will believe what you say -- and they will ultimately determine whether or not what you're telling them is true based upon the RELATIONSHIP.

In this episode Clark interviews Monica about how she got started in fundraising -- raising money to go on a year-long mission with her church to Ireland. Clark sometimes tells big stories about million dollar gifts. Do the same principles apply to smaller gifts? Monica was asking for $100 gifts 20 years ago and she talks about the process -- and winning the hearts of her donors. The other big thing that grew out of Monica's first fundraising experience? She and Clark started dating, fell off a cliff together, and eventually got married!

People choose what's most familiar. Make it easy for your donors to choose you by becoming familiar to your donors. In this episode Clark recounts a story from his 2010 run for United States Congress, and how he lost to a name that was more familiar.

In this episode Clark talks about the short book, "A Spirituality of Fundraising" by the beloved author and theologian Henri Nouwen. Clark talks about why he hates the term "donors" and why he prefers to the term "partners" and the joy of being all wrapped up with others in a shared mission and vision.  For more information about anything Clark mentions in this episode you can email him at [email protected].

Getting started in estate planning does not have to be hard, or expensive. Just start talking to your donors about including your organization in their will. Clark goes through 5 easy steps to take that cost little or no money and talks about an experience on the road with an organization where that organization was talking about estate planning for the very first time.