What Do I Say to a Donor or Funder?
What to say to if you run into someone who has made a donation or a grant to the organization on whose board you serve.
Cultivating friendly relationships with those who support your nonprofit.
Let’s say you’re at a reception, a conference, or a holiday party and across the room you see someone who has made a donation or a grant to the organization on whose board you serve. What do you say?
1. Thank the donor.
“Glad to meet you. I want to thank you for all the support you’ve given our organization. It means a lot to us.”
2. Introduce yourself.
“I’m a board member. I got involved because I think this cause is so important.”
3. Ask why they give.
“I’d like to ask you a question… what is it about our organization that made you decide to a contribution/grant to us?”
4. Ask for advice.
“If there were one thing you wish we’d change about our organization, what would it be?”
Got it? TIA-1: Thank, Introduce, Ask why, and 1 thing.
You might also like:
- Innovative Leadership — Culture Doesn’t Have to Eat Strategy: Tending to Human Factors During Strategic Planning
- The Ultimate Guide to Nonprofit Fundraising in 2025
- Insider Newsletters: An Easy Way to Keep Your Board in the Loop and Engaged
- Five Years and Growing: How One Nonprofit Built a Sustainable, Collaborative Mission
- The Best Route to Approaching Donors: Hand-Head-Heart
You made it to the end! Please share this article!
Let’s help other nonprofit leaders succeed! Consider sharing this article with your friends and colleagues via email or social media.
About the Author
Jan is a former editor of Blue Avocado, former executive director of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, and has sat in on dozens of budget discussions as a board member of several nonprofits. With Jeanne Bell and Steve Zimmerman, she co-authored Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability, which looks at nonprofit business models.
Articles on Blue Avocado do not provide legal representation or legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for advice or legal counsel. Blue Avocado provides space for the nonprofit sector to express new ideas. The opinions and views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect or imply the opinions or views of Blue Avocado, its publisher, or affiliated organizations. Blue Avocado, its publisher, and affiliated organizations are not liable for website visitors’ use of the content on Blue Avocado nor for visitors’ decisions about using the Blue Avocado website.
Got it! Engaging your donor/funder in meaningful conversation is a great way to represent your organization in a very professional and caring way. This conversation guideline is also very effective in many business situations with clients (chosing your services or products) and partners (forming an alliance with you). One thing to always remember – – if you’re going to ask for someone’s advice, be upfront about what you intend to do with their feedback. No one appreciates blank promises. (Lorraine Rinker, Board Chair, Child Advocates of Placer County)
Got it! Engaging your donor/funder in meaningful conversation is a great way to represent your organization in a very professional and caring way. This conversation guideline is also very effective in many business situations with clients (chosing your services or products) and partners (forming an alliance with you). One thing to always remember – – if you’re going to ask for someone’s advice, be upfront about what you intend to do with their feedback. No one appreciates blank promises. (Lorraine Rinker, Board Chair, Child Advocates of Placer County)
In our community we have 9 nonprofits asking for corporate sponsorships. I am on the board of the Art Center and we are about to transition into a new location and will be starting a huge capital campaign, any suggestions?