What’s the Question?

When you ask someone to invest in your cause, what’s the first question that pops into their mind? What’s the one real hurdle you’ll need to vault to get to “yes”?

“Can I afford it?”

No, that’s not it.

“Do I like/endorse/support the cause of charity?”

Nope.

“Will this open the door to more?”

Certainly not.

The question is a very simple one: “Can I trust you?”

It’s very personal. The answer is formed almost immediately.

This is the question that’s hardly ever asked, but always answered before any other consideration.

So, how do you prepare for it?

You can—and you can’t.

You can’t with your fine mission statement, policies, and your positions on the critical issues of the day—or your au courant attitudes on social change. Nada.

You can only prepare for the question by being. By being the kind of person who will listen, project empathy, understanding and a willingness to engage.

Let’s face it, you can’t fake it.

Principle 1 of The Eight Principles® is Donors are the Drivers®. Like it or not, donors are large and in charge. You succeed by working within this boundary or you fail by ignoring it.

The Eight Principles of Sustainable Fundraising® are the unchanging natural laws of fundraising and philanthropy. They never change. They’re always in force.

It always works better when you read the instruction manual first. We can help with that. Let use show you.

To Your Fundraising Success!