The Pentera Blog
COVID-19 - Claudine and Lynn Ierardi Discuss Making Phone Calls to Donors Now—But Not Making Phone Calls the New Normal
In the second of a series of discussions with other industry experts, Pentera CEO Claudine Donikian recently spoke with Lynn Malzone Ierardi, director of gift planning at the University of Pennsylvania and Pentera seminar instructor, about her experience with donors during these uncertain times due to the coronavirus. Here are excerpts from their conversation.
Claudine: Lynn, I have written some recommendations to our clients regarding how to work with donors during these unprecedented times; and in addition to that, I also wanted to speak with clients and other people in the field regarding their recent experiences for additional thoughts. My experience with you while we were on the CGP national board together was that you always have wonderful ideas and offer such good pragmatic advice. I’d love to hear about your experience and what’s been happening with your donors. Tell me a bit about that.
Lynn: This is a difficult time for all of us. But we should continue to engage with our donors. Obviously, we are not able to move forward with face-to-face visits and events. Our annual legacy luncheon scheduled for April, a significant event for the gift planning team and for our donors, has been canceled. A few weeks ago, we looked at the RSVPs received to date—and quite a few had already indicated that they were coming. So, before we put out an e-mail blast canceling the luncheon, we picked up the phone and called each and every person who said they were coming to let them know personally. We split the list among the gift planning fundraisers; I had about 20 calls to make. I was able to reach almost every single person on my list; I had to leave a voice mail for just one person.
Claudine: That’s fantastic stewardship, to reach out that way. And you were able to actually speak to so many people.
Lynn: Yes! Our constituency is home and perhaps more than ever, we are able to reach them by phone.
Claudine: One of the things I am telling our clients in regard to stewardship is that this may be a good time to reach out to your donors and connect with them—though not to ask for gifts unless they lead the conversation that way.
Lynn: I agree–it is a very important time to stay engaged with your donors. They are your organization’s closest friends. I’m sure you’re reaching out to family and friends to check on them during this difficult time. We should do the same on behalf of our organization. Don’t assume that people don’t want to hear from us. We are approaching it like when we went through the recession in 2008/2009. We were in the midst of a campaign then—just like now. We are reaching out and listening to people. While we are careful not to ask for a gift per se, we will continue to engage people. And we will continue to move along gift agreements where people are already defining the plans for their gift. If they are ready to finalize the terms, we will continue that discussion and process–but they set the pace.
Claudine: What kind of feedback did you get when you called to cancel the luncheon?
Lynn: The response of the donors when I made those calls about canceling the legacy event was very positive. They were appreciative of the call, especially the personal attention. And they were relieved. One 88-year-old donor said, “Thank you for canceling.”
We always have a guest speaker at the luncheon, and we often have students highlighting a student project on campus. We have talked about several possible options to offer over the next few months to those who planned to attend the event—including a virtual gathering or a video from the speaker or information about the student projects we were going to feature. And we have talked about the possibility of mailing a tchotchke at some point; we always have one at the luncheon.
Claudine: What about your marketing publications? I am advising our clients, at least for now, to continue to send the educational information that donors are accustomed to receiving. These marketing materials at their core are educational. Being sensitive to the times is very important; and with the recent passing of the CARES Act, there’s an opportunity to inform donors about the charitable implications—which is timely, neutral, and educational news.
Lynn: Yes, we want them to get something, but we are being careful about the messaging. We aren’t making a direct ask. We are going ahead with broader topics—more educational, as you say. Our donors look to Penn for news, and they also look to us for inspiration.
Claudine: Are you hearing much from donors? I have heard from clients that a lot of donors are reaching out.
Lynn: Oh, yes. Many donors have reached out. Some had visits scheduled or pending; they called to say their plans have changed, obviously, and they are not coming to campus—but would like to set up a phone call. In some cases, donors are reaching out and to say, “I still want to talk to you.”
Claudine: I know you want to maintain some level of normality with your donors. How are you doing that with your office closed?
