The Art of Selling

Robin Acker, project director of San Francisco's Edgewood Center for Children/Families, may be a social worker by profession but she got valuable, though radically different skills from her used-car dealer father - the art of selling. These skills have translated into a lucrative, in-kind donation program - 35 percent of her programs' resources are from individual and corporate donations.

The simple rules of selling apply equally well to the world of fundraising: know your audience, put your request in concrete terms, and the "sale" doesn't end with receipt of the donation. Acker understands that most people have a core desire to help those in need. She accepts all volunteer or donation offers and creates space for them in her program. All offers, no matter the size, are acknowledged with equal gratitude, allowing givers to feel connected and useful.

Take, for example, the way she approached the enrichment aspect of the YVPP grant. She recruited student volunteers from schools in affluent neighboring communities. The volunteer time commitment was stated in concrete terms: six to eight weeks. There was a stated beginning and end and a means to fulfill the students' community service component of their curriculum. She recognized that recruiting in this manner might lead to an additional donor base - that of the volunteer students. So, to tap into this potential source, she sent an "atta-boy/girl" picture of each student hard at work in the volunteer program to the student and his or her parents along with a request for additional support.

Other specific tips from Acker for generating in-kind donations include the following:

• Make your request very concrete and specific, for example, 20 toothbrushes, holiday gift baskets, back-to-school kits, eye exams, six to eight weeks of volunteering. If a request is too general, the giver may feel that no matter what they give it won't be enough to solve the overwhelming need. A very specific request has the advantage of allowing a donor to feel connected and useful in a very real way. Help donors experience this satisfaction by showing them evidence they have helped - a photo or a thank you from a recipient goes a long way. It also paves the way back to the same donor for future requests.
• Ask, Ask, Ask. You'll have more successes than rejections over the long haul. If you do get rejected, move on. Perhaps a donor can't help you with the specific request you've made, but maybe there's something else on your list they can provide.
• Be as responsive to those who provide the donations as to those who need the donations.