Fundraising Masterclass: Discipline and Persistence
June 24, 2018
Steve Cirincione raised $3K for Memorial Sloan Kettering when he joined The D10 family in 2016.In the two years since, he's raised over $26,000.
Here's what he's learned about maximizing your fundraising impact.
When I first discovered The D10, the thought of reaching the minimum fundraising threshold was a daunting one, and nearly a deterrent to my signing up. In the years since, I’ve learned that fundraising is a skill just like any other. If I could improve my 400 meter time from 1:20 (I was pretty slow before Ted’s track workouts) to sub-58 seconds, then I could apply the same disciplined approach toward fundraising.
The lessons I've learned over time are fivefold.
1. Start with the “Why”
The D10 supports such an inspiring cause in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and sharing how donors’ dollars will improve the lives and outcomes of patients is critical. Providing specific information on what Sloan Kettering can purchase or provide with the donations makes it more tangible. Being able to tell our team’s donors that in the past two years we’ve raised enough to fund drug distribution to ten hospitals in POETIC’s network, enabling life-saving medicines to reach patients, is a powerful and visual reminder of where the dollars go.
One amazing outcome of fundraising is that you learn how Sloan Kettering has touched the lives of so many people in your network. A colleague of mine tragically lost his wife after a long battle with ovarian cancer, and I learned that she was under Sloan Kettering’s care for nearly eight years. With Sloan Kettering near and dear to so many people’s hearts, fundraising for The D10 forges bonds of common cause that wouldn’t have otherwise developed.
Download the entire MSKCC D10 booklet - aka, The Fundraiser's Best Friend.
2. Timing and Follow Up
In terms of timing, my strategy is to send out initial emails early in the season - four to five months before the event - allowing me the opportunity to let my donors come along for the ride as my training intensifies. While I hesitated during my first D10 to send multiple follow-up emails, what I’ve found is that my first email may have gotten buried in an inbox, earmarked for later and, ultimately, forgotten. I’ve had lots of success converting people into donors on a second or third email, and it’s been the difference between raising a few thousand my first year and now cracking the 10K Club two years in a row. I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule when it comes to striking the right balance between persistence and being perceived as overly “pushy." It’s really a matter of finding your own comfort level. One good tip is that the follow-ups shouldn't just be requests. They're a chance to update people on how your training is progressing, share pictures from your sessions, and discuss any challenges or injuries you’re facing.
3. Cast a Wide Net and Don’t Get Discouraged
Don’t be afraid to cast a wide net with your friends, family, colleagues, former colleagues, old friends from college, etc. Some of my biggest donations came from unexpected sources. The analogy with training still holds when it comes to fighting off feelings of discouragement. If you’re not hitting your targets as quickly as you’d like, my advice would be stick to your game plan and keep putting in the work, just like you would on the track or the rower.
4. Offer to Reciprocate / Pay it Forward
Another thing I’ve learned is that offering to support other people's causes can create a virtuous circle. You come to understand which causes matter to the people around you. It helps solidify relationships while opening up new experiences. I recently volunteered at a Junior Achievement mentoring session after learning that one of my donors was heavily involved in the program. That memorable day working with the students wouldn’t have been possible had I not been vocal about wanting to pay the generosity of my donors forward.
5. Share Your Personal Goals
In my fundraising email, I include my personal goals for each event. Aside from creating a greater sense of accountability by putting my goals out there, it also lets people know that I am committed to taking the field as the best version of myself. I think people tend to rally behind you when they understand you’re working hard each day toward something meaningful.
So that's five lessons, but I can't resist adding a couple more.
Shared Success
As competitors in the team event, 25% of our point total comes from our fundraising dollars. Emphasizing that fact to donors lets them know that they are as much a part of the team as the athletes - that our success is truly a shared one. We would not have been able to crack the top 10 in the standings were it not for the outpouring of support we received.
Be Strategic
This year, Team Undrafted strategically targeted The D10 NYC's Friday Fundraising incentives, coordinating our efforts on certain Fridays to give ourselves the best chance of grabbing that extra $1,000. It doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on the other competitors, to see if you need to make a final push at the end of the day. If the Friday Fundraising incentive isn't offered in your market, you can still find ways to "gamify" the donation process. In my experience donors are highly motivated when they get to take part in a collective fundraising strategy.
Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative
Beyond my email and social media campaigns, I’ve also taken a couple "non-traditional" approaches to help bolster my totals. The first year, I managed to win my company’s fantasy football league, and I asked everyone to donate to my D10 page in lieu of payment. That was a huge help in getting me over the hurdle. This year, my brother (and teammate) Joe worked with the Matt Martin Foundation to run a contest for a signed jersey; participants donated to our D10 page in order to enter.
I also have a friendly, running argument with a colleague of mine about which of us is the better ping-pong player. I challenged him to a charity match where the loser would contribute to the other’s cause. In the end, we both supported each other’s cause, spread awareness throughout our office, and had a lot of fun in the process.
Team Undrafted is back at The D10 NYC 2019, with another $30,000 fundraise in its sights. Support their campaign by donating to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center here.