Here is something new, though NOT improved.
An “ASKING” seminar to help you with asking for those LARGE, MEANINGFUL donations to get your fundraising done faster
They just get more and more brazen, and apparently totally unconcerned about their image or the fact that they have become known for their money motivation.
Someone coined the term “Sciendollary” the other day. It is sadly apt.
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This is pathetic. I am surprised they can fit in the one LRH quote at the end. They don’t even mention LRH till the very end where they throw in giving a quote from him as an after-thought to the “feedback”.
They really ought to be ashamed of themselves. I am at a loss for words at how disappointed I am at the Sea Org members going along with this.
This is getting crazier by the day. It must be working for them, they keep doing it, I feel sorry for these people,they have lost any sense of reality, they will leave broke and wondered what happened to my life.
“How to ask for and get a sizeable donation”
They really have no shame at all…it is degrading the position they have settled themselves into…which is stealing and begging…low indeed
I was a reg. for many years back in the 70’s. I used to listen to
people when they were sitting at my desk, (sometimes for an hour).
then I directed them to the service I thought would handle what they
most wanted to handle. and most times they bought that service.
A couple of years ago a reg. for the Ideal Org’s (who I was having a coffee with)
told me I should be regging for Ideal Org’s. I said I regged for services
not buildings. He said it’s the same!!!
I am happy to say I have never regged a penny for Ideal Orgs = Ideal Morgues.
Congratulations Heather. And you feel better for it too!
Still scratching my head even though someone here once answered
this question; where is really all this money earmarked to be used?
I mean DM obviously knows this whole ideal orgs is a scam and all
that money will ultimately go to the church, totally into his hands.
Someone must have convinced him about something. He must see
the destruction on the church, and he wants to me associated and
remembered as the person who did it. What a legacy. Well he has
no kids but still…
“I beg your indulgence”…oh sorry, wrong century, wrong church.
Having survived the almost fatal attack of gagging that was precipitated by reading this the first time, followed by a night to sleep and recover, I ventured back to read this again. “A Very Special Announcement”? “This is going to be Super Exciting’? Learning how to beg and how to press gang and intimidate money out of people to their detriment is “Very Special.” Then the newly enlightened donations junior mafioso get to practice what they have learned by holding an all out fundraiser on themselves. I would love to know what they are taught about begging, borrowing and stealing away the smallish assets of the second the third tier people. No class discrimination here, right? Might as well say they are second and third class citizens. And yes as pointed out, there is absolutely no policy covering fundraising other that to forbid it. This is the sad result of taking the OEC volumes out of circulation so it is difficult for people to even know what policy is, while at the same time making it virtually impossible for anyone to study policy anyways. And they are ending it with an LRH quote to make it seem this is all per LRH? Oh Oh her comes the Gagging again.
Interview with Jerold Panas or phrased differently how they plan not to use LRH to get your money.
In his career, Jerold Panas has helped a diverse range of organizations raise an estimated $11 billion. He recently spoke with his publisher about the state of fundraising today and the lessons he has learned throughout his career. GuideStar has published excerpts from Mr. Panas’s books (see the links on the right), and we’re pleased to be able to share his additional thoughts with you.
If you had to cite the single most important reason donors give, other than the fact that they’re being asked to, what would it be?
I’ve done studies on what motivates people to give—it’s a subject dear to my heart. The reason donors cite most often is that they believe in the mission of the organization and the way it touches lives. This far outweighs any other factor. Two other reasons closely follow. One, they feel their funds will be used wisely, and two, they have regard and respect for the staff, often the CEO.
Are there some words or phrases that should never be used in fundraising?
The one phrase that should be banished forever is “We have you down for …” I also tell clients they shouldn’t talk about the needs of the organization. People have needs; your organization has the response, the solution. The best way to make sure you don’t use a “no-no” phrase is to listen instead of talk. You’ve heard of fundraisers who talk too much. You’ve never heard of one who listens too much. Funny enough, that makes you a brilliant conversationalist.
Your book, Asking, is considered a classic. Here’s your challenge: I’m about to knock on the door of a would-be donor; tell me in 30 seconds what I need to know to be successful.
That’s an easy one, and it’ll take less than 30 seconds. Don’t think you need to be eloquent or say just the right words. The art of asking, as I just said, lies in listening.
Cite a few common mistakes made during a solicitation.
