Template

Donor meeting template

A conversation with a supporter or possible major donor: thank them, show what their support made possible, listen to what they care about, and — when it fits — ask for the next gift.

45 minutesFor A director or fundraiser, sometimes with someone from the programme, and the donorAgenda room
Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

  1. Thank you5 min
    • What made you first want to support us?
  2. What your support did10 min
    • Here is one story and one number from what we did.
  3. What you care about12 min
    • What matters most to you in this work?
  4. What is next for us10 min
    • Here is what we want to do next year.
  5. The ask, if it fits5 min
    • Would you consider supporting this part of it?
  6. Next step3 min
    • How would you like to hear from us?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Thank you. Their gift funded a year of after-school tutoring.

Did. 46 students; reading scores up two grades on average; Maya now reads to her younger brother.

They care about. Children starting school behind.

Ask. $25k to start an early-reading programme next autumn. They will think about it; call in two weeks.

Running it well

Ways to change it

First meetingMostly listening; no ask.
Stewardship visitShow the work in person, and no ask at all.

When to skip it. If you have nothing new to show since you last met; send a short update instead.

Questions

How do you prepare for a donor meeting?

Know their giving history and interests, bring one story and one result their support made possible, and decide in advance whether and what you will ask for.

When should you ask a donor for a gift?

When you have thanked them, shown impact, listened to their interests and the conversation shows your next project fits what they care about.

What is donor stewardship?

Keeping donors informed and thanked about what their gifts achieved, between asks, so the relationship lasts.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

More templates

Board meetingHighlights, the numbers, the asks, and the votes — in that order.Investor update callFor the people who put money in: the numbers, what went wrong, and what you need from them.Nonprofit board meetingFor a charity or association board: approve the minutes, the money, the reports and the votes — in order, and on the record.Annual general meeting (AGM)The yearly meeting of members: the year's report, the accounts, the elections and the votes the rules require.Investor pitch meetingA first meeting with an investor: ten minutes of pitch, plenty of time for their questions, and a clear ask at the end.Advisory board meetingA meeting with advisers who have no vote: share the facts openly, bring two or three hard questions, and use their experience on those.Audit committee meetingBoard members check that the accounts are right, the controls work and the risks are watched: they hear from finance, the auditors and internal audit, and meet the auditors without management present.Finance committee meetingA small group of board members goes deeper into the money than the full board can: results against budget, cash, investments and big spending decisions, with a recommendation for the board.

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