Jak uspořádat úspěšný call-a-thon [+ Vzorový scénář] aneb nebojte se občas dárcům zavolat

Are you afraid of calling donors? We get it. Many of us feel the same way. But telefundraising results speak in hard numbers, so we’d like to offer the idea of psyching yourself up now and then and adding occasional phone calls to supporters or donors into your fundraising mix. Today we’ll introduce one of its formats—the phone-a-thon (also called a call-a-thon). In this article, we’ll explain what a call-a-thon is, its pros and cons, when it pays to use one, and we’ll also share a sample conversation script for donor calls.

At our international fundraising webinar, four nonprofits from Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and the Czech Republic shared their experience running a call-a-thon during their year-end campaign. They described the results as amazing and consider calling donors an indispensable part of success.

For example, when the organization Freedom for Animals (Svoboda zvířat) ran a call-a-thon at the start of their year-end 2023 campaign, they gained 300 new donors, of which 272 came from email, 17 from telefundraising, and 8 from social media. It’s worth noting these were recurring donors, so the amount raised from a single call-a-thon grows over the months into a significant revenue stream.

What is a call-a-thon?

A call-a-thon is an event where staff, volunteers, and anyone willing to call donors get together and collectively call a larger number of people. Typically everyone calls at the same time in one place, but you can also call individually while staying connected, for example, on an online call.

When to use a call-a-thon:

To secure your first donors in the pre-launch phase of your (not only) fundraising campaign. Remember to start with your warmest contacts and work your way toward colder ones. Offer your most loyal supporters the chance to inspire others; you can also try arranging a matching campaign where a company or major donor adds a crown for every crown donated during the campaign. It’s also more pleasant to start by calling those with the highest likelihood of success.
Reconnect with one-time donors to propose strategic support for your cause and setting up a recurring gift.
Call current recurring donors to ask for an increase to their existing gift (an “upgrade”).
Thank donors for their support! A phone call where you’re not asking for anything—just thanking them and briefly asking for their opinion on your organization’s issue—creates a wonderful opportunity to deepen the relationship. And in fundraising, relationship and trust are everything. If you’re thinking about organizing your first call-a-thon, this might be the most approachable version.
Win back lapsed donors. Sometimes a donor doesn’t even realize their gift has ended. Call everyone who recently stopped giving or who hasn’t donated for a while and ask, for example, what led to their decision to end their support. You may win some back—perhaps thanks to your new campaign.
Beyond fundraising, you can also call supporters with information about your campaign work (e.g., on human rights, animal rights, etc.).

What do you need to prepare?

A list of donors/supporters to call
An approximate call script
The most common or expected questions from your supporters
A system for recording call outcomes—your CRM or a shared Excel sheet
Great snacks and plenty of water

How effective are phone-a-thons for nonprofit fundraising?

If you prepare properly and run it well, a call-a-thon can become one of the most effective tools in your fundraising. Like any method, it has pros and cons to consider.

Advantages

It’s inexpensive.
Calling doesn’t cost much, especially if volunteers use their own phones.
Simple to organize.
You need a group of callers, a script, and a donor list with phone numbers. You’ll also need a donor database that lets you store and manage donor information easily and securely. At the beginning, an Excel sheet can suffice.
A good way to connect with older donors.
Older generations are more open to unexpected calls and likely appreciate the effort. A personalized call script that includes how their past gifts helped builds a stable relationship and motivation to keep giving.

Disadvantages

Less effective with younger generations.
A call-a-thon is a more traditional fundraising method. Younger people are less accustomed to unsolicited phone calls and may be less willing to pick up. Still, it’s worth testing with your audience.
Caller motivation needs to come through.
During the event, keep reminding yourselves why you’re doing it, what the goal is, and maintain good spirits and motivation among callers. That energy will carry into conversations with donors and make it easier not to get discouraged by rejection. Fundraisers are used to hearing “no” and can handle it; with volunteers or other staff, it’s helpful to offer as much support as possible.

7 steps to planning and running a successful Phone-A-Thon

Set clear goals.
As with any planning, set a clear goal based on your campaign type. It might be the amount raised, the number of new recurring donors, or the number of petition signatures. Start with a conservative estimate and increase it by 20%. The goal shouldn’t scare or demotivate you—it should help you stay on track and measure success afterward.
Write a script (call script).
Preparing a standardized script for callers ensures consistent messaging and reduces pressure on callers, especially volunteers. The most effective scripts include a story about how your organization helped someone. But don’t talk only about yourselves—the central hero of the call is always your donor.
Choose the right time.
Think about when it will be appropriate to call most of your donors. This will help you schedule calling times. In our region, that will likely be normal business hours, though people may be busy and you might need to call back. Calls at 7 p.m. or on weekends usually won’t delight anyone.
Select and prepare your callers.
Callers can be any of your staff, team leads, and/or volunteers. Make sure they’re well prepared and have answers to likely questions.
Donor lists.
Prepare your lists well in advance. Segment them into categories such as: donors who recently ended their support, current donors, major donors, and donors who have provided matching in the past.
Link to your project on Darujme.cz.
Send supporters a link to your donation page—whether it’s on your own domain or simply hosted on Darujme.cz.
Track donor communications.
Track all communication with donors so you know how often you’re reaching out. After the call-a-thon, add these notes to your CRM.

Sample call-a-thon script

Introduction

“Hello, [Donor’s Name]! My name is [Caller’s Name], and I’m calling on behalf of [Organization Name].”

Describe the new campaign

“Thanks to your past gifts, we’ve been able to [describe the impact]. Without your support, we would never have been able to [a short story about someone you helped or something your organization recently accomplished].”

Ask for a gift

“We hope you’ll consider supporting our new effort. We need to raise funds for [New initiative] because [Urgent reason].”

Thank them for a gift

“Thank you so much for your continued support, [Donor’s Name]. We’re grateful to have such generous donors.”

Thank them for their time (if no gift)

“Thank you for your time, [Donor’s Name]. I hope you’ll consider our campaign online. You can find it [describe how to find it on your website or on Darujme.cz].”

4 tips to prepare callers for questions and objections

Give callers the script in advance.
This gives them time to study and practice so they won’t be nervous.
Start with practice calls.
Try calling each other first and rehearse different call scenarios and how to respond.
Prepare a fundraising kit for callers.
The kit should include basic information about your organization and specific messaging about the current campaign.
Create a Q&A list.
Put together the questions donors might have and create a list of simple answers for callers.

Remember, the first pancake is always the hardest! The second time, preparing a call-a-thon will take half the time, and by the third time it will be a piece of cake. And if you give it a go, let us know!

Already using Darujme.cz? Read our internal newsletter, follow the blog posts, and check out more tips on our social media. We cover telefundraising in detail at seminars with Martina Neradová, and nonprofits regularly share their experiences in case-study webinars.

Sources used:

Donorbox.com
International webinar on 21 May 2024 at Darujme.cz with Dominika Juhásová (then at Freedom for Animals / Svoboda zvířat)
Webinar on 22 November 2023 at Darujme.cz with Martina Neradová