Have you ever tried to get a donor to meet with you in person?
Did you succeed? Was it challenging?
This is a question I get asked all the time: How do I get a donor to meet with me for the first time?
If you’re wondering how to get a donor to meet with you for the first time, I want you to ask yourself, “What is the goal for the meeting?” This will help you clarify the purpose of the meeting in your own mind.
Your First Meeting with a Donor
Here are some good goals for your first meeting:
- You want to thank the donor for any past gifts.
- You want to provide brief programs updates and answer any questions the donor may have.
- Most importantly, you want to get to know the donor better, including building your relationship with them. You will do this, in large part, by asking their advice (more on this below).
CAUTION — If you simply tell them you want to thank them and provide an update, they won’t feel the need to meet with you. Why? Because you can send them updates in the mail. They’ll tell you that an in-person ‘thank you’ isn’t necessary.
However, you need to meet with people in person in order to build relationships with your donors. In order to get them to meet, instead tell them you need their advice.
The number one thing that people love to talk about is themselves. You may have heard this before, and it’s true! So why not let the donor discuss their favorite topic — themselves?
What Sort of Advice Should You Ask Your Donors For?
Start with simple “getting to know you” questions.
For example:
- Why did you give to our charity in the first place?
- What makes you continue to contribute?
Then ask specifically for their advice regarding your organization:
- What is your favorite aspect of our program?
- What is your least favorite aspect? And, what should we do to improve that?
- How are we (our organization) perceived in the community? What can we do to improve that perception?
Assure Your Donors
Assure your donors that this will be a quick meeting (about 20 minutes), scheduled at their convenience — ideally, their home or office.
With that kind of assurance, plus the opportunity to lend their advice, few people will turn down the meeting.
How have you struggled to get first-time meetings with donors? Tell me about it in the comments.
Thanks Amy. This is the single most difficult obstacle we face in our fund raising process with donors. The ask is the easiest – getting a visit is the most difficult. I appreciate your advice.
Amy, thanks for the helpful information, I find it very useful. What would you suggest is an effective approach to meet a person who has no prior involvement with your organization? How would you ask them for advice, if they don’t even know what you do?
What works for me in this situation is to rely on board members and leadership that knows the person to open the door for me by making a phone call to encourage them to accept a call and invitation to meet with me. I guarantee there will be no ask and it is an opportunity to exchange information and meet one another. Without the door opener it is very difficult from my experience.
Great point, Jon! Yes – a “door opener” is most helpful. If you do have an existing relationship – use it! Thanks for your comment.
Good question. Meeting with someone who is unfamiliar with your organization can often be challenging. First, (as Jon suggests) look for someone at your organization who knows the person and can make the introduction. Using technology like LinkedIn can help you find existing connections. If none exist, I would go back to the “advice” request. I would start by sending them an email introducing yourself and asking to meet with them briefly to ask their advice. Hope that helps.
Agreed. Asking advice from donors can help get the appointment and that advice is often invaluable. Having just started a new position, my entire focus is getting that first visit. Good post and great focus for me over the next several weeks.
Does anyone have a template they would be willing to share of an intro email/letter to let people know you will be calling to set up a meeting?
Yes – I’d love to see samples from others. If you have one, feel free to send it to me, and I’ll share it. I can develop one for a future post. Stay tuned…
Did you happen to ever receive any samples for introducing yourself before “the call”? If so, I would love to see some of these. TIA!
Kari Tucker
Yes, this would be helpful in a future post. 🙂
It looks like people have asked this before, but I would love to see a few samples of introductory letters to donors requesting the meeting = in particular – when there is a request for the donor’s advice.
Reply
Does anyone have a sample they would be willing to share? In the meantime, send me an email and I can give you some language.
Has a post been written about introductory letters and getting that first meeting? I would love to see it.
Hi Amy,
I’m wondering if you could help with some language to introduce myself to a probable major donor. I hope you have something that will get me in the door.