In my almost 20 years in the fundraising trenches, I’ve dealt with my share of volunteers who wouldn’t give and wouldn’t ask. Now, they said they’d give, and they said they’d ask, but they just never quite got around to doing either. Assigning good donor prospects to these volunteers would just go to waste, and I’d wind up calling them myself.

So I asked myself, “Self, why are you putting me through this rigmarole only to lose six months of traction and have to make the same calls I could have made in the first place?” Answer: “Fughetaboutit! I’ll just do it myself.”

But then I encountered a really great volunteer. She gave and she asked, and she did both very well. She moved the organization light years in the amount of time I would have moved it a few inches.

And that’s what a great volunteer can bring to your organization. It’s up to you to find them and support them like gold because, well, they are. Here are six strategies to consider:

1. Your best donors are the pool for your best volunteers. We err in thinking that because someone is a big-time donor that we shouldn’t bother them to volunteer as well.  Bother them. They’re invested. They’re believers. And they’re your first best source.
2. Following Tip #1: Never, never, never allow volunteers to ask for gifts when they haven’t first given themselves. Some kind people believe that they are doing you a favor by volunteering their time but not their money. They’re not. Trust me, when these volunteers show up on a call, they have a neon sign on their forehead that reads: “I haven’t given, but you should!”
3. The Rule of One. Don’t ask a fundraising volunteer to do more than one thing. Ask them to open one door, set up one visit, make one ask, etc. Follow that one thing through to its conclusion before asking them to do the next thing.
4. Precondition success. If you’ve got a good, but scared, volunteer, give her or him an easy call to make first. Choose a prospect you know will step up. Heck, call that person yourself in advance of your volunteer’s call to grease the skids if you have to. Give your volunteer the opportunity to taste the sweet nectar of success.
5. Face the fear. Yes, this is scary stuff! If you sense your volunteer is scared, ask what she or he is scared about and work through it together.
6. Less is more. To get the most of a good volunteer, you need to devote time, energy and sweat equity into that person. Only do that with the ones who will get the job done. Managing three good volunteers well will get you much farther than managing a committee of 10 so-so volunteers poorly.

Give these strategies a try the next time you are looking to engage volunteers in your fundraising endeavor. Over time, you can turn what can be a fundraising liability into your biggest asset.

We all know the scenario.

You’ve designed a compelling and concise case for support that explains the needs your organization is meeting in the community, why you are the right organization to meet those needs, and the role donors play in helping you do so.

You’ve created a list of “top prospects”: those donors or prospects that are known to have an affinity with your mission and relationships with board members or other volunteers.

You’ve trained key staff and volunteers to meet with donors and prospects – either to ask for a gift or to cultivate a future one.

A phone call is made to secure an appointment. And then: KERPLUNK.

“I already know the needs – use your time to talk with others who don’t.”

“We already know what we are going to give. We’ll give at the breakfast/luncheon/gala.”

“With the economy in flux, I don’t want to take on any new causes right now.”

“Just send us some information…we’ll get back to you.”

“Have you already met with the So-and-So’s? They could do more.”

Objections to a personal meeting will make already-hesitant development volunteers even more anxious. However, armed with managed expectations and thoughtful responses, these same ambassadors can turn almost every objection into an opportunity.

Remind your partners-in-fundraising of the one of their most important roles: to listen.

• Learn about the prospect’s needs
• Infuse every conversation with enthusiasm
• Sense the prospect’s level of interest
• Tell about your organization’s plans clearly and with passion
• Engage each prospect in “next steps”
• Not be defensive – they represent the organization, not themselves

Viewed as an opportunity for deep listening, any of the above objections becomes an opportunity: to share new information about community needs, to let prospects know you value their support enough to personally meet with them, to deepen volunteer involvement in addition to financial support, to gather new information about a prospect’s personal circumstances or shifting priorities, or to discover access to new prospects.

• “I’m glad to hear you’ve been thinking about your commitment, but I’d like to share some updates about the work we’re doing.  Also, I know I was surprised to learn about all the options for making a gift – and I’d like to talk with you more about these options. I really think it would be worth an hour of your time. I’d be happy to meet wherever is most convenient for you.”

• “You are important to us. Before we talk about money, I’d really like to sit with you and get your thoughts and feedback about our new program/greater impact/recent challenges.”

• “I’m not surprised to hear that you are generous with other organizations. I’d love the opportunity to learn more about what matters most to you, and to share with you why the work we’re doing matters to me and to the community. May I buy you a cup of coffee in the next few weeks?”

And remember, while sometimes “no” means “no,” more frequently, it means “not now,” “not that, but this,” or “not yet.” Each and every objection provides meaningful clues about how to deepen a relationship, or how to refocus attention on other prospects whose values align with your mission.

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