The ones that come to mind quickly are these: the solicitor didn’t go in with a strategy; he or she talked too much; didn’t probe and ask enough questions; asked before selling the project; and focused too much on the features of the project rather than its benefits. Donors want to know about results, what will happen after they make a gift. And consider this an inviolate rule: never have a volunteer go with you or by himself before making his own gift.
I understand that when working with organizations you often get personally involved in asking for gifts. What’s the largest amount you’ve ever asked for, and how did the prospective donor respond?
Well … it’s quite true, I often do get involved. Those of us in a consultancy aren’t supposed to do that—though there’s no ethical prohibition. I can’t help myself, I simply love asking.
There are two major solicitations that come to mind. One was for $100 million, the other for $50 million. I secured the former, but not the latter.
In either case, it wasn’t about selling the prospective donor. They were both passionate about the organization. It was the amount of the gift.
In the case of the $100 million gift, it actually could have been for more. With the $50 million gift, it was too much of a stretch.
There’s a good lesson here. I hadn’t done enough homework in either case, and I should have done more probing when I made the call.
It seems that today’s donors are more concerned about the use of their gifts than in the past. Why is that?
I’ve never seen a time when those who give are more concerned about how their dollars are used. In fact, more and more we’re finding that they’re not calling them gifts. They’re calling them “investments.” And I’m finding that I’m calling those who give “investors”—not donors.
When you make an investment, what’s the thing you’re most concerned about? You guessed it. The return. The dividends. Is the organization using the money wisely and are they serving more people more effectively?
Why is this attitude so prevalent now? Some of it, I would think, has to do with the occasional scandal making the news. It could also be that today’s donors are more values-driven than in the past.
Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records, missed out on signing Elvis Presley. Presley’s manager wanted $45,000 for the contract; Ertegun stood firm with an offer of $25,000. Ertegun claimed it was his biggest professional mistake. Tell us something similar in terms of your career.
I don’t have anything to top that, but along the lines of what I said earlier, for years I thought being a brilliant presenter was the secret to success. I was mistaken. Lofty rhetoric can actually be a turnoff for some donors.
Also, in my early days I found it easier to offer a range when I asked for a gift—”We would like you to consider a gift of $25,000 to $50,000 to our program.” Now I know that’s not effective. You have to ask for a specific amount, or you’ll receive the lower amount, if you receive a gift at all.
Something else: I used to think when I was turned down, it meant no. But it usually means maybe. It could be the donor is saying not now, not for the amount you asked for, not at this time, not for this particular project. If you accept no as the answer, you’re on the losing side. You need to probe to determine what it actually means.
One last thing: in the past when I was turned down I took it personally. I felt I hadn’t done an effective job. But, really, when you’re turned down it has little to do with you. It’s simply that your prospect doesn’t feel keenly about your group’s mission.
The artist Lucian Freud, when asked what he hoped to achieve through his work, said this: “To astonish, disturb, seduce and convince.” Isn’t that a pretty good description of fundraising?
Freud’s description is brilliant. I plan on using it and making it my own!
We know the questions donors ask when called upon for a gift: Why should I give to this organization? Why this project? Why now? Why me? My colleague Harvey McKinnon explored these in his great book, The 11 Questions All Donors Ask.
We also know donors give when the project is relevant, makes a difference, has dramatic and emotional appeal, and most of all, is urgent.
Wrap all of that up in Freud’s description and you have a winning combination.
Say I’m a development officer, maybe new on the job. Give me one good piece of advice that will serve me well.
Pay close attention to donor attrition. If it’s anywhere above 45 percent, you need to be concerned.
We did a study recently of a hospital that was hemorrhaging donors. Among those who didn’t renew, we found that 24 percent didn’t remember giving, 19 percent didn’t feel their gift was important to the organization, and 14 percent didn’t feel that the funds were used wisely.
Shame on that staff! I scolded them. Every single one of those donors could have been saved. It simply would have taken good stewardship.
Well, as I am a EUS’er…I am looking forward to one of these “newly hatted” folks asking me for a MEANINGFUL DONATION…..Since they are teaching an “Asking Seminar” I would like to teach the rest of us the “Just Say No” seminar. Here it goes:
(Ding Dong) doorbell rings.
“Can I help you?”
“Why yes, we’re from the OTC, and we’re here to ask you for a meaningful donation!”
“No”
“Can we come in?”
“No”
“Don’t you want to help?”
“No”
“Don’t you want to clear the planet?”
“No”
“Don’t you want an Ideal Org here?”
“No”
…..etc etc etc.
Keep track of how many times you say no. The person with the best TR’s and only says “No” until they leave wins first prize, and I’ll send you a Bic pen (not engraved). Game On!!!
