When we interrupt supporters and ask for their attention, we had better do it well.

By Katya Andresen

Here’s the bad news. It’s hard to do this. Our tendency as fundraisers who love our cause is to talk about our cause.

Here’s the good news. When we do the work of thinking about how our cause relates to our audience, wonderful things happen. It’s worth the effort. We turn our preachy monologue into a respectful, engaging conversation. People respond because they want to have a relationship with us. We become great fundraisers, and we might even make a new best friend at the bus stop. FS