Tracking prospects

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We have just recently started tracking prospects.  My boss would like to have all the prospect managers keep a portfolio of sorts on RE.  I have already listed everyone as a prospect manager for their group of people.  He wants to eventually be able to see a report that will show him what asks will be made in the next 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc.  Essentially he wants to know where everyone is in the fundraising cycle and which prospects are coming up next for an ask.  How can I best track this so that I can report on it later?  Thanks!
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  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.



    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.



    All of this info can be exported for reporting.



    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.



    Shani

    Do you use the date field then to run reports for things 3 months out, 6 months out, etc? And yes, that presentaiton would be most helpful!

  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.



    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.



    All of this info can be exported for reporting.



    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.



    Shani

    Hi Shani, we are looking to set up processes for this very thing as well and I was wondering if you would be willing to share your presenation with me also?  Thank you in advance!

  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.



    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.



    All of this info can be exported for reporting.



    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.



    Shani

    Shani,



    I would love to have a copy of your presentation. We would like to improve upon our prospect tracking process. It sounds like our basic setup matches your recommendation.



    Thanks.



    Evelyn Cox

    CARTI Foundation
  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.



    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.



    All of this info can be exported for reporting.



    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.



    Shani

    Hi Shani,



    This is an area that I was recently tasked with as well. My background is in data management, but prospect-related data and moves management is fairly new to me. Could you please share your presentation with me as well?



    Grateful for your help!



    Debbie

  • I am new to prospect management and would love to get your presentation. I need to learn as much as I can as quickly as possible to make this happen in RE. 

    Can you send to me, also, or tell me where to find it?

    Thank you,

    ​Susan Chomsky schomsky@forgottenharvest.org

     

  • Yes, if you have the Prospect Module and use Proposals, there is Ask Amount and Ask Date, Amount Expected and Expected Date, Funded Amount and Funded Date; you can choose to track all of these fields or not.  We use Classification and Stage (which is Status) along with Proposals.  Within Proposals, folks can add their Actions which link to the Proposal and also show up on the Actions tab as well. Since you are just starting out, I’d recommend keeping it simple and don’t feel like you have to populate every single field just because there is a field. There are a few RE Dashboards to help populate this data that you could set for your boss.  If you set up a process, document it and do some training to keep folks on the same page with entry, you’ll be well on your way.
  • I strongly suggest that you use the Solicitor Feature...assign your Constituents to a Solicitor(s) and then put the Solicitor on Gifts, Actions, and Proposals.  It will help with reporting and looking at how each of your fundraisers is performing and who's doing what as far as next actions.  (If you don't have the Prospect Module...RE:Search...you can still use the Solicitor Assignments, and I believe others have posted that they use Actions to do this if they don't have Proposals.)



    Also, talk to your Blackbaud Account Executive about RE:NXT.  If it's not a significant increase in cost for you, it could help tremendously with what your boss is asking for because NXT is built around Solicitor relationships.  There is a section in the Community for RE:NXT, including an NXT Blog (and my post from several weeks ago) and see this post for information from Bill Connors about NXT Roadshows and webinars.  You can (and should) also request reference calls where you can talk to NXT users (like me!) about the product.
  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.



    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.



    All of this info can be exported for reporting.



    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.



    Shani

    I just had a conversation last week with our VP of Advancement about this subject.  I would also be grateful if you could share your presentation/report with me as well!  It would be so helpful.  Thanks, Madeleine

  • Question about this one. Does using "Proposals" require a seperate module in the RE, or what aspect of RE are you referring to when you mention proposals? THanks!



    shani traum
    :

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.


    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.


    All of this info can be exported for reporting.


    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.


    Shani

     

  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.


    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.


    All of this info can be exported for reporting.


    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.


    Shani

    Dear Shani,


    We have the Prospect tab in RE (not NXT) but haven't started using it at all. Any materials and advice you can give on how to use it would be very much appreciated, as I think we are heading in that direction and it would be great to know best practice.


    With thanks and best wishes,

    Isabella

  • Isabella Raeburn:

    shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.


    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.


    All of this info can be exported for reporting.


    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.


    Shani

    Dear Shani,


    We have the Prospect tab in RE (not NXT) but haven't started using it at all. Any materials and advice you can give on how to use it would be very much appreciated, as I think we are heading in that direction and it would be great to know best practice.


    With thanks and best wishes,

    Isabella

     

    Shani

    If you could share the presentation with me also it would be very helpful!

     

  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.


    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.


    All of this info can be exported for reporting.


    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.


    Shani

    Would be great to get a copy of this presentation as well!

  • Well that reads as a Moves Management conundrum.  And has two parts to it.

    1.  Since you have already assigned solicitors (your department peeps) to these donors, you can set up a query for each person and that way you can report, or the person can pull just their one donors up in a multitude of ways.

    2.  If you want to see the flow of moves and when and who on these folks you can track them in Actions, you can track the solicitor or anyone else that had the interaction with this donor and use the action status to tell you what phase that donor is in: 1-Discovery, 2-Cultivation, 3-Solicitation, 4-Stewardship, 8-Revisit, 9-DropAltogether


    Have done this in a few orgs, works great.
  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.


    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.


    All of this info can be exported for reporting.


    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.


    Shani

    Hi Shani:  I would like to get a copy of your presentation.  Thank you in advance!


