How do you get milk from a cow?
Well, you don't start by sending it an email.
Whenever I explain to people what I do as a major gifts fundraiser, I tell them that I am basically a dairy farmer, except instead of milk, I secure enormous donations. When I say this - and I have said this to groups of fundraising professionals, students in nonprofit management classes, Organization Boards of Trustees, even University Presidents - I get “a look”. You know what I mean, the “you’re being clever, but I think you’re also being annoying” look.
But I don’t mind. See, when you’re a dairy farmer, and you need to milk your cows, you don’t start by sending her an email outlining her milking options, or add her to your moves management pipeline, or (worse) suggest that she give now and pay later like some of those new philanthropic payday loan programs like Givesy.
Christ, no.
Because when you milk a cow, you start by cleaning and sanitizing the udder and washing your hands. You position yourself on a small stool next to the cow and gently milk the animal using a firm but gentle grip, directing the milk into a clean and sterilized bucket. The best technique is using a consistent rhythm, mimicking the cadence of a calf, while applying even pressure to encourage milk flow. Once the session is over, you empty the milk into a container and repeat the process until the cow is fully milked. Afterward, clean and dry the udder to maintain hygiene. In the end, proper technique and a calm environment contribute to a successful milking session.
(Thanks for that ChatGPT!)
And if you’ve ever done any major gift fundraising, does the process outlined above sound at all familiar? I mean, minus the rhythmic milking part of course.
That’s the Power of Face-to-Face Meetings
Of course, dairy farmers no longer (or rarely) individually milk their dairy herd. That would take eons and how would we ever get to making ice cream (the highest, purest form of dairy) if farmers individually milked their cows?
So while technology has revolutionized some methods, it hasn’t revolutionized major gift fundraising. Because there is no substitute for old-fashioned face-to-face interactions. And according to a 2021 Harvard Business Review Article, face-to-face requests were 34 times more effective than email requests, and sitting down face-to-face is by far the most effective approach, followed by any form of video or audio communication, followed lastly by text-based communication.
So don’t take my (or a dairy farmer’s) word for it: When it comes to soliciting donors, meeting them in person provides a unique opportunity to establish trust, forge deeper connections, and convey your organization's mission and impact more effectively. It’s a chance at Genuine Connection, and opportunity to practice Active Listening, and to hear (and overcome) Objections in real time. You can tell your story in the most Impactful way, with emotion and emphasis, something that cannot be done even by the most erudite email writer.
As fundraising professionals, we are under enormous pressure to secure meetings, new gifts and pledge commitments, steward our existing donors, and bring resources into our amazing organizations. Those pressures are real (and it’s getting harder and harder to reach donors today - more on that in a later post).
But even when you’re at your most discouraged, don’t underestimate the power of personal connections. In this digital age, face-to-face donor solicitation might seem old-fashioned, but its impact is exponentially higher, and the skills you develop in those meetings will serve you well for your entire career.
What advice do you have for fundraising professionals heading into their donor meetings?