Using the phone to contact trusts and foundations

Using the phone to contact trusts and foundations is an essential skill for those looking to raise more money.  But since I wrote the original version of this article a few years ago, we’ve moved to a much more instant message / email culture.

In just a few short years, it can now feel counterintuitive to pick up the phone and call someone without warning them ahead of time of your intentions!

Many fundraisers have reported a lack of success when using the phone to contact trusts and foundations (in that at best no one answers and at worst, the line simply goes dead).  It’s demotivating and frustrating and in the presence of a contact email address, all too tempting to skip the phone call altogether.

With nearly twenty years as a trust fundraiser under my belt, I still believe that using the phone is an essential tactic in trust fundraising, guaranteed to increase the chance of success more than any other.

As a post-redundancy David Brent and his dog are chastised for ‘not calling ahead’ before popping into the office for a catch up with his business besties, we trust fundraisers should ALWAYS be looking for an excuse to call ahead before writing.

I would advise approaching every potential funder with the mindset that you will be making contact if possible.

Why should I be using the phone to contact trusts and foundations?

LOADS of reasons!  The main ones being:

• You get the opportunity to clarify information about a trust’s application process (and subsequent confidence that you’re sending them the right information in their preferred format)
• You can pre-qualify your eligibility.  Imagine not doing this, labouring over an application only to realise that you would never have succeeded and that a quick phone call could have cleared this up before you put the work in.
• You’re likely to pick up information to make your application even more relevant to a particular trust.
• You have the opportunity to establish an early rapport with a trust and stand out in a competitive market.

‘No one answers any more’

Don’t dine out on this bulls**t because picking up the phone feels scary (and I empathise because even after 20 years of doing this work, I still find it totally scary sometimes!).   

Whilst it’s true that not all trusts will answer when you call, some will.

Don’t remove an opportunity to raise money based on fear or on unevidenced assumptions.

Remember that trusts and foundations are not one homogenous category.  Their inherent uniqueness deserves specific research and attention to ensure that you’re meeting the needs of both your charity and theirs.

I phoned four trusts last week on behalf of my client.  Three answered:

• The first was an existing supporter who had just increased their gift – we wanted to thank them and to find out where we should send the thank you letter / project update.  I ended up in a long conversation with the receptionist who is an individual supporter of the charity and a passionate community advocate for our work.  Being able to thank her too felt like a bonus!

• The second was a local charitable trust, one we’d never before approached.  The representative invited us to send an application by email and warned us that the trustees meet only once a year so not to expect anything back immediately.  I asked if they were receiving a lot of applications at the moment – “Boxfuls!” she replied.  We then enjoyed a mutual rant about how charities send fancy brochures to trusts and how wasteful it feels (their application process is via email).  She also said that they receive very few applications from local charities which is a shame as trustees like to support organisations which are close by (I therefore tailored my subsequent application to a project in their area).

• The third was similar to the second.

Although phone calls can feel like an outdated form of communication, for many people, they’re still a preference.

Don’t decide on behalf of a trust how they want to be communicated with.  Allow them to decide whether or not they want to answer your call or not.

And remember, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take (Wayne Gretzky).

Using the phone feels so uncomfortable though…

Making these exploratory calls is often really hard. 

We trust fundraisers are often a quiet and introspective breed, our days filled with peaceful hours carefully crafting beautifully written bids which express succinctly yet passionately the virtues of the wonderful causes which we’re championing. 

Talking to humans is not a part of this right?

In the very early days of my career, I made a phone call to a charitable trust to enquire about making an application, only to be bombarded, Spanish Inquisition style with questions about our annual accounts. 

As I stumbled through my answers, the man on the end of the phone accused me of being ill informed and announced that his charity would never fund mine as a result of my lack of ability to respond to his questions. 

I can’t quite remember, but there’s every chance I cried on putting the receiver down.

Cold calling feels at best unnatural and at worst cringeworthy.  And yet charitable trusts exist to give money away to charities.  They literally NEED us in order to fulfil their purpose.  

We should not be ashamed to give funders the opportunity to engage in the life changing work which only we are doing.

Questions I regularly ask when I phone trusts and foundations:

• Could I speak to someone about the XYZ Charitable Trust please (Don’t always assume that the person listed as contact is the contact, they might not be, it sometimes takes a while for details to be updated on the Charity Commission website)
• Do you accept unsolicited applications (for many years I assumed they did and went straight on in with my pitch, however I think this question is a good way to establish from the off whether the door is open or closed)?
• Could you tell me a bit about the application process please?
• When are the trustees next meeting?
• Something specific relating directly to their criteria / your charity to demonstrate that you’ve done your research (e.g. I notice that you fund lots of projects which support children who have mental ill health.  Our charity does this, however we’re based in Cornwall which is a long way from you – does that matter?)

How can I feel more confident when I’m using the phone (aka the ‘confidence checklist’)?

• Do a bit of planning, research the charity, check you fit the criteria, make sure you’re asking a question which isn’t already answered online
• Write yourself a little script with space for the answers
• Find a quiet space
• STAND in your power, yep.  Stand up.  You’ve got this.
• Prepare for your calls the night before so you can get them out of the way first thing in the morning.  Eat that frog.
• Speak slowly, listen and remember what they’ve told you (write it down as soon as you’re off the call)
• Refer to your conversation in your cover letter and thank the person who spoke to you (so remember to get their name!)

There is a divide between the people who do trust fundraising well and those who don’t (Ouch!)  The contact made before the letter gets sent is a huge part of this division.

In a world where around 1 in 10 cold approaches to charitable trusts are now successful, emails won’t cut it anymore (you’ll likely get an auto response or none at all). 

Trust fundraisers can no longer hide behind our wordsmithery, using the excuse of shyness as a reason not to get in touch with someone who likely receives more funding applications each day than the King receives cards on his birthday.

This is an important and inescapable part of your job if you want to stand out and succeed.  So many trust fundraisers think they can get away with not doing it. 

These fundraisers will struggle for success in the long term in the way that the brave types who are willing to do the hard thing won’t (again – ouch…)

The personality you’re able to offer through a brief phone call will make you stand out over and above the competition, and I don’t mean that you have to be Alison Hammond or RuPaul – you are perfect as you are).  This a competitive world where more people than ever are seeking funding for good causes.

A quick tip to help you practise

So you’ve decided to give it a try and to phone more trusts in advance of making an application?

Good for you – using the phone to contact trusts and foundations is a classic (yet simple) move which will help you to do better fundraising (promise).

For me, it feels so much easier to phone a trust that is already supporting your charity.  You’re more likely to get through to the person that makes the decisions, and more likely to receive a warm reception.

Give them a call simply to say thank you for a recent gift and to ask about the process for sending a simple update (email or post?  Who knows which they prefer unless you ask first?).

In summary

Using the phone to contact trusts and foundations is a fantastic way to improve your trust fundraising practice.

• Remember all the great reasons for giving this a try
• Don’t make the decision on behalf of a trust that they don’t want to receive your call.  Let them choose.
• Acknowledge that feeling awkward is not a reason to dodge the hard thing.
• Do some research and prepare your questions in advance
• Revisit the confidence checklist beforehand
• Practise with existing supporters

As with anything challenging, gaining experience through regular practice will make the process much easier. 

I believe in you!