Last month, I wrote that you as a board member are in a great position to help with fundraising. If you don’t participate, there is opportunity cost for your group. I talked about investment – your investment of yourself in the organization, but also their investment in you. They need you to help bring resources to the organization.

Sure, I feel enthusiasm, you say, but how can I talk about it in a way that gets others interested? Just because I care about it, why would it appeal to someone else?

Actually, that’s the heart of the matter. You care about this group and their work, and you have experiences with them that are important to you. We all influence others, and here’s your opportunity.

If you are willing and able to convey why you are enthusiastic about the work of this group, you can participate powerfully in meetings with donor prospects.

The key is to tell your story* in a way that is genuinely YOU.

But it does take some focused thought to form your story into a heartfelt (and true) anecdote that will affect others positively. It can be 2-3 minutes long (THIS IS NOT AN ELEVATOR SPEECH). Here are some tips for developing your personal story:

1. Even though you may have several stories, try to develop the one most important to you.

2. While it’s OK to have a statistic or key fact in your story, don’t make the story a dry narrative. It needs to be about how important this work is to you. It has real people as characters.

3. As you zero in on your best story or anecdote, consider these questions (for example),

What difference has this group made for you and/ or your family?
What difference has this group made in the life of someone you know?
What is the solution that this group offers to a big problem and what does it mean to you?

4. Don’t memorize your story. Just tell it. If you think you will be nervous, you may want to write notes on the key elements the first time you tell it, but you want it to sound natural and personal, not rehearsed.

5. Ahead of the meeting, tell your team member for the meeting (the staff member or executive you are accompanying) that if it’s appropriate, you’d like to tell your story about “xyz”. (By the way, your team member can set you up to tell your story at a time in the meeting that feels right to them. As you prepare for the meeting together, you can even loosely plan the timing.)

Once you’ve thought through your personal story about the importance of your group’s work, go ahead – contact a staff person (start with the ED if there’s no development staffer) and volunteer to go with them to a donor prospect meeting.

Really. That’s it.

You’re on your way!

*Here’s a sample story: “When I was growing up, my parents agreed to take in my best friend to live with us after his parents were killed in an auto accident when he was 8 years old. It was tough to have another child in our family – there were 6 of us already and we were pretty poor – but it forever gave me a feeling for what it might be like to be a foster child. We already knew my friend – or at least I did – and even then we had all kinds of misunderstandings and my friend was in a very tough state emotionally. He ran away a few times and we had to get help in finding him. Finally, we were able to make him part of our family, and he’s still part of our family, but it was very hard work at the beginning. That’s why, when I learned about the Bridge Meadows community in North Portland, I was so energized to get involved and help these kids have permanent homes with caring people. Now I’m on the board, and we want to help lots more of these kids and families. That’s what this is all about for me.”

Next month, I will discuss another contribution you can make in meetings with donor prospects: active listening. Along with your fellow team member, you can listen carefully in ways that will move the conversation along and reflect the prospect’s questions and concerns, at the same time helping them find meaningful connections with your group’s mission and work.