New Podcast: Shifting Capital Donors to Annual Fund Donors—A Case Study with Kelly Hill at Heart of Missouri CASA
Need to build your Annual Fund while trying to reach your Capital Campaign goal?
Yes? Then, you'll love hearing how my client, Kelly Hill of Heart of Missouri CASAdid just that on this month's podcast! Kelly has a background in Social Work and early on when we met I told her, “Social Workers make the best fundraisers!”
I don't know if she believed me at the time, but just listen in and you'll agree as well!
During our work together, she has:
grown her annual budget by 40%
a clear path (and confidence) to reaching this larger budget
come to the conclusion fundraising is fun (yes!)
learned how it's easier to raise to a larger number (really!)
used her new fundraising skills to fully funded her $4.7 capital campaign
This is a don't miss episode! You can listen in at YouTube here and Apple Podcasts here!
A few time stamps in case you're super busy this week….
[5:30] Hear how Kelly has grown Heart of Missourit CASA from a $200K budget with 3 staff to now an organization ready to raise $1.5M next fiscal year!
[6:55] Kelly talks us through her journey into leadership and fundraising. But most importantly, why it's been a lot more fun this past year!
[8:30] What Kelly did when she realized grants and events weren't going to take the organization where it needed to go…
[10:20] Be inspired by how their Capital Campaign came together (read: fully funded) while she was in the midst of this work and growing the annual fund simultaneously.
[13:41] Kelly shares how her donors have responded to her raising to her organization's TRUE need and not a squeak-by budget…and what donors REALLY think about her growing her budget by 40%…
[17:20] Kelly describes how the new tools we've created together have given her the confidence and results she's needed. Donors literally have said they would have given MORE in the past if she would have had them earlier! #micdrop
[21:30] A few ah-ha moments about the organization's event schedule and how the shift into relational fundraising is simply a better fit with the organization's values.
[28:00] Kelly shares the biggest surprise that has come out of our work together.
[32:00] And, lastly….Kelly's advice to any leader who is worried that this process will demand too much of the leader and team's time….
Last thing I'll say about Kelly and her team…
When I started working with her, the board approved budget was $985K. I suggested that she raise to her need…we met in the middle at $1.1M. Honestly, that's a scary step for lots of leaders and fundraisers….It's hard to wrap your head around raising to a higher number when the squeak-by budget has always ruled the roost.
But, now, as she looks ahead to her next fiscal year starting on July 1? She's confident raising to a $1.5M need. She's even said to me, “Raising $1.5M is going to be way easier than raising the $1.1M.”
I love it! And, she's right.
Kelly says, “[With my]...background in social work, there's no formal training in fundraising…But now, knowing there's a better way and then being equipped to do it is probably one of the best decisions I've made in the last few years because [the work with you is] setting us up to grow in a way we would have never been able to grow if we were just continuing to rely on more grants and more events.”
When you have the hours-to-dollars model, the skills to lead investment-level conversations, and the tools that inspire donors to give their best gift each year, fundraising is fun and even easier.
Hop on over to my LinkedIn Post and give Kelly (and her incredible team) all the congratulations and high-five she deserves!
How about you? Are you next? You can apply to work with me here.
Whenever you’re ready, here are THREE things you can do next:
👣 Follow me on LinkedIn here where I share the same lessons I teach my clients about attracting larger gen-ops dollars and adding 7-figures + to their bottom line.
🍎 Read my GUIDE! THE TRUTH ABOUT GIVE/GETS :: Top 5 Reasons Your Board’s Give/Get Is Leaving Thousands (Sometimes Millions) on the Table. See how limiting board members to the Give/Get model restricts gifts and keeps your staff from reaching their full fundraising potential. Here to get it.
📈 Work with me to scale your org's revenue by 2-5X and fund your organization’s Strategic Plan // If you’re a business-minded CEO already raising MILLIONS but need to diversify revenue and secure more general-operating dollars to invest in growth, you can apply to work with me here.
