- How did you first hear about our organization?
- What made you decide to give your first gift?
- Why do you enjoy giving to this organization?
- What is your favorite program/service/etc to donate to?
- What do you hope to accomplish through your philanthropy?
You understand fundraising is about relationships. But building relationships with donors is easier said than done.
One reason building relationships is challenging is that it’s often difficult to get meetings with prospective donors. And you do need to meet with donors to learn about them and build the relationship.
Another reason building relationships can be difficult is that your motivations for getting to know someone can feel disingenuous, which can make being authentic challenging. After all, you know (and they know) that the end game is money.
What if your goal is to create advocates and raving fans for the organization instead of money? How would you treat people then?
Last night I was at a board meeting and the discussion topic was “areas for improvement” and “looking to the future” for the organization. The conversation surfaced many interesting ideas. One idea was to reach out to donors by phone to “check in” not simply to call when asking for money.
How We Found Our Known Donor |Interview Questions And Contract|
Find out their values and beliefs
1. Why did you first give to our organization? (Richard Radcliffe, U.K. legacy consultant says this is the most important question to ask.)
2. What interests you most about organization? Why? What is less interesting to you? Why?
3. Why do you give to our organization? How would you describe our mission? What does it mean to you?
4. What are the most critical results you expect our organization to produce?
5. What do you tell others about us? How do you describe this organization to others?
6. Why does this cause matter to you? Why now in particular?
7. What do you believe would most transform [this particular situation]?
8. Which other organizations effectively address this cause?
9. How does our organization compare to other organizations working in this cause?
10. If you had 5 minutes with our CEO, what would you say? Why? If you were our CEO for a day, what would you do? Why? (Credit: colleagues at AFP Calgary:)
Ask a Quality Question, Get a Quality Answer
We’re going to show you a guaranteed process that will help you produce thought-provoking donor interview questions that generate worthwhile, comprehensive answers.
And the best part is, whether it’s an interview for a donor story, annual report, board report, newsletter story — even a job or candidate interview — all of these skills will translate.
Step 1: Do Your Research to See What Questions to Ask
Few people want to hear this, but to properly prepare for an interview, you’ve got to do some research first.
Sure, there are times you’ll have to wing it — like at a donor function, when your boss brings someone over and says, “You’ve got to hear her story — we need it in the next newsletter!” But to get the facts, the quotes, and the raw emotion that lead to the best stories, you need to be prepared with some background information as a starting point.
To get started, look no further than your coworkers. Are you interviewing a well-known volunteer? A faithful donor? Start by finding find out if any of your peers have worked with her, and what they can tell you. This can be a great way to gain insight not only into your donor’s history, but her personality, too. And while you’re at it, poll your co-workers about questions they would ask your interviewee; they may think of things you missed.
Next, do a simple internet search of the person’s name. Use a few limiting factors to narrow it down, like: “Jane Doe, Big University Vice President” or “John Doe, Cub Scout Pack Leader, Anytown, PA.”
Also peruse social media accounts, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, for career and background information to guide you. LinkedIn might tell you the vice president was among the first to break the glass ceiling, or you may learn that John Doe is a self-employed artist who illustrates comic books and lives on an organic farm.
Armed with that information, you could ask about the challenges the vice president faced moving up, or the types of comics the artist enjoys drawing.
By making a concerted effort to do research first, you’ll be a step closer to gaining your interviewees’ trust. They’ll see you put some effort into learning about them, and that you’re taking an active role in the storytelling process.
Fundraising software helps organizations to effectively track, manage, and organize their donor base. It also helps the development department run efficiently, freeing up bandwidth for the director of donor relations to focus on more strategic, big-picture tasks. You can tailor this question to the specific tools your team relies on, though proficiency with any relevant software is beneficial.
To be successful in this role, your new hire must be able to build and maintain strong relationships. It’s essential for the director of donor relations to familiarize themselves with the existing donor base and look for ways to expand that pool. This typically requires excellent research skills, in addition to the interpersonal skills necessary to establish a rapport with a potential donor.
The director of donor relations needs to be knowledgeable and passionate about the organization’s mission and vision. They are, in a way, a salesperson selling potential benefactors an opportunity to better the world or contribute to a worthwhile cause. This question also reveals how much research the candidate did on your organization before the interview.
How a director of donor relations talks to and about their team is a direct reflection of their management style and leadership abilities. Like any good manager, your new hire should set a good example for their people, inspire confidence, and drive them to greater heights. If they’re dismissive of their team’s skills and accomplishments, they may not be a good fit.
The director of donor relations typically designs and implements the development department’s strategy, which is critical to the organization’s ability to meet its fundraising goals. That strategy should involve attracting donors to support the mission and making them feel valued. The director of donor relations must also decide when to approach and cultivate donors themselves, and when to delegate the task to a fundraiser.
FAQ
How do you interview a donor?
- Why did you get involved with the organization in the first place, and what has your involvement been? …
- Do you have a personal connection to our mission? …
- What do you like (love) most about the organization?
- What would you like to see improved or changed?
What should be included in a donor survey?
What’s your connection to our cause? Why did you decide to support our organization? Has something that you saw from us or that we sent you inspired you to give, either recently or at some point in the past? How would you describe our organization and mission to another potential donor?
What a donor needs to know?
…
It asks the following multiple choice questions:
- Why did you choose us?
- What is your specific conservation interest/concern:
- How do you participate in conservation?
- A few personal details:
