Preparing for Donor Meetings:
Knowing and Not-Knowing
by Julie Lenner
There is an exciting contradiction in preparing for donors meetings. Given the sophisticated research methods available to fundraisers, we can delve into the professional, personal, financial and philanthropic lives of our donors. We approach meetings well-versed in topics related to our organization and its fundraising objectives. We spends hours briefing and preparing our partners. We scientifically develop an ask.
At the same time, over-focusing on outcome can lead to missing what is actually happening at the meeting. When preparing for donor meetings, you have to learn how to “know and not-know”.
Do Your Research: Forget Your Research
Professionally prepared research profiles are invaluable. They let you know the causes your donors support. You learn of their giving potential. You can learn about their hobbies. (Tip: it is always good to get people speaking about what excites and interests them.) You are armed with information about who they are.
However, don’t be over determined by what you know. Donors, like all people, are wonderfully unpredictable. Look and listen, carefully. I recently went to a meeting prepared to ask for $25,000, which I thought the donor would be willing to give over two years. He is in his early sixties, retired, not especially philanthropic and laid-back. Well, he walked into the meeting in a suit and tie and began asking very direct questions. Within seconds, I saw how serious he was and realized that my ask was too low. I asked for $50,000. He gave $35,000.
Know Your Business: It’s OK Not to Know
It goes without saying that you must be able to speak about your organization’s mission and programs. You must also understand trends that impact your industry. For example, if you work in health care, you should be familiar with the current debate on Medicare. (Tip: do not forget to scan the newspapers on the day of your meeting. It can be unsettling when a donor says, “What do you think about the article in today’s Times about the prescription drug benefit?” and you haven’t read the paper yet.)
At the same time, don’t over focus on foreseeing every question. It is just not possible. Demonstrate that you know your business, but don’t be afraid to say, “You know, I didn’t see that article, but let me tell you what some of my colleagues have been saying.”
Prepare Your Partner: Encourage Improvisation
When preparing for a meeting, do not skimp on preparation. Provide a written briefing for your solicitation partner and talk about what you hope to achieve. But do not let preparation lock you in. The most important skill to use in donor meetings is improvisation. The best improvisers are those who “accept every offer”. You may know what you want to ask of a donor, but they may have changed their interests. Don’t be thrown by this. Learn how to accept their offer and change course-set up a new meeting, prepare a new proposal and continue to build the relationship.
Good improvisers also know how to “make their partners look good”. Your partner may say something that takes the meeting in what you see as the wrong direction. Avoid the urge to negate. Instead, see how the donor responds and continue to build the conversation. This activity not only creates a positive environment for cultivation, but helps you learn more about your partner’s instincts and the art of improvising together.
Julie Lenner directs the individual giving program at Visiting Nurse Service of New York. She holds an MS in Nonprofit Management from New School University.
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