When non-profit organizations run a fundraising campaign, a lot of work goes into every aspect of it, from conception to final accounting and delivery. First, a decision must be made on what your fundraiser will sell. Then, the rest of the details come into play. How long will you sell for? How do you set up the fundraiser, and make sure every member of your group has what they need? It’s a lot to handle, and sometimes important details can get lost in the hustle and bustle of a fundraiser launch. However, one thing that every non-profit should seriously consider is a uniform sales script for all of your participants to use when making sales.

Why should you design a sales script for your selling members? After all, you may be thinking, it can’t be that hard, or make that much of a difference. Say who you are, say what you’re selling and voila! The reality, unfortunately, is a little more complicated than that. Some people are truly, deeply shy. For these individuals, door to door sales can seem akin to torture. For them, providing a sales script can make them feel more confident, and provide a good launching pad for a great sale. Even the most energetic, enthusiastic members of your team (who may be mostly or all children) may use a selling technique that is less likely to get results. I’ve opened the door many times to a nervous looking teen with a brochure who blurts out, “You want to buy some candy?” This is understandably confusing, and doesn’t answer any of the unspoken questions.

People are impressed by professionalism, especially in young people. Just because someone is young, it doesn’t mean they can’t sell well, and a script can help them do that. Practice, practice, practice – and then sell! While there are many approaches to fundraising sales pitches, an effective script might go something like this.

Sarah: (knocks on door)

Homeowner: Hello?

Sarah: Hello, my name is Sarah, and I’m with the City Girls Junior Soccer League. We’re selling value priced liquid laundry detergent to help our team afford new uniforms and equipment for the upcoming season. Would you be interested in supporting us?

Now, Sarah wouldn’t be alone (safety first), and the conversation hopefully wouldn’t end here. Team members can’t be expected to memorize a long script – that’s why the introductory part is free. Beyond that, provide them with brochures and other promotional items that lay out the details, and make sure they know their product. If they can answer questions about pricing and benefits of the product, they are likely to be able to complete a successful sale after the initial speech.

So, put together a sales script. Do it with your team, or at least go through it with them. Explain what it does, and why it’s important. When people know who you are, and what you’re trying to do, they tend to want to help you. When you’re clear about what you’re offering, they’re more likely to feel comfortable considering the purchase. A sales script is a great way to ensure your team is well armed for their fundraiser from the first day to the last.

When we think of positive reinforcement, we think of children – or maybe puppies. When they do something good, reinforce it with compliments or praise, and they’ll want to continue doing the right thing. The truth is, however, that positive reinforcement works on each and every one of us, even if we don’t realize that it is. When you put forth an extra effort at work, and your boss commends you, you feel justified in having done so – and are more likely to go the extra mile in the future. These same principles work in nearly every aspect of our lives, and especially in fundraising.

The truth is that people enjoy giving. They like feeling good about helping a cause they believe in, whether it’s feeding the homeless, providing clean water to overseas communities or funding the local community theater. They enjoy feeling like they are a part of something bigger than they are. The mistake that many non-profits make is asking for the donation, explaining what they do – and then, essentially, disappearing until they want more money. Of course, that is not the non-profits intent, but it is how it might seem to a donor. They probably have questions, even if they are subconscious in nature, such as “What did you do with my first donation? How legitimate is your organization? How do I know, if I keep giving, that my hard earned money is going where you say it is?”

These insecurities and uncertainties are your biggest impediment to a larger fundraising stream and loyal donors, and guess what? They are something that is entirely, absolutely preventable. However, before you can put together a positive reinforcement campaign, you have to put yourself in the place of your donors. What do they need? They need to know more about your organization, even after the initial pitch. They need to know exactly what you’re doing, how many people you’ve helped, what you’ve accomplished. That feeling that they are a part of something bigger? It needs to be reinforced, by you, on a regular basis.

This can be done via a newsletter, preferably on a monthly basis. These newsletters can include a recap of your organization and what you do, pictures from events and projects, a special thank you note to donors, updates and more. Everything you include, and the newsletter itself, will make your donors feel like a part of your philanthropic efforts. And, when they feel like a part of something that is creating change, they will want to continue that feeling.

When you have been providing regular updates for your donors between fundraising campaigns, you have a great foundation and talking point for your next interaction with them. They will be more likely to respond to you as someone they know – instead of someone interrupting their day. You can discuss what’s been in the newsletters, and then discuss what you’re doing right now that could use their help. This positive reinforcement is an effective and common sense way to support your program and encourage growth.

If you’re like most non-profits, you have day to day expenses, short- and long-term goals for the things you want to achieve. Meeting these goals, of course, means raising those funds. Choosing a great fundraising campaign, like Good Clean Fundraising, is a vital part of your non-profits strategy and brings in a sizable and welcome infusion of funds. However, anyone who has executed a fundraising campaign knows it takes a lot of work – and, of course, you can only run your campaign for a limited time before you risk total donor burnout.

The idea of regular income is wonderful for non-profits. While regular income will likely never replace the need for fundraisers, it can ease financial stress for your organization. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at a few ideas for generating regular donor income. Today, we’ll take a look at the increasingly popular Amazon Smile program.

Since it was founding in July 1994, Amazon has become the world’s largest internet retailer. Though it started out selling only books, the company soon branched out to sell, well, just about everything. Amazon even surpassed Walmart in 2015 as the country’s most valuable retailer, but they’re doing a good job of giving back. A few years ago, Amazon launched their Amazon Smile initiative to help direct some of their profits to the charities their customers want to support. It’s innovative and, if your non-profit isn’t already involved, you should be!

People who shop on Amazon can very, very easily choose to participate in Amazon Smile by just doing their regular Amazon shopping via the company’s parallel site, smile.amazon.com. If your non-profit has registered with Amazon Smile, customers can simply choose you as the recipient of the Amazon donations generated by their purchases. For customers, there is no cost – and very little effort, simply checking the box for your charity. Amazon then deducts .5% of eligible item costs, and sets it aside for your charity. For example, I used to direct that money to the World Wildlife Fund, and switched my charity to my local school’s PTO when they registered for Amazon Smile.

So, how can your non-profit get registered as an eligible charity for Amazon Smile? In order to register, you must go to the Amazon website and search for your organization by name or EIN number. You’ll then need to create an organization administrator, confirm your email address and agree to the AmazonSmile Participation Agreement. Please note that only non-profits based in the United States are eligible for participation. Because your donations will be deposited directly into your organization’s bank account, you will also need to upload a bank statement or voided check. It’s that simple.

The thing that’s surprising, and many organizations don’t seem to realize, is your supporters who shop frequently on Amazon may not even know your organization is registered. For instance, I ran across my local school’s PTO on the list completely by accident – but there are literally hundreds of other parents at the school, not to mention teachers, grandparents, etc. When you register, then, you want to make sure everyone who supports your organization knows. Put up posters, include it in your newsletter and tell everyone you know. Some people shop very regularly on Amazon, even “subscribing” to regular shipments such as diapers.

Amazon Smile is a quick, effortless and free way for your organization to direct more money to its goals and operations without costing supporters any additional money. Sign up is quick and easy and, as every fundraising pro knows, every penny counts.