Alright! Game is on!
“how to reg the middle and lower tiers”
Do they mean class of people defined by their income ?
If yes, does one get a certificate for lower tiers classification and can one move up to a higher tiers classification ?
What kind of person actually wants to do fundraising? How do they stomach it? From my time on staff, including reg posts, I really felt I was providing a valuable service to the public. I would spend whatever time was necessary to dig-in and really find out what was going on with my prospect and enlighten/educate him on how it could be handled. Often it was hard work, but well worth it. The money part of it was viewed as a “necessary evil”. I knew I did my job right if the prospect willingly sorted out the money problem. Sure, many times they needed help, but the focus was ALWAYS about the service, never the money. As a reg, your greatest reward is speaking with the prospect after the service and hearing their wins. That is what it was all about.
It is difficult for me to imagine being a reg and doing this 180 degrees opposite. Here, the focus is ALWAYS the money, never the service. Hell, there is NO service there to focus on in the first place! I just couldn’t do it; actually I would be terrible at it. Each reg cycle would feel like an overt.
So, really, what kind of people are they enlisting for this type of activity? What is their character? Where is their moral compass? How do they live with themselves?
You sounded like a wonderful reg statpush. Isn’t the awareness characteristic of the Dept. of Registration enlightenment? Even the regging is done in reverse now. LRH would be so disgusted with this.
Thanks Hallie. There is no way these fundraising “reges” can exist in the Dept of Registration. Dept of Registration is specifically about enrollment on training and processing. If this activity is on the org board, its probably in 6C (Field Activities/OTC) or in Div 7 being run as a “Special Project”. It’s also interesting that Fundraising Amount Collected is now a GDS, which is quite shocking really. This represents a major shift in the focus of Scn Orgs.
Maybe they push on Ideal Orgs so hard as they are awaiting aliens to fly in and they need some fine space for their embassy and to represent. David Miscavige then is the real hero as he saw it coming and prepared for this. He then will be the first ambassador medtridiculasomething. Maybe this is his goal or „hidden standard“ he has to prove for himself that Scientology works. Somethig like that.
I can’t help but get a concept of a pack of ravenous sharks attacking a school of fish.
The school is getting smaller and smaller as the sharks scoop up as many fish as are remaining.
As the school of fish diminishes, the sharks start turning on the smaller, weaker sharks until there are just a few sharks left and they go off in search of more food.
Davey has killed anyone who knew and could use Scientology, either by excommunication and disconnection or by making life such hell they died, or blew. Murder is not out of the question either.
So, the real Scientologists are gone and he’s squeezing, or has already squeezed, the remaining Scientology out of Scientology.
I have to wonder if the current insanities reflect a push to get in as much money as possible before he (David Miscavige) folds his tent and leaves town.
One can always hope.
Oh, Dave; In the distant future, when you have been burning in your self-constructed hell for aeons, beings who KNOW will still be laughing when your name comes up – if it comes up at all.
It is soooo super-exciting! Wait… I think I just wet my pants. Damn
They are just friggin’ RETARDED now.
Fundraising IS against policy.
It seems that only the indies and exes are the ones putting ethics in on the church.
The people inside are either ‘robots’ per the PTS materials or just corrupt as hell.
Welcome everybody to my free online seminar on How To Say “No” to a $ciendollarist. I will teach you a simple, powerful process to use on any “church” member who badgers you for a donation. So here goes.
Just say “No!”
Repeat to VBI. Walk away.
They forgot: Sunday 4-4:30pm – “How to ask parishioners to sell their kidneys and the donate the money to the Ideal Org campaign.”
It’s the Golden Age of Begging.
LOL.
Yep, the New Corporate Church of Scientology, following in the footsteps of good old Reverend Ike!
He is the guy who should lead their seminars! Does the following sound familiar? 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi3YRLzJwik
We in RTC object to this SP blog focusing on the Church’s private fundraising activities. It is really no one’s business if fundraising is a sacrament in the Church of Scientology.
What we would instead like SP blogs to focus on are the truly unique services the Church of Scientology offers to its parishioners.
For example, what other Church offers “Wife Auditioning Services” to its male members?
http://otviiiisgrrr8.com/2012/10/16/attention-men-scientology-wife-auditioning-services-now-available-to-the-public/
Why male members and not female ones?
“Wife Auditioning Services” – LOLOL!
Someone needs to let that fellow in the picture know that if you are going to beg at least stand up straight, put your arms down to your sides and own the begging.
