How a Friendly Conversation on a Beach in Thailand Changed The Course of a Nonprofit’s Future

By Peter Heller

If you’ve ever had a chance to step away from work and spend time traveling, you know it’s a great chance to recharge, refresh, and get a new perspective on things.

But you also never fully leave your world behind. Inevitably, you end up talking to someone you meet about what you do.

My wife and I recently spent two months in Thailand. Among the many people we met were Hattie and her daughter, Vita, who were on vacation from London. We loved hanging out with them—eating meals together, touring the island, and enjoying a few dance parties.

Hattie runs a small nonprofit in London called Body Talks Movement. They help children find their voice through movement and dance.  Her nonprofit was at an inflection point—she needed to bring in more money to support her own work and build up their programs. 

I’ve given advice to friends and nonprofit leaders countless times over the years. Not everyone heeds what I offer—and that’s OK. But Hattie came to our beach meetings with a notebook in hand.

I suggested she come up with her ideal three-year budget, brainstorm who she knows and who her board knows, and set aside time for outreach. We also talked about what to say, and when.

Hattie took this back to London, and we stayed in touch. She mentioned one donor who was both a good friend and her biggest supporter. I suggested she talk with her friend about the future of Body Talks Movement. Hattie shared drafts of her emails, and I advised her on how to make her budget understandable to donors.

Hattie had several conversations with the friend, and with me (including a few calls while she was riding through London on a bike).

They never discussed a specific amount of money. A common faux pas in fundraising with both novices and old timers. Until, that is, Hattie asked her friend directly: How much might she be able to commit to over the next three years?

Following that conversation, the friend agreed to fund Hattie’s entire three-year budget. 

Wow!! This almost never happens!

I’m so excited for her. Thanks to her friend’s support, Hattie will be able to bring her programming ideas to life, and Body Talks Movement will have an even more significant impact on the children they serve.

I love this story, because it captures something I've seen again and again: the most important step in fundraising — and honestly, in most meaningful endeavors — is simply asking. Not hinting, not hoping, not waiting for the right moment to materialize on its own. Asking, clearly and directly, with the groundwork already laid.

Hattie did the work. She planned, she listened, she followed through. And because she was willing to make the ask, Body Talks Movement will now be able to bring its full vision to life — and reach far more children because of it.

Sometimes the best conversations start on a beach in Thailand. And sometimes, they change everything.