How to Get In-Person Meetings with Donors: 3 Strategies

Shared face-to-face experiences build trust, create lasting memories, and provide opportunities to discover common interests. However, technology allows us to accomplish so much that it often becomes our “go-to” option.

Of course, a mix of in-person engagement and technology-enabled collaboration, when possible, combines the advantages of both ways of interacting.

But how can you tap into the relationship-building energy of in-person experiences when your donors respond to meeting requests with “just text me” or “can you send an email?”

3 Great Ways to Get An In-Person Donor Meeting

The trick is to reach out to donors in a way that encourages them to want to meet with you. You might try one of these three compelling strategies.

1. Use the Power of Curiosity

People are naturally curious. Is there a special place or object you can show a donor? If your organization is building a house, cleaning up a beach, or delivering books to a classroom, you have a genuine, non-digital experience to offer. The donor will feel special, and you can get to know one another organically. You can even build in extra time together if you offer to drive or propose lunch.

If you plan to:

• Sit in on a rehearsal or fieldtrip
• Meet with a subject-matter expert
• Engage in hands-on activities, like walking shelter dogs, assembling food boxes, or sorting donations

Consider inviting a donor to join you!

2. Don’t Overlook Events

Many nonprofit leaders recognize the importance of large events in generating funds and marking occasions. They are often dismissed as opportunities for relationship-building because there are so many distractions. But you can still carve out space to connect one-on-one.

At an outdoor concert with thousands of attendees, I made an effort to sit with a donor. During the breaks between performers, I learned that she was launching a family foundation and that her daughter, a teacher, would be a key decision maker. These insights informed our strategy.

After engaging the donor and her daughter around our education programs, the organization requested and received a seven-figure gift for high school science initiatives.

3. Seek Advice to Discuss Meaty Topics

Many issues can be handled remotely. But important and complex conversations can benefit from an in-person approach. Sometimes people suggest relying on technology because they don’t realize what you want to accomplish.

Help your donors and volunteers understand why you’re requesting a meeting by stating the topic up front. “I’d like to get your take on the state policy change” may get a slot on the calendar right away, while “Do you have time to talk on Tuesday?” seems less urgent.

Naturally, financial topics and big changes can make people tense. If programs or projects need to be altered or even cut, interpersonal engagement can facilitate compromise.

When a building project faced major design changes to reduce costs, volunteers who loved the original layout were understandably upset. Getting together in person allowed them to express those emotions, feel valued, explore alternatives with open minds, and move on. There were tense moments, but the shared experience helped us look toward the future as a team.

The Big Meeting: Asking for a Campaign Gift

You’ve gotten to know your donors and understand what they care about. Now it’s time for the big meeting, when you plan to ask for a campaign gift. You’d like to do this in person, but what if the donor puts you off?

It’s important to be clear about the reason for the meeting. If the request is vague, the donor might not understand its significance or could be caught off-guard.

Consider saying something direct like:

“I know you care deeply about our organization. Our chair and I would like to discuss your financial participation in the campaign with you and your spouse. Are you free to meet at your home / office next week?”

A request like this is:

• Clear in its purpose
• Names the meeting participants
• States preferred timing and location

The donor will understand what you are asking, and why you want an in-person conversation. It may take time for schedules to fall into place, but the request is clear and the topic deserves everyone’s full attention.

For more tips about scheduling an ask meeting, see phase four of the Capital Campaign Pro Toolkit (click here to learn more).

Meeting Donors in the Middle

Bringing people together around a mission and building relationships are such important parts of what we do as nonprofit leaders that we should use every tool at our disposal.

Digital engagement can be so effective that sometime we overlook in-person options, which take more effort to coordinate. But they often repay the extra work by creating space for conversations that provide insights, facilitate teamwork, and support focus and reflection around big decisions.

Consider reviewing your calendar and asking yourself whether some of your remote meetings would be better suited to in-person interaction, and vice versa. Being intentional about scheduling can help ensure the right dynamics for each conversation.