    Mary Lewis

    Global Down Syndrome Foundation

    Denver, CO

     

  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.


    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.


    All of this info can be exported for reporting.


    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.


    Shani

    We have RE7 and are going to be switching to NXT in the next few months. We need to start tracking asks and closures. I can see where it seems rather obvious in the Prospect Tab, if you click New Proposal, however I can't figure out what you would name a Proposal?? And is is worth going through this process or should we wait until we switch to NXT? I would love to see your presentation if you could provide it!

    Dana Green

    Prospect Researcher

    Lenoir-Rhyne University

     


  • May I also have a copy
    of the presentation? Thanks.

















    Joan (Jo)
    Bell

    GSA
    Foundation

    Database
    Coordinator

    Work:
    303.357.1067

















  • Would you mind sending a copy of the presentation to me as well!  

    lscott@hb.edu


    Thank You!


    Louise Scott
  • Shani,


    Would you be willing to share your presentation with me as well?


    Thank you!!


    Krys Fritz
    krys.fritz@elcaminohospital.org

     


  • Hi Krys,


    I am currently out of the office for a few days but can send this
    along when I return.


    Shani



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  • Hi,


    Thank you so very much!!


    Krys Fritz

     


  • Hi Dana,


    I am out of the office for a few days, but can send you the
    presentation when I return.


    As for naming the proposals,we use the FY year of the
    anticipated/actual ask followed by something descriptive:

    FY17 Alzheimer's Chair...FY18 Naming Unit


    We use Purpose to fine tune the funding area (Healthcare, Housing,
    Research, ...) and limit the number of choices as this is the ONLY
    way to filter on the export side -  At least this is the case
    in RE7.  We have not switched to NXT so I am not sure if they
    have fixed this issue.


    So, the Purpose is the overarching Funding area and the name
    indicates the year and the more specific funding target.


    Hope that helps!


    I'll send off the presentation on Friday.


    Shani



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  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.


    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.


    All of this info can be exported for reporting.


    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.


    Shani

    Shani,  I would love a copy of your presentation as well.  I am struggling with how best to track prospects for our upcoming campaign.  We will be using the proposal area also so it would be great to see how you set your processes up.  Thank you,  Susan Snyder

     

  • Vanessa Treus:

    We have just recently started tracking prospects.  My boss would like to have all the prospect managers keep a portfolio of sorts on RE.  I have already listed everyone as a prospect manager for their group of people.  He wants to eventually be able to see a report that will show him what asks will be made in the next 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc.  Essentially he wants to know where everyone is in the fundraising cycle and which prospects are coming up next for an ask.  How can I best track this so that I can report on it later?  Thanks!

    Actions and Proposals -- they are both linked to each other.  And if you have not - I highly suggest reading Bill Connor's Book "Fundraising with the Raiser's Edge: a non-technical guide" it will help immensely in this area.
  • Shani,

    When you can, would you send me your
    presentation please. Thanks so much!

     


     


    Dana Green


    Prospect Researcher    


    LRU 7467


    Hickory, NC 28603           


    828.328.7791


     


     

     

     

  • To add to great advice above...  I've moved away from traditional moves management language when more obvious wording fits.  For instance, our potentials are put stages that fit our steps:  Research (as in we don't know anything about them yet), Qualified (as in, they actually have the funds or the interest), Considering (They've been solicited.  They might need more push), and then one of these three: Declined / Funded / Resubmit  (resubmit means they need to adjust ask amount, area of interest, etc.)


    We often have multiple proposals out on a person at a single time.  We use ask date to line up future meetings, and solicitors can query on this to look for outstanding proposals with an upcoming ask date to know who they need to meet with.  If ask date has passed and status hasn't changed, they also know they need to update the proposal fields.

  • So sorry for not getting this to you yet!  I'm currently
    serving on jury duty and am only in the office on Fridays, and that
    is a short day for me!


    I will do my best to send this on THIS Friday.


    Apologies again,


    Shani



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  • Hi Shani,


    Once you are back in the office, please add me to your list of whom to send your presentation to.  We are currently working on how to make this happen in our office too.


    Hope your jury duty case is interesting!


    Thank you!

    Heather
    mackenhk@ah.org
  • shani traum:

    We use proposals to track where prospects/asks/initiatives are in the pipeline.


    The proposals are assigned statuses as to where things are in the moves management progression (cultivation, presolicitation, solicitation, etc) and projected and actual ask amounts are tracked there as well.  Once the gift is made, it is linked back to the proposal to close the loop.


    All of this info can be exported for reporting.


    I recently did a presentation on this for our local RE users group and am happy to send it to you if you think it would be helpful.


    Shani

    Hi Shani,


    Could you send me a copy of your presentaion?  cwells@opportunity.org

     

  • Here you go!

     

    We have changed how we do slide #9.  We
    now have an action type called status change where we track when
    donors move through the various stages.

     

    Let me know if you have any questions!

     

    Shani

     

    Shani Traum

    Database and Reporting Manager

    Development Office

    Hebrew SeniorLife

    1200 Centre Street

    Boston, MA 02131

     

    617-971-5787

    traum@hsl.harvard.edu

     

    www.hebrewseniorlife.org

    https://give.hebrewseniorlife.org/giving

     




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