Do I Really HAVE to Follow Up on Event Fundraising?

In a word, "yes," you really do have to follow up and when you do, you'll reap some great rewards!  

Your letters have been sent complete with a great sponsorship opportunities page and you've got your script in hand to do those follow up calls.  Here are some thoughts on how to proceed.

1.  Think strategically about specific businesses to ask for your larger sponsorships and do that by phone.  You might consider doing that BEFORE the letters go out and then, as a part of your telephone conversation, let them know to expect the letter.

2.  Call EVERYONE on your list, EVERYONE and follow up.  Divide your list into manageable volunteer lists, provide them with a script, and ask your board of directors, parents, and/or other volunteers to make five to ten phone calls for you.  

3.  Keep a really good list (I personally prefer excel for project-based follow up) so that I know who said yes, who said no, who I need to call again, and when follow up such as picking up an auction item is needed.

4.  Delegate more than just the phone calls, delegate the follow up items, too, such as picking up those auction items.

I would add a note here to say that I truly believe that people are hesitant to ask someone for something and even more so when they have to do it by phone or in person.  The internet via Facebook and email are so much more "incognito," so to speak.  If you are making the calls or if you are managing volunteers making the calls, the strategy is the same.  Be the cheerleader and encourage your folks.  Five phone calls in a day.  You can do this!  I once heard an author say that she struggled to do her five required pages each day for a particular book so she put five candies across the top of her computer and as she finished a page, she enjoyed a candy.  Provide for yourself or your volunteers a nice, small, gesture to say that you appreciate the work.