Discovery

Discovery interviews with philanthropists are a passion of mine, and I’m proud to share that passion with you.

During the pandemic, I had the luxury of time, and I spoke to over 100 philanthropists over Zoom about their giving.

It all started one day when I was finishing a discovery call and asked the donor if there was anything about their giving habits or philosophy that they wanted to share. The donor opened up, and told me that it was a pleasure to have someone listen for 40 minutes.  

Listening—it’s magic. 

If you are a fundraiser doing all the talking, you are doing it wrong. Donors are so used to being talked at. Why not try listening instead?

As Steven Covey writes in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” It’s Habit 5, the habit of empathic communication. 

Donors are more than happy to share their stories with you, and they are thrilled to be asked. Each time you have a conversation with a donor where you truly listen, you’ll achieve a greater understanding of what that donor is most passionate about. When you connect the donor’s passion to the actions of your nonprofit, you’ll get results. 

It’s a simple formula: Donor’s Passion + Nonprofit’s Action = RESULTS. Just don’t forget to sprinkle in the magic ingredient—listening.