So, where were you on the big night?
Howard Lake | 21 January 2009 | Blogs
No, I was at a packed cultivation meeting for a charity called Trafford Hall. And when the invitees knew it was The Inauguration they still came. Okay, it was in Kensington Palace hosted by Richard Rogers, but rarely have I attended a little known charity reception with so few drop-outs on the night – two to be precise.
The striking acceptance rate and the low drop-out rate both had the same cause. Potential attendees were phoned personally by people who knew them and felt it was important they attend. Perhaps we (or maybe I) have become used to accepting a low success rate for cultivation events, and this really startled me. So, now I’m back to the personal with my clients – that phone is going to be placed in the hands of the hosts and key organisers until their fingers seize up.
And the inaugural speech itself – doesn’t it just lend itself to be adapted by every client to their own organisation and learnt by heart. Why should you give to us? Let me tell you now…
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John Baguley www.internationalfundraisingconsultancy.com
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.