Q: I would like to know what the total staffing need is in terms of full-time employees to implement the model. At the present time, we have 1,000 donors in our donor base.

Debra in Colorado

A: Your staffing needs will depend on the composition of your 1,000 donors. If your 1,000 donors are just names on a list or direct-mail donors, you will need to do a Know-Thy-Donor Program^™ to convert them to live, in-person donors. (See our Designing a Know-Thy-Donor Program PDF White Paper for instructions. You can access our free downloads page from the White Papers link in every issue of the Benevon E-New$.)

In terms of full-time employees (or full-time volunteers), we recommend one full-time person (or two half-time people, etc.) for approximately 200 donors that you want to have personal contact with. Of course, this depends on the number and frequency of contacts you have planned. The assigned staff member or volunteer serves as the main contact person—the Donor Services Representative—for a specific group of donors.

This does not mean that you need to go out and hire new staff—though you may decide to do so eventually. Rather, identify certain staff or volunteers willing to be responsible for taking care of and cultivating a specific group of donors. You may have some people willing to take on a full group of 200; others may want to take on a smaller number, depending on how much time they are willing and able to commit.

Terry