Donor Engagement Planning: From Coffee Chats to Capital Campaigns

By Peter Heller

I recently hosted a meeting where I’ll admit I was winging it.

I was just back from vacation and didn’t have much time to prepare. Luckily, it was an informal conversation, and I knew the topic and the people well. It was OK to go in and see how things unfolded.

Don’t do this in a donor meeting! I’d never recommend a meeting without a plan—even for a casual conversation over a cup of coffee.

We do the same thing with our clients on a larger scale when we are managing a capital campaign. Obviously, a single donor meeting won’t be nearly as complex as a capital campaign, but the principles remain the same. At a minimum, you need to know two things before the meeting: the ask and the next step.

If you’ve been meeting regularly with your donor, this might be the meeting where you pop the question about a gift by asking for a specific amount, for a specific purpose, over a specific time period. Or this meeting could be an interim step to keep growing the relationship. Regardless, you need to know what you plan to ask for (money, their advice, or even just another meeting), and you need to state your next step out loud before you say good-bye.

When Asking for a Gift…Don’t Leave Money on the Table

Years ago, one of our clients had a board chair who gave $75,000 annually without being asked. Wow, that’s great! But it’s not the result of any sort of strategy. In fact, the Executive Director was frequently nervous because he didn’t know when to expect the large annual gift and he thought he’d mess things up by even mentioning it. I told him, it’s OK to approach the donor and ask about the timing of his gift so that the organization can be prepared.

And who knows? Maybe if he approached the donor with more information—and took a deep breath—he might even have the courage to ask for a larger gift.

Fundraising Rule: If a donor makes a gift without being prompted, you’re probably leaving money on the table.

Keep an Open Mind and Be Ready to Pivot

Your ask doesn’t have to be financial, though. Maybe your donor has an interest or professional skill that your organization needs, or maybe you want them to introduce you to others in their network. Maybe you’re just checking in after a natural disaster in their area.

Putting in the extra time to plan ahead can help you keep your goal in mind—or pivot on the fly when a meeting takes an unexpected turn.

One of our clients met with a donor who recently made their first gift to the organization. The meeting wasn’t a solicitation—just a chance to get to know one another. However, the donor threw in an unexpected twist by making a second gift that day.

You could call that a win and move on to the next person on your list, but our client recognized an opportunity to keep building the relationship. So, she made a plan to follow up in two weeks and used that time to figure out the right next step. Ultimately, she realized the donor worked in a field that aligned with one of the organization’s programs and saw an opening to engage them in a new way—one that could lay the groundwork for years of ongoing support.

Fundraising success starts with a plan. Armed with a strategy, you won’t leave money on the table—and you'll be ready to pivot when new opportunities present themselves.

Could your fundraising benefit from advance planning and strategy? Our campaign feasibility studies have been called “exemplary” by the nonprofit leaders we work with and provide a clear roadmap for success. We also provide highly tailored support to help organizations foster deep relationships with enthusiastic donors. Schedule a free strategy session to find out more.

Read Peter Heller’s full bio here