How to silence the crickets and get your supporters to respond.
Imagine you run a nonprofit. You have everything someone in your position can ask for: a compelling mission, a dedicated team, and a passionate base of supporters who help keep your organization running. There is just one problem: when it comes time to pursue a foundation grant or meet with your supporters to discuss increasing their giving, you can't get anyone to sit down with you for a meeting. You call, send emails, mail letters, and all you hear are crickets! Luckily, you are not alone, for one glaring reason: many nonprofits make the same mistakes when trying to book meetings. Conducting outreach to secure meetings is simple in concept, but it requires a sophisticated effort. It also requires discipline, a difficult thing to muster when it comes to outreach. But by making some small tweaks to your outreach process, as well as by altering your overall mindset, you can easily fill your calendar, as well as set your organization up for major wins farther down the road.
With that, here are five reasons why you are not booking more meetings.
Reason 1: You make it too complicated—or too simple.
It is very tempting to fall into one of two extremes in your attempt to book meetings. On the one hand, you may go about the process with no real "support system”; you don't have a reliable way to track who you have reached out to, to ensure data about the contact is accurate, etc. Being organized is essential for you to reach out to as many folks as possible and gives you the highest chance of getting meetings on the calendar.
Simultaneously, you don't want to make things too complicated. You don't need to have every new type of tracking software installed to do outreach, nor do you need to know every detail about the person you are contacting. My personal rule of thumb is this: if I can clearly see 1) who has been contacted, who has said no, and who has agreed to a meeting, and 2) the essentials of the contact (position, relationship to my organization/client, etc.), then I can conduct outreach and book meetings successfully. A thorough, usable system of organization will be key as you acquire more contacts and move further along in the outreach process.
Reason 2: You go after the wrong people.
It is understandable why you may think you need to focus your time and energy on the few individuals who have given your organization large gifts in the past, and to a certain extent, this is not a bad thing. After all, you see that they have given six-figure gifts before and have the capacity to give more. Why wouldn't you hound them for a gift upgrade? The problem with this approach is that it operates under a "short term gains" mindset and ignores the bigger picture, which is harmful for two reasons.
First, getting a meeting with major donors is easier said than done. Most of the time, there will be obstacles in your path: gatekeepers will inquire as to why you are calling, or say they will "pass the message along" (spoiler alert: they don’t). Even if you get the major donor themself on the phone, nine times out of ten they are almost impossible to pin down for a time. They are often booked for weeks or even months at a time, meaning the odds of getting that chance to sit down with them are slim.
But most importantly, solely focusing on these major donors causes you to miss an important—and far easier—opportunity: renewing and upgrading your low- and mid-dollar donors. These folks are usually just a call or an email away, and while they may give in smaller amounts, they are often far more consistent while also being passionate about the cause your organization is championing. Fostering a relationship with this oft-neglected segment of your donor base can produce massive dividends. Not only are these supporters easier to reach, but you are also more likely to secure a small upgrade (or in the case of lapsed givers, a renewal) than that coveted one-time major gift. One hundred upgraded low-dollar donors, while a small win initially, can be a game-changer for nonprofits long term. Connect with these supporters, and your calendar will be packed in no time.
Reason 3: You refuse to adapt.
Sometimes, you have to accept that an idea you had for your outreach just is not working. Something might sound good on paper, but if it isn't generating real-world results, it’s time to return to the drawing board. Minor fixes—whether it’s switching up your cadence, using new contact information, or reaching out at different times of the day—can improve your odds of establishing contact and getting that meeting booked.
Again, these changes don’t need to be major. For example, if you keep sending emails to one email address and the contact is not responding, try a different email. Or, if you are trying to get in contact with a foundation and their grants officer is radio silent, contact another person at the foundation. If you find that neither calls nor emails are getting you anywhere, try throwing a text message in the mix. You do not have to upend whatever system that you have going (more on that later), but sometimes you may need to make a few adjustments. Maintaining a consistent rhythm of outreach while also being able to adapt is sometimes tricky, but the results will make the effort worth it.
Reason 4: You are not resilient.
No one likes rejection, yet everyone knows that it’s inevitable. When you reach out to supporters or prospects to book meetings, you should expect to be told "no” many, many times. You may start to feel discouraged; you may think that your mission is inconsequential or that you are not a persuasive communicator; you may be convinced you are making a mistake that is causing folks to not want to speak with you.
In reality, nine times out of ten, the problem is not you. Unlike in the dating world, the phrase "it’s not you, it’s me" actually rings true. People who say they don't want a meeting with you often do so for reasons beyond your control. They might have a million things on their calendar already, or they might be content with their current role in your mission's work and not want to—or be able to—give and/or do more. You have to be resilient and keep reaching out to and connecting with those you want to support your cause. Plus, a "no" is not always the end. If someone turns you down, keep sending them periodic updates over email about your organization's work, or mail them a letter detailing ways you want to expand the scope of your mission and include a gift ask. These small acts show the person that you are truly interested in fostering a connection, and lay the foundation for a future meeting or ask. You should not go in to the process asking, "How can I avoid rejection?" but rather, "How do I handle rejection when I face it?"
Reason 5: You are not consistent.
This last reason can truly make or break your chances of getting more meetings.
Even when nonprofits do try to connect with prospects or supporters to ask them for a meeting, they often do so haphazardly. They will call or email a select few once or twice, wait several weeks, contact them again, and when they hear nothing back, wait for months on end to call them again, if at all. This method does not work. Ever. Booking meetings with foundations or supporters requires playing the long game, especially with donors who have not been contacted for some time. To convey a sense of importance or urgency, you have to reach out to them continually. I have found that each contact should get one "touch" (i.e., phone call or email) per week, until you have reached out to them eight to ten times, they have agreed to a meeting, or they say they are not interested.
Consistent outreach is hard work, but it pays off. Not only does it demonstrate to prospects your sincere desire to meet, but it spurs the other changes described above. Establishing a pattern of weekly outreach will increase your resilience, allow you to adapt, help you identify which supporters are more likely to agree to meet, and show you how to refine the system that you have built. You will not only book more meetings, but you will also grow as an individual and a professional, and increase your nonprofit’s success. Consistency is truly king.
Conclusion:
To improve at booking meetings, you have to assess constantly what does and does not work. Every prospect is different, meaning that every interaction will require a tailored approach. But by sticking to the basic principles I have detailed, you will be on your way to getting meetings on the books, and will set your nonprofit up for success.
