The perfect pitch

Itâs February 2018 and Chris Lombardo, CEO of Bridge Darebin, steps up to the stage and takes the microphone. Sheâs about to try to convince an audience of 200 people to give her money.
The idea Chris wants the audience to fund is for a support worker for the Bridgeâs disability training program who could assist young people with learning disabilities to get work experience and support them as they move to full employment.
Chrisâ six minute talk looked natural and relaxed. Youâd never know that inside she was terrified.
âIt was nerve-wracking. I have been doing this job for 19 years and public speaking scared the hell out of me.â
Once her pitch was over, Chris, along with two other leaders of organisations in Melbourneâs north, left the room so the bidding could begin.
âItâs like auctioning a house. After youâve left the room the MC says âWho wants to open?â and then someone might say, âI want to give $500 to Bridge Darebin. Itâs very excitingâ.â
Learning to pitch
Chrisâ confident delivery was the result of months of practise. With help and mentorship from The Funding Network (TFN) she worked on her presentation until it was pitch perfect. (You can watch Chris’ pitch here)
Established in 2013, TFN hosts live crowdfunding events to connect grassroots non-profits to people and organisations interested in investing their money to directly help people in need and to drive social change. The audienceâs pledges of financial support are matched by funds from corporate partners. TFNâs crowdfunding events have facilitated over $14 million for more than 340 non-profit programs.
âThe training you get at The Funding Network is something you would normally have to pay big money to be a part of.â
TFN provides free professional pitch coaching to successful applicants with mentors coaching presenters in how to inspire and engage an audience and motivate them to donate. Chris had no idea on the night how much money she would raise. So she was thrilled with the outcome.
âI was blown away with raising $26,000 which was what we needed to fund the position. It was awesome.â

Chris Lombardo’s first pitch raised enough funds to employ a support worker for young people with learning disabilities.
âAfterwards you feel this absolute adrenaline rush. And the feedback I got later was great. I thought, âHah, I can do this!â It was really one of the times in my professional life where I thought, âIâve got thisâ.â
Chris says that the pitch coaching was invaluable. âThey give you fabulous training and mentors. It was hands down the most valuable PD Iâve done in my life. Since then I have successfully pitched for additional funding or partnerships. Without the TFN training, I just wouldnât have had the confidence.â
A virtual pitch in the time of COVID
Earlier this year TFN approached three alumni from three different states and invited them to take part in a virtual crowdfunding event. Chris jumped at the chance.
âI thought of the idea of a womensâ financial literacy course straight away because weâve heard a lot about the rise in domestic violence during the lockdown and I knew it was going to become even more important post-COVID when women will be trying to leave violent situations, but will leave with nothing.â
âThe virtual event was similar to the live in-person pitch. After we each delivered our pitch, people would pledge in the comments and you could see their bids scrolling down the side of the screen. It was a pretty slick operation. It was also a lot of fun. So doing it virtually was easy in comparison. I was just sitting behind my desk.â
Chris raised $12,000 and since then has received an additional $2,500 and plans to run the financial literacy course next year.
âI would encourage anyone in the sector to have a go. Itâs all about having great supportive mentors who are people willing to give you their time. These pitch mentoring programs are absolutely targeted at people who canât pitch. Before I did the training, I could never imagine myself standing up and asking for anything, let alone asking for money. But I guarantee that after the pitch training anyone will be able to. And it resonates through the rest of your work. Iâve found it so useful in building partnerships, for example. I know how to frame things in a much more effective way and I sound and come across as really confident, even if I am shaking a little inside.’
Learning the art of the effective pitch
Chris says understanding the psychology of persuasion and effective storytelling are key.
âThe mentors teach you a bit about peopleâs psyches and what will help in persuading people to give money or enter into an agreement with you. The number of times you say something, for example, can flip someoneâs brain to a âyesâ. And personalising the story you are telling, and articulating the impact it will make â the lives it will change! A lot of people think you shouldnât talk about your personal experiences but there are people in your audience who your story will resonate with and they will prick their ears up. I remember before my first pitch I ran my pitch idea past a colleague and she said, âYou canât use that itâs about your son, you need to step away from thatâ. Then at the pitch mentoring they asked us to write down two pitch ideas and I read my two out including the one about my son and they said âwhich do you think youâll go with?â And I told them what my colleague said and they said, âThat advice was wrong. Go from the heart, use your personal storyâ.â That was an âahaâ moment for me.
Pitching for a financial literacy course
âFor the financial literacy pitch I asked the audience to imagine a woman who has left a violent partner and loaded up her car with her three kids and sheâs now arrived at a motel. Itâs the third motel sheâs been to that night. The first two wouldnât give her a room because she had no credit card to use for a bond. Sheâs never had bank accounts in her own name. So sheâs arrived at the third motel. Sheâs exhausted and the kids are crying. Sheâs got cash and she just wants a room. How will she pick up and start all over again? If sheâs going to survive, she has to know where to go to get started, how to open a bank account, and if her English isnât good itâs even harder.

Women leaving violent relationships often have poor financial literacy skills because their abusive partners have controlled finances.
âSo I talked about what we can do to help women like her to get ahead of the game. We know anecdotally that there are many women out there who might have phoned a refuge because theyâre worried and thinking about leaving but donât know where to start. So if those women are directed to a financial literacy program beforehand, then if and when they do leave, they know how to start to set themselves up.
‘For anyone thinking of getting involved with TFN Iâd say what I say to my staff when they come up with a new idea. âJust have a crack. What can go wrong? Letâs see where it takes usâ.â
âIâve got such great people here at Bridge Darebin. If you have the ideas, they are the team to make them happen.â
See the full issue of Quest 4, 2020.