How to Write a Script for an Annual Fund Drive

Aside from raising money, the goal of an annual fund drive call is to reach your community and generate instant recognition --"Oh! You're that group!"--so that you remind people about your role in community life. Make your script brief, direct and upbeat, End it with a direct pitch, which is a request for support. Before starting to call, your volunteers must practice the script and pitch several times so they can be natural and comfortable during the call.

Instructions

1. Write an introduction that includes the caller's affiliation with the organization. When someone picks up the phone you only have a few seconds to engage her and the best way to do this is to make the call personal. An enthusiastic introduction is contagious, it makes the person receiving the call share the excitement about your group. "Hello, my name is Jenny and I'm a volunteer with the Springfield Senior Center" is more engaging than "I'm calling on behalf of the Springfield Senior Center."

2. List your organization or charity's most memorable accomplishments over the past year. These might include community events high-profile work and the accomplishments of your most signature program. You'll need a few different items for your callers to talk about, with each described briefly and in terms of its key accomplishments. Give your callers an additional line in the script such as, "we would be happy to put some information about that program in the mail to you" for those who want to know more detailed information about your group's programs.

3. Quantify each accomplishment. For your script to "hook" the person being called, each accomplishment must have a quantity that demonstrates the scope of your organization's work. For example, "we delivered 7,824 meals to homebound seniors" is more compelling than "we delivered a lot of meals to homebound seniors."

4. Personalize each accomplishment with real-life examples. Let the person you are calling know what difference your organization is making in human terms, as though you were talking about a friend. "Sam is only one of the 359 kids who learned to paint and draw in our after-school art classes. Now he draws every day, and his mother tells us Sam's attention span in school has also improved." It is acceptable to make up names if you feel uncomfortable sharing actual information. However, using real examples from your programs is more convincing.

5. Create a strong pitch to end the phone call. Giving the volunteers a brief and direct way to ask for support, such as, "we do all of our great work with the support of community members like you." That is simple, natural and understandable. The phone call should ideally only take a few minutes and your callers need to get to the pitch quickly and deliver it in a conversational manner. Provide a list of ways to contribute -- by check, by credit card, on a monthly payment plans, or making pledges that they can pay within a defined period of time, such as a month or by the end of the annual fund campaign.

6. Write responses to commonly asked questions about your organization. Common questions callers might hear include "does your organization receive money from the government/city/taxpayers?" and "I would like to donate goods (such as clothes, food, or furniture) -- can I do that instead of making a donation?" Have clear, one-sentence responses based on your organization's policies.

7. Draft responses to the most common negative reasons that callers give for not making a donation. Inevitably your callers will hear that the person has a lot of bills to pay or is putting the kids through school. Give the people calling a way to respond to these, such as "would you be able to make a contribution in a few months" or "would you be able contribute a smaller amount?" You are likely to turn some "no" responses into "yes" ones.

Tips & Warnings

• Always rehearse the script with volunteers so they sound natural and comfortable. Callers can personalize the script but the ideal delivery is organized and concise. Typically this follows a formula of introduction-accomplishment-accomplishment-pitch. This is easiest for the person on the other end to understand and it gets to the point quickly.

• The tone of the script should always be positive, upbeat, and appropriately respectful. Never be aggressive or negative. Saying that the organization will have to close if it does not raise money is usually counter productive.

• Although you can assume that if a person has given in the past that he is supportive and simply needs a practical way to give again, do not go too far. If someone cannot give, thank them for their time and move on to another call. Being too persistent can alienate people and defeat your purpose of engaging community members in your organization's work.