TPF JOURNAL
with the rich and famous.
Understand how your agency and its program impact your
funders’ charitable philosophy, motivations for giving, and
expectations. While you need to raise money to run the
organization, donors give for a variety of reasons. They
believe in you. Maybe your agency served them or a relative. They feel an obligation to give back. Maybe they seek
the social prestige they might obtain by donating to your
agency. The way to find out? Ask them.
WHO DID YOU SAY YOU WERE TALKING TO?
Make sure you’re talking to the right person – the decision
maker. You might not know that at first, so use similar questioning techniques to find out. If you’re talking to a foundation’s junior support staff, a sales person at the corporate sponsor, or the donor prospect’s brother-in-law’s dog
groomer, those people can’t make the decision. Go ahead
and find out their role. They’re certainly worth cultivating
if they can introduce or sponsor you to the right person.
To put this all more succinctly – stop chasing the money!
If you’re not talking to the right person, rethink it. If you’re
trying to cultivate a “donor” who really doesn’t want what
you offer, or you have to redesign your whole program just
to win a grant, cut it out. Or I’ll yell at you.
THE FOUR-STEP QUESTIONING SYSTEM
Good questioning skills may come naturally to some
people; the rest of us need to be taught. Here’s how to ask
persuasive questions, questions that persuade others to do
whatever it is that YOU are trying to get THEM to achieve.
These skills are valuable if you are fundraising, managing
others, or dealing with unruly children.
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want to hear. Know the answers you want to hear,
before you hear them.
Who am I questioning, by name and type of prospective funder?
What am I trying to accomplish with this/these
questions?
What answers am I looking for?
• Step 2: Ask. Go ahead and ask your question.
Be direct without being confrontational. For one
thing, the prospect is already aware you’re seeking
a charitable gift. There is no need to pussy-foot
around.
• Step 3: Listen and Evaluate. Pay attention and
listen actively. As you listen, ask yourself a few
questions, such as the following. Write down your
own examples where shown.
What did I hear (the facts, the things the prospect actually said)?
What does that tell me (the meaning behind the facts)?
Can we (our agency) fulfill their expectations?
Are their expectations and yours in alignment? In other
words, can you provide the service, support, recognition, visibility etc. that seems to be important to this
prospect?
What actions or responses would be appropriate at this
time?
As you read through the Four Steps, please think of a specific prospective funder, and use that prospect as your ‘case
study.’ Write down how you would execute each Step, with
that funder in mind.
• Step Four: Respond or Take Action. This is where
you really begin to gain trust. As you take the
fourth step, keep your focus on the donor and not
on your own needs.
• Step 1: Plan for Questioning. Before you ask any
questions, figure out what it is you are trying to
accomplish. In the context of this report, you are
trying to establish trust and learn if the prospect represents a good, bad or indifferent investment for your
agency. So you need to know whom you are questioning, what their role is (i.e. major donor, corporate
executive, grant-maker staff ), what their charitable
goals may be, and most important, what answers you
o Summa