[MUSIC] Welcome back, the previous lesson focused on your objectives during an initial visit with a prospective donor. This lessons wraps up this section by helping you understand the donor's interests, and strategies to build involvement. At the end of this lesson, you will be able to develop a strategy to build relationship and involvement with your donor, explain key components of a cultivation plan. And define the goals of a donor cultivation plan, design gift plans to move relationships with donor prospects forward. And finally document cultivation plans to be transparent to others in your organization, let's get started. Following the qualification visit, and again, assuming there is interest, the development officer creates a plan for the cultivation of the prospect. A cultivation plan involves a series of steps or purposeful moves designed to engage the prospect more deeply with the institution, educate them about our priorities, and provide more opportunity for dialogue to learn about their interests and values. Remember, that inviting prospects to an endless series of hospitality functions such as lunches or social receptions is not a cultivation plan. Cultivation planning is where the art form of development comes into play and the development officer needs to think creatively about how to create the best strategy for the prospect. Regular, meaningful touch points are essential, moving a prospect from qualification stage to a first major gift is a process that can often take 18 to 24 months. A key aspect is bringing philanthropy into the conversation early on. Highlights for an educational institution, or key steps, might include the following, interaction with faculty and students, such as opportunities to speak in a classroom, campus tours to showcase targeted areas of interest, and provide unique insider perspective. Substantive meetings with deans and other administrators to learn about their vision, and invitations to serve on volunteer leadership councils and boards. Priority areas early on where private support can help the program. Personal touches are a key component to any cultivation plan, they include event invitations, hand written notes, birthday, holiday or anniversary cards, recreational activities, the occasional golf outing, and social opportunities with like-minded donors. During cultivation you want to give your prospect a sense for what it's like to be a donor to your organization. They're wondering, would I feel proud to give here, do I like these people, and what social circles will I enter? As you're building a relationship with your donor, make every visit count. Establish a development goal for each encounter, goals can include, building a feeling of good will, incrementally increasing the donor's exposure to the institution, bringing philanthropy into the conversation early on. Ultimately what we want to do is to help them to learn, trust, and engage with our organization. If our goal is to help them learn, this ones the most straight forward. What does your prospect still need to know about your organization and how will you educate him? Here are some ideas, site visits or tours, meetings to review your strategic plan and offer feedback, meetings with the program staff, opportunities to interact with your organization's clients. Updates on specific areas of interest to that donor, and sending them articles or other relevant information on a regular basis. Helping our donors learn to trust, this one's a little harder to pin down, although there's a lot of overlap between building trust and learning it's not as linear. Ultimately, you want your prospects to trust you on two fronts, first, that your organization can do the job. And secondly, that you treat your donors well, helping prospects trust that you can do the job or meet the need, would involve meetings or small group events with your top executive. Exposure to other leaders, press clippings or external validations of your work, impact stories and internal publications or shared in person. Treat your donors well, go back to those personal touches and let's not forget the simple importance of time in building trust. I'm talking about consistent, positive interactions with the organization over a period of months or even years. Helping your donors engage brings hands-on volunteer opportunities that will be some of your most high impact cultivation tools. They build connection and reinforce learning and trust. Here are some ideas, provide them with mentorship opportunities or speaking engagements, hands-on volunteering opportunities within your organization. Allow them to help provide administrative support or committee work in an advisory capacity or event planning. Encourage smaller and regular giving to your organization, invite them on trips and travel opportunities. And finally, the ultimate cultivation opportunity, service as a trustee or board leader of your organization.
