Here are some sample questions you can use to gain insight into a prospect’s past giving to other causes:

1. “I know you have been a very generous contributor to a number of causes in our city. As you look back, which one or two gifts brought you the greatest satisfaction? Why?”
2.  “I’m always interested in learning more about people’s philanthropic philosophy. Do you have any principles you follow in deciding how to apportion yearly gifts? Do you give on a first-come, first-served basis, for instance, or try to plan your philanthropic budget for the year?
3. “You mentioned that you have given regularly to (name of nonprofit). What do you suppose it is that compels you to give to that organization so generously?”

Although neither candidate has proposed eliminating the deduction, President Barack Obama has repeatedly tried to chip away at it in his annual budget proposals, and Republican challenger Mitt Romney has been vague about his plans, leading some Obama supporters to speculate that Romney would have to eliminate the deduction to meet his fiscal goals.

Thirty-three percent of donors surveyed would reduce their giving if no such deduction existed. The intensity of that response increased among key giving groups, with 40 percent of 40-59 year olds (a vital giving demographic) saying they would reduce their giving. Forty-two percent of conservative donors say the same, and numerous studies, including one recently by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, have shown conservatives to be the most generous givers.

A Dunham+Company/Wilson Perkins Allen survey conducted earlier this year showed three out of four Americans say they do not favor cutting, capping or limiting the charitable tax deduction.

“Our studies have shown that the American people, regardless of household income, education, age, race or gender, say they overwhelmingly support the current tax deduction for charitable contributions,” said Rick Dunham, president and CEO of Dunham+Company. “And now in our latest study among donors to charities we have found the deduction is vital to one-third of those who give, especially key giving groups.”

President Obama wants to limit the deduction to 28 percent for wealthy households, which studies have shown would mean a $5 billion hit to charities. Romney wants a more radical approach of capping all deductions but he has yet to confirm specific recommendations.

The issue of fundamentally changing the charitable tax deduction by the presidential candidates is being raised at a time when the charitable sector has experienced an unprecedented drop in support as a result of the faltering economy.

According to Giving USA, charitable support peaked at $311 billion in 2007 and dropped by 2009 to $281 billion. It has since recovered to $298 billion but at the current rate, The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University estimates it will take another five years to recover to 2007 levels of giving.

In addition, a recently released study of the top 400 charities in America by The Chronicle of Philanthropy shows that giving across the nonprofit sector is expected to only rise by 1 percent in 2012. This means giving is stagnant, and when adjusted for inflation is actually declining.

“It’s important to remember that 1 out of 10 jobs in America come from the charitable sector,” Dunham said. “And charities are much more efficient in delivering social good as independent studies have shown that 70 cents of every dollar goes to recipients of charitable services compared to only 30 cents of every dollar from the government. The bottom line is that the charitable tax deduction needs to be protected as a vital incentive to supporting the vibrant and effective work of charities.”

The study was part of a Campbell Rinker Donor Confidence Survey conducted Sept. 7-18, 2012 among 454 U.S. adult donors of at least $20 in the previous year and members of the firm’s online panel, weighted by age to reflect the general U.S. population per the 2010 census. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.6 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Dunham+Company, the Dallas-based sponsor of the study, is a global consulting firm specializing in helping nonprofits in their fundraising and marketing. For more information, visit http://www.dunhamandcompany.com.

Though crucial to effective recruitment, USPs are often far less clear than organizations think they are. To assess yours, show promotional materials to someone who is not familiar with your organization and ask them to state your USP in one sentence. If they can’t do it, your copy needs more work.

        The seven essential elements of an annual operational plan include:

1. Evaluating current development programs and gift data.
2. Establishing fundraising goals for the upcoming year (e.g., annual fund, planned gifts).
3. Setting quantifiable objectives that support those goals.
4. Designing action plans (fundraising strategies) that spell out how those objectives will be met (e.g., direct mail, gift clubs, phonathon).
5. Creating a yearlong calendar that identifies everything that will occur by when and who is responsible.
6. Monitoring the plan’s progress throughout the year and making adjustments as needed.
7. Evaluating the plan at year’s end in light of what was achieved or fell short of expectations.

Major gifts need real relationships, not virtual ones, says Robert Moore, president and CEO of the Chicago, IL-based marketing firm Lipman Hearne. But he says virtual interactions have many benefits outside direct solicitation that should not be overlooked: They add dimension and constancy to ongoing relationships, they inform and raise awareness, and they create channels for interactive dialogue, to name just a few.

Moore addresses a variety of topics related to social media and its integration with capital campaigns and major gift fundraising.

On the most effective role for social media in a capital campaign — “While inappropriate to the actual solicitation of gifts, social media can be very helpful in the introduction, informing and engaging stages of the moves-management process. It can create a buzz about the organization that pays dividends when you get into the personal conversations of cultivation work. People feel like you are an active and relevant organization because they’ve seen you in the social media landscape, and that can be very reinforcing for a major gift officer making a pitch. Handled right, social media can really increase engagement and dialogue in a campaign.”

