TOP TEN REASONS WHY THE BENEVON MODEL WORKS

1. It honors people's true commitment to the mission of the organization; it culls out only the people who are giving to the mission, and lets everyone else off the hook.
2. It is based on having people's permission to proceed to the next level with them; it lets the donor determine the pace of the relationship.
3. It gives your organization a system for tapping into the world of individual giving—which is where nearly 85% of the gifts come from.
4. It continuously builds your base of lifelong donors; it gets you off the treadmill.
5. It does not manipulate, trick or strong-arm donors; it treats donors the way we would all want to be treated.
6. It launches your organization's Multiple-Year Giving Society^™.
7. It doesn't make you stop doing anything that seems to be working.
8. It allows time for donors to become educated, inspired and involved before being asked for money.
9. It offers a way for all board members to participate in the fundraising process without having to ask anyone for money.
10. It works for all types of nonprofit organizations, regardless of size, issue area, strength of board, or number of prior donors.

TEN POTENTIAL PITFALLS IN IMPLEMENTING THE BENEVON MODEL

1. Deviating from the system or getting creative; for example, combining a Point of Entry^® with an Ask Event^™.
2. Having only one person in the organization who is the champion for this approach.
3. Waiting for all the big players on your board and staff to buy in to this approach, versus getting started on a small scale with one aspect of the model.
4. Thinking you will never have to do the complete cycle; for example, just doing the Ask Event once a year.
5. Thinking that implementing the model for one year is enough to leave a long-term system in your organization.
6. Expecting people to be ready for the Ask without multiple contacts on the Cultivation Superhighway^™.
7. Allowing board members to think that this approach is just a slower version of the old strong-arm-the-rolodex approach, rather than clarifying the difference.
8. Being unclear about the legacy you want to leave.
9. Trying to implement the model without taking advantage of the coaching.
10. Being anything but 100% passionate about the mission of your organization.