The use of the telephone in effective alumni and parental fundraising has developed in an extraordinary fashion over the last four to five years. The results have been self-evident. Well run campaigns have generated giving levels some ten times higher than traditional mail solicitations, with the proportions of those donating often in excess of 50% of those asked. School campaigns are now regularly achieving returns in six figures, and college and university campaigns are getting close to seven figures.
One thing stands out, however: a badly thought through, managed,
administered or fulfilled telephone campaign will do more harm than
good. It is not double-glazing salesmanship, neither is it money for
old rope. It's demands are significant and the rules governing how and
when it can be done are complicated and occasionally labyrinthine. New
legislation and the introduction of the Telephone Preference Service
will combine to make more demands upon the educational fundraiser, and,
as with all fundraising techniques, one must continually re-evaluate
and improve if one is to keep ahead of the competition.
ASK Associates consultants have been responsible for three of the most
successful telephone campaigns in the UK, including the most successful
School campaign to date. We know the market, the tools, the pitfalls
and the potential.
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