Having a meaningful conversation in a social gathering, conference and most other settings is almost impossible, especially if the person you’re talking to has not spent much time thinking about the issues you’re focused on. I made a deep plunge into the Internet back in 1998 and have stayed there ever since, with the belief that I can put my discussion on line and anyone who has an interest can connect with the information, or myself, whenever they want. Unfortunately I launched this 20 years to early so while I’ve had a few success where a site visit led to a contribution of as much as $50,000, I’ve not yet created a portal where hundreds of donors, policy makers and resource providers were engaging with me, the ideas on my web sites, and the many others in Chicago and the US who do similar work and have a similar need to engage donors and resource providers in on-going conversations that lead to “what can we do to help you” type questions. I feel that if such platforms were successfully engaging the “village” in conversations and deeper learning, the times when we come together face to face and lead to more meaningful and deeper conversations and relationships. Here’s a page from a late 1990s newsletter that visualizes this on-line conversation. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/405605510173074742/ Anyone able to point to on-line forums where this is happening with a degree of success?
Great Great. Totally nails it. Magnifies and dissects everything that is lost is translation in the quintessential investor-entrepreneur interaction. Timely and helpful. Many Thanks.
Succinct and insightful. This article will be reread as a pep talk to calm my nerves prior to making donation calls. Where’s Kevin’s coaching / guidance website??
The full-frontal, frantic pitching that makes Kevin uncomfortable is a symptom of the larger dysfunction of the social change industry. Scarcity and power inequality are two prevailing organizing principles of the industry, and putting the burden for a successful two-way conversation entirely on the grant-seeker / social entrepreneur reinforces what are counterproductive business practices. It’s easy to say that the pitcher should listen, make you feel smart and comfortable, and show up as a peer. It’s much harder to create the enabling environment, on the spot, for a successful conversation. If you find yourself thinking about crab cakes, it might just be time to say “stop, you are barraging me with information, let me see if I can repeat back to you what I have heard so far.”
That was a reinforcement of my beliefs. Thank you. I have always felt that an investor is a future partner. It’s almost like a marriage. It cannot last with a 1-wah communication.
Love it! Would also add a few fun questions to ask funders to help make it a 2 way conversation:
-what are you most passionate about? (I have had people answer that as poetry, kayaking, a whole bunch of stuff unrelated to philanthropy but very useful to know! and they always light up talking about it!)
-what is the latest grant you got really excited about?
-what was your biggest takeaway from today’s content?
-what is the most fun you had this last week?
The more you can learn about the funder first….the more effectively you can craft those critical 3-4 sentences Kate notes to fit what the funder is looking for. And maybe even make a friend…ideally that’s the best part.
Thanks for sharing this. Such great advice!! I always think of these conferences as starting a relationship with a person. If they like you, then you can tell them about funding alignment another time!
Really good reminders. Thanks so much for the thoughtful insights and reminders - -build the relationship, not close the sale! I will refer to this again and again.
The main thing I tell my clients is to have a deep conversation with their boss, because in career planning process, the first step is to gain their support, all the time.
A fabulous testimony for relationship-based fundraising. This debate has been raging across the third sector for nearly a century, and Kevin’s perspective reminds us to keep the donor’s perspective front and center in our thoughts. The first argument against the “pitch” may have been Bishop William Lawrence in 1904, through his experience as President of the Harvard alumni association when he said, “If you dominate or dragoon a man by your personality, you may get his money once, but not the next time.” Long live the conversation.
Great and refreshing insights! Thanks for sharing… I believe conferences are just one of the places to start a conversation that could lead to a relationship with a person.
COMMENTS
BY Sandra Tremulis
ON June 20, 2016 12:23 PM
Thank you! I needed that coaching this morning…
BY Daniel F. Bassill
ON June 20, 2016 12:41 PM
Having a meaningful conversation in a social gathering, conference and most other settings is almost impossible, especially if the person you’re talking to has not spent much time thinking about the issues you’re focused on. I made a deep plunge into the Internet back in 1998 and have stayed there ever since, with the belief that I can put my discussion on line and anyone who has an interest can connect with the information, or myself, whenever they want. Unfortunately I launched this 20 years to early so while I’ve had a few success where a site visit led to a contribution of as much as $50,000, I’ve not yet created a portal where hundreds of donors, policy makers and resource providers were engaging with me, the ideas on my web sites, and the many others in Chicago and the US who do similar work and have a similar need to engage donors and resource providers in on-going conversations that lead to “what can we do to help you” type questions. I feel that if such platforms were successfully engaging the “village” in conversations and deeper learning, the times when we come together face to face and lead to more meaningful and deeper conversations and relationships. Here’s a page from a late 1990s newsletter that visualizes this on-line conversation. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/405605510173074742/ Anyone able to point to on-line forums where this is happening with a degree of success?