Lynn: I have access to almost everything I could access at my desk. I can pull open that donor’s record, I can access their K-1s, and I can share information as needed. We are even video chatting with people we were scheduled to visit face to face. Webinars have become very popular, so we’re looking to add those too. The idea is to keep normality going; that can be really helpful. Our donors appreciate the personal touch. A very sweet donor told one of my colleagues “it’s so nice to hear your soothing voice.”
Claudine: You’re an expert on storytelling. In fact, you recently wrote a wonderful book, Storytelling: The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success. How are you seeing stories be helpful right now in your work? Or what stories do you foresee being told as a result of the pandemic?
Lynn: Thanks, Claudine. I am passionate about storytelling—it’s really the best way for us to engage and learn from each other. I’m already seeing stories as an important tool in the response to the pandemic. As we engage with donors, we are inviting them to share their stories. How is your family and how are you coping? What are you struggling with? We are connecting with donors at a very personal level by sharing stories.
We are also hearing stories about donors making gifts that will have an impact on the fight against the virus. Gifts that provide important medical equipment, funds for research, critical resources for those in need, and more. These stories provide encouragement and hope at a time when we desperately need it. When we get through to the other side of this crisis, it will be important to continue to share the stories.
We will share stories of how we struggled, who the heroes were, and how we managed to get through it.
Claudine: Those are excellent points, Lynn, and I think people will find these insights really helpful. I can already see the wonderful and inspirational donor stories that clients will be able to use in the marketing pieces we create for them and in one-on-one conversations with their donors. What final thoughts do you have for us?
Lynn: We have adapted quickly to working from home and connecting virtually. One of my concerns is whether this is going to create a new normal: “We can do all this virtually; we don’t need to get together with donors.” I hope we don’t adjust that way. We are human beings, and we thrive on personal connection; we don’t want to create a new normal that diminishes that connection. While it’s the best we can do for now, we can’t fall into the trap that a phone call is just as good visiting with donors face to face sitting in their living rooms. One of my favorite quotes is from Jerold Panas who was a fundraising icon. I attended a training session back in the early 1990s when I was new to fundraising, and I’ve never forgotten his words. As I recall it, he said “You don’t get milk by sending a letter. You don’t get milk by calling on the phone. The only way to get milk from a cow is to sit by its side and milk it.” In this difficult time, we are not writing or calling donors to ask for gifts. But I look forward to the days when I can once again get out from behind my desk!
Lynn’s book, Storytelling: The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success, is available here on Amazon.
Recommendations to clients from Pentera CEO Claudine Donikian
These are unprecedented times because of the rapidly changing landscape due to the coronavirus. We have the following recommendations for our valued clients:
- Steward donors. Personal updates about happenings at your organization and letting them know that you will be rescheduling any canceled events will be reassuring.
- Schedule phone or virtual meeting with planned gift donors. Scheduling calls and using other technology such as Facetime with donors would be the preferred alternative, even with local donors.
- Serve as a resource to donors. While only the occasional gift can be traced directly to the marketing resources we provide, it’s important to remember that those resources lay the fundamental groundwork for planned gifts by educating your constituents about estate and financial planning and prompting them to take action. You can and should provide this valuable educational resource to your constituents, and your office should remember its main purpose is to serve as a resource as well.
- Make sure that your messaging is timely. Uncertain economic times are usually ideal for featuring gift annuities and charitable remainder annuity trusts that provide fixed income. Or donors may want to make a revocable gift such as a bequest provision or a beneficiary designation. However, given the current environment, a more timely approach would be to inform donors about the charitable implications of the CARES Act.
- Help donors take the long view regarding life-income gifts and provide reassurance to your donors about them.
Read the details of these recommendations here.
Biography of Lynn Malzone Ierardi, JD
Lynn Malzone Ierardi has been in the estate and gift planning field for more than 25 years, serving as director of gift planning for the University of Pennsylvania since 2005. She previously held gift planning positions in health and higher education, served as vice president with the Merrill Lynch Center for Philanthropy, and practiced estate planning and real estate law. Lynn is a past board member and past president of the Gift Planning Council of New Jersey and a past board member of the Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia. She is a member of the CGP Leadership Institute and was the president of the CGP national board. She has presented at conferences and meetings on a variety of gift planning topics, and she recently published a book on nonprofit storytelling. Lynn is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law.