To discover Moore’s six additional suggestions for integrating social media with campaigns and major gifts success, see the October issue of The Major Gifts Report.

Also, check out the 49-page resource, Social Media & Communications Technology: Essential Strategies for Nonprofits and Associations.

Once an appointment has been scheduled, send a confirmation letter to Mr. Doe that sets the stage for your visit and begins to make the case for major gift support. Then, indicate that it’s your steering committee’s hope that he, his company and his foundation will each be key participants in the effort.

The confirmation letter is a forthright way of explaining the purpose of your visit and making it clear that you’re hoping for support from three separate but related sources.

Speaking of prospect management issues, now’s the perfect time to purchase this highly sought after 90-minute Webinar recording, The Donor Pipeline: Fixing the Leaks, Keeping It Flowing . You’re sure to pick up some valuable management tips and techniques from presenter John Greenhoe, CFRE during this insightful presentation.

        In addition to the wide offering of monthly newsletters, “how to” manuals and Webinars available to you, we continue to expand our products and services.

        Some of the website’s new features include:

Weekly specials  – always changing, these offers will include deals on our monthly newsletters, “how to” manuals and Webinars, recordings of past Webinars  and more!

Jobs Center – whether you’re seeking a job change or have a job opening you wish to post, be sure to check out our Jobs Center for nonprofit and association positions that are updated on a monthly basis.

Consulting, Workshops and Coaching Services  – this is a new and growing endeavor for Stevenson, Inc. If your organization has a particular need, we invite you to contact us for more information. If we can help, we will. If we can’t we’ll tell you up front.

Gift Shop – Stevenson, Inc. has partnered with Café Press to offer a wide variety of items you can purchase for donors, volunteers, members and even yourself! Café Press offers the world’s largest selection of artist-designed t-shirts, clothing, accessories, housewares and gifts.

Resources  – Learn more about companies that provide nonprofits and associations with valuable products and/or services. DonorPro is the featured company this month. In addition, you can find links to a number of organizations that offer professional development for particular careers among nonprofits and associations.

        Poke around our updated website. Let us know what you think.

Observe Businesses’ Marketing Behavior – How are area companies allocating their advertising dollars? What messages are they attempting to convey? What media outlets are they using?

By paying closer attention to the ways in which businesses attempt to reach the consumer, you can better match sponsorship opportunities with appropriate businesses. Equally important, by paying attention to businesses’ marketing behavior, you are in a better position to identify those sponsorship benefits that best meet a particular business’s wants and needs.

Sponsorship Resources – To discover how to identify and reach out to both businesses and individuals for sponsorships, get your copy of Jean Block’s Webinar recording, How to Identify, Approach and Successfully Enlist More Sponsors or purchase your copy of Stevenson, Inc.’s 47-page resource, All About Sponsorships, 2^nd edition. Or….. get both resources and save 15 percent!

        Jean’s 90-minute Webinar recording answers these and other questions:

• What are sponsors looking for when choosing a nonprofit to partner with?
• How do I give sponsors the appropriate benefits?
• How should I approach potential sponsors?
• How do I find the ‘right’ sponsors?

        Pulawski says a prospect management system is not a way to measure things — contacts, visits, etc. — but rather “a system of managing the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of prospective donors through strategic actions designed to move each prospect toward the fullest possible relationship with your organization.”

        Pulawski says a management system should be able to answer specific, practical questions such as:

        1.    How many prospects are in the solicitation pipeline?

        2.    How many major gifts are being solicited or planned?

        3.    How many of those solicitations were successful? What is our yield?

        4.    How many prospects have been identified for specific projects?

        5.    What proportion of dollars is actually being raised through development efforts?

        6.    How much revenue can be projected for a year or campaign?

        7.    How is staff performing against goals?

        8.    What activities are most effective with different types of prospects?

        9.    Are there enough prospects to meet organizational needs?

        10.  Are quality major gift prospects being neglected?

Source: Christina Pulawski, Principle, Christina Pulawski Consulting, Chicago, IL. Website: www.pulawski.com

Want more prospect research ideas and strategies? Check out Stevenson, Inc.’s newly-published manual, Prospect Research Fundamentals, 4^th edition.

        Protectors include those who prefer to go for the sure bet and tend to shy away from risks. They tend to protect their turf and focus on what’s necessary to meet minimum expectations.

        Builders on the other hand, are made up for people willing to take risks, big risks. They might prefer to go after the more elusive prospect capable of making a seven-figure gift than to focus on those who they can count on for small but dependable contributions. The builder will take on an extraordinarily challenging goal without the fear of failure. Their aim is not so much to meet expectations as it is to accomplish more than has ever been accomplished in the past.

        When it comes to your own work, what do you see yourself as… a protector or a builder?