Donor relations talk at ALA

Donor relations: how to build and strengthen relationships with library donors (ALA Development Office program)
To be successful at attracting donors for a project, need case statement: where have we been?, where do we want to go?, where are we right now?, what is our current problem or need? Formal one took her 9 months to get right.
While several should be able to articulate the “gift talk”, everyone in the library should be able to at least give the “elevator speech” about becoming a donor. They test this by using “personal shoppers” to see if people are remembering to mention needs and opportunities for giving. You could also have a “cultivation task force.”
Every time you talk with someone about donating, you should at least be able to have them lead you to other potential donors, even if they are not interested themselves: “who else should I be talking to about this?” They can sometimes introduce you or at least mention you ahead of time.

Snippets from OCLC symposium

• What if instead of “hiring” people, you thought of it as “selecting” them? What if you listened to them in the interview and made it a point to remember what they like so that on their first day you can make them feel welcome; have senior administrators take part in their orientation; celebrate their anniversaries?
• Can, and do, your staff articulate your message, make emotional connections for your patrons? What if you said “Hi, I’m Elizabeth, how can I help you?” when someone came up to the Reference Desk?
• Charlotte/Mecklenburg PL has “Director of Library Experiences”
• Train your reference and circulation students to create a good public service brand for your library: for example, could they think about how to make sure patron has a "fond farewell?" if that is what you think is important?; do they know and act on your core values?
• Cross train, and use your professionals only for specialized services. Create a one stop shopping approach, “JAM” desk: “Just ask me!”
• Interesting: consider the strengths of your staff when deploying them. A “triage” desk may require people who love to problem solve, not those who are emotional connectors, who may burn out working at such a busy service point