No need to lose all your pride looking pitiful.
Oh really, EUS is going to complete its Ideal Fundraising? Philly Org is going to go Ideal? Cincinnati? Columbus? I mean, these orgs are barely operating as it is….
Its because they are NOT IDEAL. Get it straight!
Right! A limping org which doesn’t have a beautiful new building can’t make it!! Its the building that brings people into Scientology, not the tech! And if the new building doesn’t get public in then the building isn’t good enough and you will just have to buy another one, that’s all!
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCAMMERS! UNBELIEVABLE!!!
If public are asked to fundraise, or to learn to fundraise, it might pique their curiosity as to what LRH had to say about it. Public might take a peak in the Green Vols Index and notice that there are no PLs on this. Public might think it strange that LRH wrote nothing on fundraising at all. Here is the Founder, who wrote policy on everything from the mundane to the sublime – he wrote policy on how to do laundry, how to wash a car using the proper cloths – yet, not a word did LRH ever write on HOW TO FUNDRAISE!!!! Nor, did he refer us to any books teaching this, as he did with Big League Sales, by Les Dane, and Postioning, by I forget who. Point being, anyone peeking into the Green Vols for some LRH on how to fundraise will find the reference in which he BEGS that it NOT be done. (This would be the reference wherein he says to “solve it with Scientology” – I forget the name of it, sorry). Anyway, I hope that some people or staff, pressured to fundraise, will query why LRH literally begged that it not be done, right there in Green On White. I can dream, OK? And I’d like to share that I LIKE that the fundraising is getting more fierce, more frequent, more blatant. I like that, because it means more RCSers wilting under the pressure, more and more of them no longer able to stand it and the withdrawal accelerated. The faster and more furious the fundraising, the faster the ordinary RCSer will tire of it and withdraw.
Position was written by Al Ries and Jack Trout. The church actually hired one of them to work out a marketing strategy for CoS in the late 80s and, as I recall, their idea was to try to integrate Scn more with what was happening in society, i.e., make it less religious or churchy. Of course, DM shot that down, probably because of the ongoing IRS negotiations. Or probably because they did not tell them what he wanted to hear, whatever that was. Nothing like paying people big bucks to tell you what to do and then not taking their advice. Ref. What Your Donations Buy, right, DM?
Yeah Dan. It is like hiring real people who do this for a living, to tell us how to make that OP Castle more streamlined and useful. Of course DM knows better than anyone so the upshot of that was don’t do anything and send poor Rick back to the hole as a failure. Let the fuckers work harder. That’s the solution for everything. Sigh…
This invitation to the Humanitarian Dinner is as welcome and super-exciting as a blob of mayonnaise on my new linen tablecloth.
Mike
This post is just a bang on summary of how low one can sink. Put another way, an explicit example of the old man’s warning of “.never allow Scientology to fall into the hands of a monopoly, since it has the power to destroy ( a portion of ) mankind. ” Former “Church of Scientology” ( knowing how to know-answers ) now morphed into the “Church of $ciendollargy..” This might appear to outsiders more like something resembling the “Church of $cie-in$anity!” It’s said that Jesus wept. You can bet though, that the old man has plenty of cause to weep. What an absolutely disgusting perversion. Rot in hell, dwarfid
mustdamage!
Well…..since they are “asking” nicely then I feel compelled to be gracious and give big.
I do appreciate and like to reward good manners.
OK, the church of Scientology is finally operating in the full valence of DM. What I read above is so crazy that I no longer recognize it as anything resembling Scientology. DM would have everyone believe that once all orgs are ideal orgs then we will be able to create a cleared planet. If you want to know the true condition of these “Ideal Orgs” you need to go to idleorgs.com and see the real condition of these orgs. The truth is easy to see if you just look.
Unbelievable. I thought it was a humorous article you made up for todays post but seeing the replies… Its beyond absurd, Its totally mad!
“How to reg the lower & middle tiers”. ?
Thank you Mike. Every day I read this blog I am one step closer to spiritual enlightenment. At the very least I am one step further from DM’s madness
Mike,
That reminds me of a time that Lynn Irons once said, “There are only two commands for a reg, ‘SIT’ and ‘BEG'”. I laughed thinking he was joking, but, after seeing this promo…I guess not.
The sad thing is, in the end the joke will be on him and the rest who continue with the fallacy that it is admirable to drain parishioners dry and not give anything in return.
Oh well. My new status includes an ULTIMATE IDEAL choking vomit. Thanks Shorty. My life is now complete.
