Call Time Software: How to Build the List, Log Pledges, and Follow Up

Call time is the least glamorous part of fundraising and, for most campaigns and many nonprofits, the part that raises the most money. A candidate or executive director sits down for a block of hours and asks people for money, one call at a time. Whether that block raises a lot or a little depends less on the caller's charm than on three things decided before the first dial: who is on the list, what each person is asked for, and what happens after they say yes.

This guide covers how to set up call time so those three things are handled, and what call time software should do for you. The specific steps use FundraiserMax, and the approach works with any tool that keeps call history on the donor record.

What Call Time Software Is For

Paper call sheets work for a while. The finance director prints a list, the candidate writes notes in the margin, and someone types them up afterward, if they get to it. The problems show up in the second month: the notes never made it into the file, a donor gets called twice in one week, and a pledge from three weeks ago was never collected.

Call time software replaces the sheet with a screen that shows the next person to call, what they have given, what they were asked last time, and what they said. The caller logs the outcome before moving on, and the follow-up goes on a list automatically. Nothing has to be transcribed.

Build the List From the Donor File

The list is the most important decision in call time. A strong caller with a weak list raises less than an average caller with a strong one. Good sources, roughly in order:

• Past donors to this candidate or organization who have not given this cycle or this year.
• Donors who gave once and have not been asked for a second gift.
• Pledges with a balance still to collect.
• Event guests who have not given, especially those who attended in person.
• The caller's own network: friends, colleagues, and professional contacts who have never been asked directly.
• Host committee referrals, introduced by name.

In FundraiserMax a call list comes from a segment. Build a smart list with the rules you want, such as gave last cycle but not this one, or attended an event in the last 90 days with no gift, and turn it into a call time list. Because the smart list is built from rules, re-applying it brings in anyone who now qualifies and drops anyone who has since given.

Keep each session's list short enough to finish. Forty names for a two-hour block is a reasonable starting point. An unfinished list means the best names at the bottom never get called.

Put the Right Information on Screen

Before each call, the caller should see:

• The donor's name, how they prefer to be addressed, and how they are connected to the caller.
• Their last gift, the date, and their total giving.
• What they were asked last time and what they said.
• The planned ask for this call.
• Anything personal worth mentioning, from the notes.

In FundraiserMax each name on a call time list shows the last gift, the last conversation, and the planned ask before the caller dials. The full contact record, with every donation, pledge, email, and event check-in, is one click away.

Set the Ask Before the Session

An ask amount decided in the moment is usually too low. Set it in advance for each name. A few working rules:

• For a past donor, ask at or above their last gift.
• For a donor near the contribution limit, ask for what is left, not more. FundraiserMax checks each donation against the donor's limit, shows their total so far and what is left, and flags any gift that goes over so it can be redesignated or refunded.
• For a first ask, pick a specific number based on what you know about the person. A specific number gets a better answer than "whatever you can do."

Run the Session

A call time block works best with a fixed structure:

• Same time, same place. Put call time on the calendar as a fixed appointment. Sessions that get moved get skipped.
• Someone else runs the list. A finance director or call time manager keeps the list moving, answers questions, and handles the follow-up so the caller only has to talk.
• Log before the next dial. Every call ends with an outcome logged: successful, unsuccessful, not interested, callback requested, or follow-up needed. Add a note with anything the donor said that matters for next time.
• Leave voicemails on purpose. A short, specific voicemail with a callback number is worth leaving. A dozen hang-ups are not.

FundraiserMax includes a dialer for working a list without dialing digits. It places each call, detects answering machines, drops a pre-recorded voicemail on the ones that reach a machine, and moves the caller to the next name. Sessions are blocked outside 8am to 9pm in the account's time zone. The dialer needs a phone number, which is $10 a month, and there is no per-minute charge. Rules on automated calls, especially to cell phones, vary and change, so check with counsel before using any dialer. Our post on consent rules for political texts covers the related rules for text messages.

Log Pledges as Pledges

A yes on the phone is a pledge, not money. Treat it that way. Log it as a pledge with the amount, the date, and the balance still to collect. In FundraiserMax a pledge logged during call time stays on the donor's record with its open balance until the gift arrives and is applied to it, so pledges with money outstanding are always one list away.

The point is to make collection visible. If pledges live in the caller's notes, some of them will never be collected, and nobody will know which ones.

Follow Up the Same Day

The follow-up is where most of the money from call time is won or lost. Set a next step on every call that needs one: a callback date, a thank-you note, a link to give online, or a second ask later in the cycle.

• For a pledge, send the giving link or remittance details the same day, while the conversation is fresh.
• For a callback request, put the callback on the calendar for the time the donor named.
• For a gift, send a thank-you within a day or two, from the person who made the ask if possible.

In FundraiserMax overdue follow-ups stay flagged on the calls and meetings list until someone marks them complete, which makes it hard for a promised callback to disappear.

Report on Each Session

After each session, look at three numbers: calls made, pledges and gifts, and follow-ups still open. Over several weeks, the outcome mix shows whether the list or the ask needs adjusting. A high share of not interested means the list is wrong. A high share of callback requested with few gifts means the follow-up is slipping.

FundraiserMax activity reports show calls made, meetings held, and follow-ups outstanding, filterable by the team member who logged them, and export to CSV or PDF for a finance meeting.

Mistakes That Cost Money

• Calling the same people every week. A list that never changes wears out. Rebuild it from the donor file before each session so recent givers drop off and new prospects come on.
• No ask on the call. A friendly catch-up call with no specific request raises nothing. Every call on the list should end with a number or a clear next step.
• Logging later. Notes written from memory at the end of a session are thinner and less accurate than notes written between calls. Log as you go, even if it slows the pace a little.
• Letting the candidate build the list. The caller's time is the scarce resource. Someone else should build and order the list so the caller spends the whole block talking to donors.
• Treating a pledge as a gift. Pledges counted as raised money make the totals look better than the bank account. Report pledged and collected separately.

Bring Volunteers In Carefully

Volunteers can make thank-you calls, renewal calls, and event reminder calls, which frees the candidate or director for the asks only they can make. Give volunteers access to the lists assigned to them and nothing more. In FundraiserMax the volunteer role works contacts, calls, notes, pledges, and assigned call time, and cannot export data or change settings.

A Setup Checklist

• Build smart lists for lapsed donors, one-time donors, open pledges, and event guests who have not given.
• Set a planned ask for each name before the session.
• Put two-hour blocks on the calendar and assign someone to run the list.
• Log an outcome and a note on every call before the next dial.
• Log every yes as a pledge with its balance.
• Send pledge follow-ups the same day.
• Review calls, pledges, and open follow-ups after each session.

Call time tools are included with every FundraiserMax seat at $40 per user per month, and you can try them on your own donor list with a 14-day free trial, no card required. Calls and meetings shows the screens, and smart segmentation covers how the lists are built.