Resources for Shambhala Centres

The Dana Group is always available as a resource for Shambhala Centres and their fund-raising campaigns. Below are some ways we can help.

Contact us

Lodro Rinzler, Shambhala's Development Coordinator, can be reached at lodrorinzler@gmail.com. Please feel free to contact him for a variety of resources including:

• ideas for how to start a local Dana Group (such groups have already formed with minimal effort in Chicago, Northern California, and Seattle)
• members of the Dana Group and their affiliates who can act as mentors to local fundraising groups
• ideas on campaigns and how to organize them
• someone to brainstorm fund-raising ideas with

Phone call campaigns

Many Shambhala Centres are in the habit of calling their membership or potential donors directly to solicit donations. Here are some template tools from our recent matching grant campaign to help your local campaign:

1. An example of a pre-call e-mail - if you send an e-mail in advance of a phone call people have time to contemplate what they can give. It also gives them the chance to reply by e-mail which saves you the time of calling them.
2. A question and answer document - this document can be helpful for both in-person pitches and call campaigns. Such a document can help fund-raisers be better prepared for some of the tough questions that might get asked of them and help them to respond on the spot.
   
3. A call script - improvising on the spot is not recommended; set answers
   are helpful to callers.

Talking points for in-person pitches

At a variety of Shambhala holidays and events Centre Directors and fund-raisers are asked to get up, look an audience in the eye, and overwhelm the crowd with a desire to give money. Here are five key points to hit on when giving such a pitch:

1. This is why I'm talking to you.
2. This is specifically what I'm asking you to do.
3. This is specifically why.
4. Here's exactly how you do it.
5. Thank you very much.

For an example from Shambhala Day 2008 please click here.