21 Discovery Questions to Ask Now

This blog post originally appeared on Guidestar.

Great discovery is the key to retain and upgrade our donors.  If we want donors to understand us we have to start by understanding them.  Discovery centers on humans favorite subject – ourselves!  Statistically people spend 60% of conversations talking about themselves.

To help you maximize the most out of every moment with your donors steal this cheat sheet on how to approach discovery, the best discovery questions you can ask, and tips to encourage open-ended dialogue.

How to approach discovery

Make sure that isn’t you talking AT the donor about how great the organization is!  Aim to talk 25% and listen 75% of the time.  Find a topic that is interesting to them, build rapport and start probing.

Use these soft skills to make your donor feel at ease 

Exude positive energy.  Smile throughout the conversation, whether you are on the phone or in person.  Maintain eye contact.  Express a genuine interest in them.  Share sincere compliments.  Begin with small talk, i.e. “Have you had a chance to take some time off this year? If so, where did you go? If not, where would you like to go?”

Ask permission to ask sensitive questions

This isn’t the Spanish Inquisition.  First, ask the donor permission to ask questions.  This shows respect for the donor, the topic and how you are using their time.  i.e. ”Do you mind if I ask you a question?”  “I’d love to get to know you better and learn more about your interests.  Would you mind telling me more about the causes important to you?”

What if the donor seems surprised to hear from me? 

Truth bomb - they may not even recall our organizations name or remember when they made a gift.  They may think it’s a telemarketing call.  That’s ok!  Reassure them you are only calling to thank them for their gift, learn more about what inspired them to give so generously to your organization and find out if they have any feedback, thoughts or ideas on how you can make their experience more positive.

21 Killer Discovery Questions

1. Tell me about your life.
2. What inspired your first gift?
3. What causes are you most passionate about?
4. What do you hope to achieve with your philanthropy?
5. How do you like to be invited to make a gift?
6. Why does our cause matter to you?
7. What do you love about what you do?
8. What was the best gift you ever gave and why?
9. Do you have any feedback for us?
10. Is there any way we can make your experience more positive?
11. How can we get you more involved?
12. May I invite you to ___ ?
13. Can I introduce you to _____?
14. What values do you hold most dear?
15. How does one make a difference in the world?
16. What legacy do you want to have? Can you finish it alone?
17. Which of the organizations that you support does the best job of keeping you involved? How?
18. What is most important to you?
19. Are there particular programs or areas that interest you?
20. As you think about the future of our work, what are some of your worries?
21. What are your hopes?

Are there any questions that are off limits?

Avoid yes/no questions.  Ask open-ended questions.  Don’t ask anything you already know, like when they gave or how much they gave.

What should I do with all the insight I gleamed from my donor(s)?

You spent a lot of time and thought finding out more about your donors.  Make sure others can access these insights too!  Record the details of your conversation in your donor database or CRM.

My Worst Fundraising Moment

This blog post originally appeared as a guest blog post for Guidestar.

I sat down for lunch with a generous donor.

Two years earlier over lunch she and her husband asked me every fundraisers dream question:  “Where do you need help the most?”  I had to think fast on my feet.  My mind scanned their giving history.  Their interests.  I thought of a stretch amount for a project in their sweet spot.  I asked for a six figure gift to build a computer lab.  They wrote me a check on the spot.  Fast forward to today.   They’re divorced.  She got a huge settlement.  She’s starting a foundation.  We nosh on our salads.  The mood is relaxed.  That is, until I dive in and ask her to consider a gift 5 times bigger than her last to create a technology center for girls.

Her face turned as white as a sheet.

She peppered me with questions.  Who else had come in at the level?  Who was on our campaign cabinet?  Who was the chair?  Where were the other lead gifts from?  All excellent questions.  Only I didn’t have the answers.

I asked too early for too much without the proper cultivation.  I confused capacity with interest.  I didn’t take the time to prepare her.  I could have shown her the technology lab with students crammed two to a chair.  The waiting lists of students who couldn’t get a spot.  I could have taken her on a tour of new spaces.  Let her talk to parents on the waiting list or chat with graduates.

I lost that gift but it’s still my favorite mistake.  Why?  It forever changed me as a fundraiser.  It taught me how to cultivate donors and secure major gifts.

Last month I shared 21 of the best discovery questions you can ask a donor.  (hyperlink: http://trust.guidestar.org/2015/11/17/21-discovery-questions-to-ask-now/) My advice?  Use them!  But not all at once.  This is a relationship, not the Spanish inquisition.  When a new neighbor moves in next door you don’t ask them to go on vacation with you for a week.  You invite them to dinner.  Building relationships is a healthy give and take of disclosure.  Remember that donor’s give through us, not to us.  They are supporting the cause.  We help them reach it.  How rewarded do you make your donors feel for supporting it?

5 Cures for Your Worst Fundraising Challenges

This post originally appeared on Guidestar  Your fundraising job never ends.  If you’re like most of us, you’re having a hard time keeping the donors you have.  Getting them to make larger gifts.  Finding new donors.

Here’s 5 tips to overcome your biggest fundraising challenges:

1)  Seek out training!  New research on major gift fundraising by Adrian Sargeant and Amy Eisenstein shows the more training you get, the more you raise.  How much?  They found a $37,000 increase in major gift income associated with each form of training!    As a special exclusive for our loyal readers, Pursuant is giving away one night free hotel to the first 10 folks who sign up for their one day Fundraising Bootcamp

2) Set a revenue goal and cultivation plan for each donor in your portfolio.  Walt Disney said “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”  You can’t wish your donors into giving.  Hope is not a strategy. You have to be thoughtful and intentional.  Determine what you should ask for and when and plan each move and each visit along to way to get there.  Apply your cultivation plan and revenue goals to a calendar and you’re off to the races with a fundraising plan!

3) Resolve to learn more about your donors.  Adrian Sargeant recommends, “Talk to your donors about the 1 program they care about not the 10 others they don’t.” Affordable digital tools like highly visualized email surveys can help you identify your donor’s passions and boost their retention.

4) Get clear on where you can turn the greatest fundraising profit – major gifts.  Love him or hate him, but everyday Mark Zuckerberg wakes up and asks himself: "Am I doing the most important thing I could be doing?”  Are you?

5) Dedicate yourself to making your donors FEEL something.  While you’re trying to articulate just how awesome your programs are your donor might be tossing your letter in the trash.   How YOU feel is irrelevant.  What your donors feel is the ONLY thing that matters.  Is your appeal rousing?  Does it make them feel good about themselves for supporting you?  It should.

Ready to raise more?  I hope you’ll join me April 19th for Fundraising Bootcamp! The first 10 to sign up get one night free hotel!

Hope to see you there!