In the spring 2005 Ask Event^TM season, the groups trained and coached by Benevon raised a remarkable total of $24.4 million in gifts and pledges for an average of approximately $184,000 per organization. The key to these successes? Coaching. This week we talk to some Benevon coaches, instructors, and alumni organizations about how coaching makes a difference.

Our coaches like to tell people, "Don't confuse simple with easy." While the fundraising principles offered at Benevon are basic, it takes a lot of work to cultivate donors and create a compelling image of your organization and its mission. Our coaches have implemented this system themselves, so they know how tricky it can be to get enough Table Captains, to craft compelling speeches, or even just to get used to the idea of a long-term, mission-based approach.

"Conveying emotion is an especially big challenge for many groups. They are not usually accustomed to speaking emotionally about their mission because they think it's rude, impolite, or a breach of confidentiality," said Benevon senior instructor Lynda Bowman. "A lot of what the coaching does is encourage them to express their own passion about their work and show their community how the organization's work changes lives of real people."

The Greater Crisis Nursery in Minneapolis, a twenty-four-hour shelter for children, raised $537,000 in gifts and pledges from 770 guests at its spring Ask Event. Tonia Benson, the development and communications director, said it never would have happened without the coaching.

"Our coach helped us to personalize our story. She assisted in making it much more descriptive and compelling. We were not only able to apply these tools to our events, but they have also become a part of every agency tour we conduct and every presentation we make to corporations, civic groups, schools, and those in the faith community. In addition, the coaching calls leading up to the Ask Event kept us right on track."

One of the big benefits of coaching is that the coaches have the groups' permission to be straightforward. The coach can be honest and tell the CEO when his or her speech is falling flat when staff members and others at the organization may hesitate to do so.

"We tell our workshop participants that the coach is the person who sees them at the end of the football field and says, 'You can do it,' even if the groups lose faith in themselves and really don't think they can succeed. At some point along the way, every group has doubts and worries that they can't do it," said Benevon founder and CEO Terry Axelrod.

Kelly Drawdy, public relations and marketing director for The Salvation Army headquarters in Texas, said, "The coaching process lets us know and lets the units know that we are not alone, that [Benevon] truly cares and wants us to succeed."