Taken From: Taken From:

Influence: Science Influence: Science & Practice & Practice

By Robert By Robert Cialdini Cialdini
Rose Lester, President Rose Lester, President
Lester Consulting Group, Inc. Lester Consulting Group, Inc.
The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
Planned Gifts
Major Gifts
Capital Campaigns
(Special Events)
THE FUND RAISING PYRAMID
By Potential Dollars
Direct Mail
Annual Gifts
Cost of Raising One Dollar
Cost of Raising One Dollar
Direct Mail Direct Mail $1.50 $1.50
Special Events Special Events $ .50 $ .50
Annual Fund Annual Fund $ .25 $ .25
Planned Giving Planned Giving $ .20 $ .20
Corporate/Foundation Grants Corporate/Foundation Grants $ .20 $ .20
Major Gifts/Capital Campaigns Major Gifts/Capital Campaigns $ .15 $ .15
Institutions seeking to improve fundraising efficiency should
direct the majority of their resources to major-donor programs.
Average Budgetary Allocation and Giving, by Activity
N = 282 hospitals
Major Gifts, Planned Giving,
Capital Campaigns
Special Events, Annual
Campaigns
Other
Just over a fourth of total spending
generates almost half of all giving
Source: DeWolfe J, RH Greenwood, JF Hansen, Going to the Next Level: Changing Your
Institutions Focus on Philanthrophy to Dramatically Increase the Size and Number of Major
Gifts.
The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
Six Rules of Persuasion: Ethical Influence
Liking
Reciprocity
Social Proof
Consistency
Authority
Scarcity
The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
Liking: Liking: people prefer to say yes to individuals
they know, are similar to, and they like.
Applications:
role of board in prospect identification
key relationships: family, friends, peers,
colleagues
cultivation process: briefings etc.
prospect identification & assignment
solicitation teams
13%
87%
No
Yes
Leveraging Existing Relationships
Was a Relationship Essential to the Realization of a Major Gift?
Vast majority of gifts
would not have
happened without
[the relationship]
N=149 gifts
Source: The Advisory Board Survey Largest Gifts.
36%
35%
Three or More
Two
Value of Peer-to-Peer Solicitations
Number of Relationships Important or Essential to Donor Attachment
Per Top Gift
Nearly 3/4 of top
donor relationships
rely on two or more
Individual relationships
N=139 gifts
29%
One
Source: The Advisory Board Survey Largest Gifts
The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
Reciprocity: people try to repay in kind, what
another person has provided them.
Applications:
grateful students & families
board relationships
relationships of obligation
cultivation events
solicitation events
The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
Social Proof: people view a behavior as correct
in a given situation to the degree
that they see others performing it.
Applications:
board commitments
commitment of the family
cultivation event testimonials
list of board members
list of major gift donors
The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
Consistency: once people make a choice or take a
stand, they encounter personal and
interpersonal pressure to behave
consistently with that commitment.
Applications:
planning study research
focus groups, cultivations, briefings
testimonials: CD ROM, brochure
solicitation tours

The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
Authority: people tend to defer to legitimate
authorities as a decision making
shortcut.
Applications:
first, only, biggest, best (quantifiable)
briefings/solicitation events
leadership, faculty, community
testimonials
volunteer leadership
The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
Scarcity: opportunities seem more valuable
when they are less available or would
not be available otherwise.
Applications:
service gap (unmet need)
the only
significant consequences
limitation or reduction of services
the margin of excellence

The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion
The Principle of
Rejection - Then - Retreat
How a request is framed will determine the outcome.
Applications:
the strategy of thinking big
the benefits of rejection
a fall back position
packaging
Taken From: Taken From:
Influence: Science Influence: Science & Practice & Practice
By Robert By Robert Cialdini Cialdini
Rose Lester, President Rose Lester, President
Lester Consulting Group, Inc. Lester Consulting Group, Inc.
The Power of Persuasion
The Power of Persuasion