Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising Pre-Institute Sessions-CASE_AskingStrategicQuestions

CASE_AskingStrategicQuestions_KML 2023

Pdf Summary

In the article "Getting Face-to-Face With Donors: The Art of Asking Strategic Questions" by Karl Miller Lugo, he emphasizes the importance of asking strategic questions when engaging with prospective donors. Lugo advises gift officers to be prepared and purposeful when asking questions, with the goal of securing the most generous gift in the shortest possible time. He suggests being curious and actively listening to the donor's responses, as this will foster engagement and bring excitement to the conversation. Lugo also cautions against "showing up and throwing up," which means talking without listening. Instead, he advises gift officers to engage in a conversation, start broad, create movement, and build a relationship with the donor. Open-ended questions are recommended to encourage deeper engagement, and getting the donors to tell their personal stories can make the conversation more meaningful. Lugo also suggests testing the ask by proposing different gift amounts and gauging the donor's response. In summary, the key takeaways from the article are to be curious, ask purposeful questions, and prioritize meaningful conversations with prospective donors.

Keywords

Getting Face-to-Face With Donors

Art of Asking Strategic Questions

engaging with prospective donors

strategic questions

gift officers

curiosity in donor engagement

active listening

building relationships with donors

open-ended questions

testing the ask