When we began thinking of the Donor Centered Dialogue series, our purpose was to bring a diverse group of women together, encouraging a network of resources and information to strengthen each other’s nonprofit work.

Donor Centered Dialogues now include over 75 women leaders in the nonprofit world and the exchange of experience is both useful and thought provoking – from cultivating donors, to cultivating mission and purpose.

The sponsors of these Donor Dialogues include:  Brooklyn’s Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham,  Independence Community Foundation, The Sister Fund, United Way of New York City.

You can inquire about upcoming Donor Centered Dialogue meetings on the Contact Page.

December 6, 2006 Donor Dialogue

On December 6, 2006, I was privileged to be a panelist at a roundtable discussion titled “How Faith Inspires Our Activism”. The event was part of a continuing series, “Women to Women: Donor Centered Dialogue”, created by Valerie Oliver-Durrah, CEO of the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic (NTAC) and supported by Marilyn Gelber of Independence Community Foundation, Elwanda Young of United Way of NYC and Kanyere Eaton of the Sister Fund.
 

I was grateful to have the opportunity to share this important component of who I am and how it influences my work in the nonprofit sector, but more importantly I was inspired by the messages expressed by the other five women on the panel. Fatima Shama from the Mayor’s Office, Bisi Iderabdullah from Imani House, Inc., Letty Gochberg from South Street
Seaport Museum, and Westina Matthews Shatteen from Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. all expressed powerful messages of faith-motivated activism.

Chaya Abelsky, Nonprofit Help Desk Program Of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island

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“Things to Consider When Soliciting Major Gifts” 

Excerpts from remarks by Dr. Anna Ponder, Director of Major Gifts, The Robin Hood Foundation

	On donor strategy.... There is an opportunity cost.  The time and resources necessary to solicit major gifts may cost your organization lesser gifts which may effect your revenue. On setting goals... Set a realistic bar.  Nothing kills more quickly than not having success quickly.
	Taking care of your solicitors... Send board members to solicitation meetings well prepared and supported.  Provide research for the principle solicitor.  Suggested the order of conversations and provide a history of prospect and their history with your organization.  Does the prospective donor already have a relationship with someone from your organization? Usually prospective donors ask questions – Try to identify the “zinger questions” before the solicitor goes in.  Solicitors will be asked about their own contributions by prospective donors and should be expected to answer.   A prospect has probably already done the homework on your solicitor and they already know the solicitor’s giving patterns. Give the solicitor credit for success and always take responsibility for failure.  If the solicitor brings in the money, give them credit.  If it failed, it was your fault.
	Keep in touch...  You have to reach out and touch them even when you don’t want anything.  If you only call when you want something, you’re lost.  People who feel like a number, don’t give.  People who feel like friends, love to give.  Your executive director is the best face for your organization.
	Timing is everything... It doesn’t matter how rich they are, it’s how rich they feel at the time you’re asking.  Never ask an investment banker for money when the market is down. There is no such thing as an automatic gift, people think about it every time they give.