BY Suresh Adhikesavan
ON June 20, 2016 12:47 PM
Great Great. Totally nails it. Magnifies and dissects everything that is lost is translation in the quintessential investor-entrepreneur interaction. Timely and helpful. Many Thanks.
BY Alex
ON June 22, 2016 03:58 PM
Succinct and insightful. This article will be reread as a pep talk to calm my nerves prior to making donation calls. Where’s Kevin’s coaching / guidance website??
BY Astrid Scholz
ON June 22, 2016 05:42 PM
The full-frontal, frantic pitching that makes Kevin uncomfortable is a symptom of the larger dysfunction of the social change industry. Scarcity and power inequality are two prevailing organizing principles of the industry, and putting the burden for a successful two-way conversation entirely on the grant-seeker / social entrepreneur reinforces what are counterproductive business practices. It’s easy to say that the pitcher should listen, make you feel smart and comfortable, and show up as a peer. It’s much harder to create the enabling environment, on the spot, for a successful conversation. If you find yourself thinking about crab cakes, it might just be time to say “stop, you are barraging me with information, let me see if I can repeat back to you what I have heard so far.”
BY Ash NANDRAJOG
ON June 23, 2016 03:30 AM
That was a reinforcement of my beliefs. Thank you. I have always felt that an investor is a future partner. It’s almost like a marriage. It cannot last with a 1-wah communication.
BY Kirsten Bunch
ON June 23, 2016 08:03 AM
Great advice. It’s one of the first things I tell my clients. I hadn’t thought of “nail the metaphor”!
BY Morgan Simon
ON June 23, 2016 11:34 AM
Love it! Would also add a few fun questions to ask funders to help make it a 2 way conversation:
-what are you most passionate about? (I have had people answer that as poetry, kayaking, a whole bunch of stuff unrelated to philanthropy but very useful to know! and they always light up talking about it!)
-what is the latest grant you got really excited about?
-what was your biggest takeaway from today’s content?
-what is the most fun you had this last week?
The more you can learn about the funder first….the more effectively you can craft those critical 3-4 sentences Kate notes to fit what the funder is looking for. And maybe even make a friend…ideally that’s the best part.
BY Kaaren
ON June 23, 2016 01:38 PM
the hallway conversation turns into the fish taco talk…
BY Philip Andrews
ON June 23, 2016 02:18 PM
Thanks for this. Very refreshing.
BY Marc Gunther, Nonprofit Chronicles
ON June 23, 2016 03:20 PM
Great advice for pitching reporters, too, by the way.
BY Annie Burton
ON June 24, 2016 08:01 AM
Very useful!! Good to hear this straight from a funder.
BY Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld
ON June 25, 2016 07:56 AM
As I have come to expect - clear, simple and practical advice. We are going to do a session on this at our next all staff meeting. Thank you Kevin!
BY Heather Nelson
ON June 27, 2016 08:33 AM
Thanks for sharing this. Such great advice!! I always think of these conferences as starting a relationship with a person. If they like you, then you can tell them about funding alignment another time!
BY Akshat
ON June 29, 2016 01:14 AM
Wow, this is so simple and true. @Kevin : How about a conversation over skype? I promise it won’t be a pitch 😉
BY Sue Gaub
ON July 8, 2016 01:54 AM
Really good reminders. Thanks so much for the thoughtful insights and reminders - -build the relationship, not close the sale! I will refer to this again and again.
BY João Florêncio Bastos Filho
ON July 16, 2016 11:11 AM
The main thing I tell my clients is to have a deep conversation with their boss, because in career planning process, the first step is to gain their support, all the time.
BY David S Goettler
ON July 19, 2016 08:28 AM
A fabulous testimony for relationship-based fundraising. This debate has been raging across the third sector for nearly a century, and Kevin’s perspective reminds us to keep the donor’s perspective front and center in our thoughts. The first argument against the “pitch” may have been Bishop William Lawrence in 1904, through his experience as President of the Harvard alumni association when he said, “If you dominate or dragoon a man by your personality, you may get his money once, but not the next time.” Long live the conversation.
BY Vera grift
ON July 27, 2016 04:47 AM
Great and refreshing insights! Thanks for sharing… I believe conferences are just one of the places to start a conversation that could lead to a relationship with a person.