03/29/2024
I find people fascinating. Just ask Corey Jackson, my partner in business and life who knows that if we're going to the store, I WILL end up learning something about the cashier.
Everyone from every walk of life has a good story to tell, and something valuable to share.
Because I love hearing people's stories, I really enjoy carrying out one of the most important tasks for a nonprofit consultant: posing the right kinds of questions to my clients and their constituents. When we ask clear and thoughtful questions, we uncover the info we need to help advance a fundraising strategy, shape an ask, or sharpen a fundraiser's skill set.
Over the past 23 years, I've probably asked thousands of questions to hundreds of nonprofit donors, board members, executives, and fundraising staff.
To give you a sense of the breadth of people I speak to wearing my consultant hat, here are some recent examples:
💬 The nonprofit board member giving input as part of a fundraising assessment.
💬 The Development Director I'm coaching.
💬 The undergrad student whose tuition is covered by an alum's gift.
💬 The 7-figure donor being interviewed for a campaign feasibility study.
💬 The physician-researcher completing a fellowship funded by philanthropy.
These recent conversations and interviews got me thinking about the kinds of questions I need to ask, in order to get the answers I need. Yes, they're all open ended. Yes, they're carefully tailored to the project and the person I'm speaking with. Yes, they allow people latitude to respond thoughtfully and without judgment.
But there's one question that shines above the rest. One question that consistently generates valuable and unexpected information:
**What else would you like to share that I haven't asked you about?**
In the context of building relationships with donors and prospective donors, this question is golden. It gives the person a chance to really be seen, really be heard, and share what is on their mind and heart--whether that's simply asking you for information about tickets to your gala, or airing a long-held issue with your organization that no one has given them the chance to articulate.
In the last month alone, I've posed this question to 15 donors, board members, nonprofit staff, and constituents. Here are three of their actual, very diverse responses to the question, "What else would you like to share that I haven't asked you about?":
💡A donor being interviewed for a fundraising assessment: "I'd also encourage you to speak with [name] and [name]. They could share more about how to help high-level donors to care about our mission and give to their capacity."
(I now have two new prospective donor names to strategize with my nonprofit client about, and we have a warm door-opener to meet them.)
💡A Director of Development being interviewed for a fundraising assessment: "A board member said to me, 'I don’t understand why fundraising is so tough. Can't we just get names up on the new building?' The board has not been educated about their role as fundraisers or what Development is."
(This kind of input is critical to hear, so that we as consultants can dig deeper to understand the disconnect between a nonprofit's Development staff and board to repair relationships, build understanding, and create a clear process for how the parties can work together to raise charitable dollars.)
💡A philanthropically supported medical expert: "Spanish speakers need a translator every time they come to the clinic and we're adding more educational materials in Spanish, too. We want them to feel more comfortable. If they're able to understand, in their own language, their diagnosis and how the symptoms can be controlled, that's when we empower them." This was a great and unexpected quote for the profile I wrote for a grantmaking client.
💡A board member-donor being interviewed for a fundraising assessment: "Today, the XYZ Fund has close to $3 million available in endowment. Our organization could look at that roadmap of how they've grown and glean something from their journey."
(I learned that this Fund is important to the board member-donor--and I can also now access the inner workings of another entity he really cares about to see whether or how their successes could be applied to my nonprofit client.)
Consider adding this question into your repertoire. You might learn something game-changing about your donors, board members, and colleagues!
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P.S. If your nonprofit is looking to tackle some of the big things facing your fundraising work--whether it's how to improve your Development success or how to launch a campaign--DM me the word "QUESTION" and I'll be in touch to set up a 15-min chat to see if we can help!