To Co$,
We’re finally having some very nice weather here in Alaska and the roads are dry and safe to drive on.
Church of $ciendollary. Right on the money. Thanks to whoever dreamed that one up!
I am speechless. It seems the CoS is mutating faster and faster. It’s like a zombie movie with the virus accelerating by the minute. There is no longer even a pretense of delivering services.
At the end of this event, on Sunday, they have scheduled “Feedback and LRH quote”. The only mention of LRH I saw…..
Beg-reging … lol
The reality or importance of these $$$ targets is rarely anything more than fabrications someone generated out of thin air.
The middle and lower tiers have changed their address and phone number a decade ago, and have cams pointed at their front door so harassment charges can be promptly pressed for … lol
Who will attend? Folks who can taste that 15% or whatever it is commission. Does anyone seriously think people like Becker wannabes reg people to “clear the planet”? Love to see some videos from this workshop.
Joe, you’re right. The attendance will be very scant indeed! Guaranteed, there will be more regges there to reg the attendees than there are people to be regged.
It’s like being invited to dinner but you have to bring your own food and then once there you have to prepare and cook it, all the while your host nags you and then to top it off eats your food – how pleasant.
And yes, this will just open more eyes to how pathetic all this is becoming.
Oh, but wait! when the fund raising is finished and all the orgs are “ideal” we can then clear the planet – wha laa.!
HAVE before we Be and Do – classic miscavige.
And many times they put the regges in civilian clothing at these events so that at first glance it looks like a good turn out of public attended. The opposite is true. It is as Steve P said, more reges there than there are people to reg! Maybe they need 2 to 1: One to hold down the person while the other one rifles their pockets. Or one to hold the public upside down while the other picks up what falls from the pockets.
Asking seminar should be renamed
“BEGGING AND COMMUNISM FROM THE CHURCH OF SCIENDOLLARY”!
A few years ago, whilst at the fraud scam base – I had a “wognition”….this is an organization that is totally communism… carnival barkers everywhere begging for money…no exchange….nothing in return but empty promises and glossy promo…don’t forget the video propaganda at the communist events…lying to everyone about what the communist church of scamonology is really doing!
Thanks Mike!! Great posts!
Why don’t the koolaiders grow some balls and tell them to pay for it themselves out of the 1.5 billion in IAS/Reserves, etc.
breppen – Silly you! Didn’t you know the requirement to adopt or become a “koolaiders” is first to be neutered! God forbid any un-neutered in the audience – or someone would grow some balls and tell them to f… off, where is the bridge? The last I heard was that all un-neutered required special clearance from the MAA. LOL.
I just heard there was a wet clean up call in isle 3. Guess another person just three up.
I am agree with Zana..what happen with getting Clears and OT make? What happen with the LRH Tech? Now they trining people on ASKING…well we know they are going to ask for big money. I was doing this myself anyway, I was a reg, but I know the Corporate Church of Scientology need more reges basically.
What is the target? because Mexico Ideal Org is nothing. I was there at that Org many times and was crazy to see so much building for nothing.
What is the plan for Mister Mini…really? Thanks god I open my eyes….I am very happy finally for having a new life!
Great, Cristian! Glad
you made it out!
All I can say is “Gag!”
These guys can’t even get the right author and book title correctly, it’s not definitely any LRH!
http://www.jeroldpanas.com/pages/book_asking.htm
OMG, how quickly can I get my ticket booked, since I can hardly contain my enthusiasm?
And I certainly hope they can give us hatting on how to apply ethics and justice to the ones who don’t make LARGE, MEANINGFUL donations. I hate those cheap bastards who are in the lower and middle tiers. Perhaps they can be provisionally declared SP until they move up to the LARGE, MEANINGFUL group?
🙂
Boy does this sound FUN!
By the way, these idiots are using a book called “Asking” and they totally screw up the author’s name!
The cussing author is Jerold Panas, idiots.
No.
Agreed. No.
This is disgusting and scary … I just hope that it can finally jar more Scilondollaries into their right senses. Or Cents-es. So very blatant. What happened to getting up the Bridge? Oh… excuse me. The Bridge has been broken for years. Silly me to ask.
“This is going to be SUPER EXCITING with a
Humanitarian Dinner night
starting at in the Fort Harrison Crystal Ballroom”
These guys are even turning into cannibals for Idle Orgs, having humanitarians for dinner.
I’ll have my hunanitarian grilled please – lots of hot sauce on the side. (Patrons are fine fried though)