540. How It's Built: How to Grow Your Mid-Level Donor Relationships Through 5-Minute Conversations - Kel Haney

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Overview

Meet Kel. She empowers nonprofits to grow their mid-level donor relationships through 5-Minute Fundraising Asks (over the phone!) 📞 She’s personally made over 20,000 fundraising asks and trained nonprofit organizations to raise almost $20M (primarily in donations under $2.5K)❗ Ring, ring, it’s Kel calling and she has a refreshing alternative to scripted calls, shifting fundraising conversations away from transactional encounters and toward relationship-building opportunities. Tune in to learn how to craft a compelling story within a short call, develop trust from the get-go, and personalize each interaction to resonate with donors.

💡Learn

The Impact + Case for Building Your Mid-Level Strategy
The Playbook: 5-minute Fundraising Asks
Pro Tips + Lessons Learned

Today’s Guest

Kel Haney, Fundraising Consultant & Trainer

“I don’t even worry about the results, because they will always follow if we’re focusing on the long term relationship.”

— Kel Haney, Fundraising Consultant, & Trainer

Episode Transcript

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Episode Highlights

Kel’s story and journey to where we are today (3:00)
Kel’s favorite recent Broadway plays (7:00)
The importance of connecting with mid-level donors (8:55)
Mindsets + methodology of the 5-minute Fundraising Ask (18:10)
How it’s Built: 5-minute Fundraising Ask (21:10)
Kel’s Pro Tips (30:15)
Lessons learned about growing mid-level strategy (33:40)
A powerful story of philanthropy in Kel’s life (37:40)
Kel’s One Good Thing: The five-minute fundraising ask takes practice and we need to be kind to ourselves. (40:35)
How to connect with Kel (43:35)

Impactful Quotes

"We need to find a way to connect with mid level, I feel like this messy middle nickname is sticks for a reason." -Kel

“Focus on the forest that is building this relationship, as opposed to the tree that is this one time we're engaging with them." -Kel

“Every single person is a fundraiser. Every single person is an advocate for the org, whether they ever make an ask or not.” -Kel

“If we're really being authentic, vulnerable, and specific with the human in front of us on that call, it is so intimate and so immediate, and we feel it.” -Kel

"I don't even worry about the results, because they will always follow if we're focusing on the long term relationship." -Kel

“The phone is not a silver bullet. It has to be a part of your larger communications cadence.” -Kel

“Voicemails are exceptionally effective. It’s going to take you 75-90 seconds to leave a voicemail, follow the same arc with a specific numerical ask, and share that it is in an email at the top of their inbox.” -Kel

Remember to be kind to ourselves. This is really hard and vulnerable and it's gonna take practice.” -Kel

“Pick up the phone.” -Kel

How it’s Built: 5-Minute Fundraising Asks👇

4 Tentpoles when you’re on a 5-minute fundraising call

You don’t have to make a script!
Follow the tent poles and the conversation with stay fluid and human.

Establish trust and rapport in the first 15 seconds
- Kel recommends greeting the donor by name, introducing yourself and your role, thanking them if they've donated before, and asking if it's a good time to talk.
  - Assume you’re talking to the person on the list
  - Set the stage - you are the host of the call
  - Front-load with a lot of information
Share updates about the organization
- Provide wins, experiential opportunities, leadership changes, etc.
  - Share about any kind of leadership and internal transitions - we aren’t clear enough with our community about the turnover rate and why that happens
- Share why you're fundraising currently - campaign goals, amount needed, and timeline
Make the ask

Thank the donor for listening, restate fundraising details, and say "Is there a world where you would do [increased gift amount] today?"
- The hardest part of the fundraising ask is holding the silence after posing the ask question to the donor. This part that requires the most practice, as it can feel uncomfortable to pause and let the donor think about their response without immediately filling the silence.

Wrap up and establish next steps

Thank the donor for their time, confirm or schedule your next touchpoint, and do any CRM updates like verifying contact info

Pro Tips:

Never comment on the amount of the ask, as it can cut donations in half. Don't personalize the numerical ask for yourself.
- Remember the "Blue Jeans theory" - that we don't know how someone relates to money, regardless of their income level or background.
Leave voicemails that are 75-90 seconds long and include a specific numerical ask. Follow up with a personalized email the same day.
- This is best for community members who already have an established relationship with the organization, such as past donors or active supporters.
- It's not recommended for first-time donors who don't have a previous relationship.