How to Introduce Yourself to Donors so They’ll Gladly Meet with You

The other day I received an email from a development director who asked:

“How should I introduce myself to new donors?”

She was talking about donors she’d personally never met with before. She went on to clarify her question:

“How do I introduce myself so that raising funds is not somehow clouded in jargon or simply glazed over in general?

I often I introduce myself in a soft way in order to get the appointment or maintain the connection, but I realize this is foolish because it wastes time and can seem underhanded. I want to speak plainly, but respectfully — and not in a way that will turn people off right away.”

It’s a great question.

Of course, when it comes to donors (and most things in life), honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. So my recommendation? Introduce yourself to donors honestly.

In this post, I’ll share some language you can use to introduce yourself to a donor by phone or email to begin the process of building an honest relationship with someone who’s new to you.

Introducing Yourself to Donors by Phone

Part of the problem in the sector are the titles of development staff members. It’s as if we are called Director of Taking Your Money.

I’ve written about this before, here: What’s Your Nonprofit Job Title – Chief Excrement Officer?

In that post, I suggest titles such as:

• Chief Friend-Raiser
• Chief Change Maker
• VP of Friend-Raising
• Agent of Lasting Change
• Director of Greater Impact

But let’s assume your title is still Development Director or Major Gifts Officer (yikes)!

When you’re introducing yourself by phone, try something like:

Hi, I’m Mary and I work for the College of Arts and Sciences at XYZ college. (No title necessary)

Do you have a minute to talk? (wait for response)

The reason for my call is you’ve been a generous supporter and I’d love to learn why you care so much about giving back.

Or, you can say something like:

The reason for my call is that I’m on a “listening tour” of alumni on behalf of the university. It’s my job to learn about your experience as a student and as an alum. And down the line, to learn whether you might have an interest in supporting current students.

Do you have time now or can we schedule something this week?

This tells the person exactly what you want now and that you’re fundraising on behalf of your organization.

Introducing Yourself to Donors by Email

When you’re introducing yourself by email, you can use the same sort of approach…

Hi Mrs. Jackson –

My name is Amy, and I work for XYZ organization. I’m writing because you’ve been such a loyal donor over the years.

A big part of my job includes reaching out to supporters like you to learn what you love most about our organization, why you give, and what we need to do better.

It would really help the children we serve if you would give me just 20 minutes of your time.

Could you meet (virtually by phone or video chat) anytime next Thursday or Monday? I’m wide open on those days and would love to connect with you. Please let me know what works for you.

Thank you

It’s best to keep your emails short and simple. Get to the point quickly. Use short sentences.

Responding to: Are You Going to Ask Me For Money?

In many cases when you ask a donor for that first meeting, they’ll respond with the dreaded question:

“Are you going to ask me for money?”

Remember, honesty is the best policy! With that in mind, respond in kind use language like:

I’m not going to ask you for money at this meeting (or at this time).

However, if you’re interested supporting our work, I would love to share some of our needs, and the ways you could help, in the near future.

Remember, if you’re working to raise major gifts, then the point of a first call or email is not to ask for money, but to start and build a relationship.

Your Goal? To Get that First Meeting!

Your goal with the language above is to introduce yourself to the people who support your organization (in big and small ways) with the intent of learning more about them. In that first meeting, you should ask open ended questions like:

• What appeals to you about our organization or mission?
• What motivated you to give in the past?
• What would have to happen to encourage you to give more in the future?
• What change would you like to see in the world?

Fundraising is about relationships. You need to learn to have deeper conversations with people than simply asking for money. It takes time.

Once a donor comes to trust you and your organization, she will be open to considering to support your cause in larger, more meaningful ways.

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How have you introduced yourself to donors in the past? Are you upfront with them? Let me know about your experiences in the comments.