Getting a Donor Meeting: “I’ve never met this person before.”
First-contact outreach is one of the hardest things fundraisers are asked to do — and one of the things they’re given the least guidance on. Most training covers what happens once you’re in the meeting. Almost none of it covers how you get there when you’ve never spoken.
What’s really going on
- “I don’t have a reason to reach out. I have nothing to offer them.”
- “If I reach out cold, they’ll know I’m looking for a gift.”
- “I don’t want to waste their time with a meeting that benefits us more than them.”
- “I’m afraid the first impression will be: ‘this is a fundraising call.'”
Most “cold” donor outreach isn’t actually cold. Somewhere in your network — on your board, among your staff, in your donor list — there’s almost always a connection between your organization and this person. Finding and using that connection is the first task.
What not to do
Don’t send a generic organizational introduction. “I’m reaching out on behalf of [Organization] to share information about our work…” goes straight to the archive. It reads like a bulk email, even if you wrote it specifically for this person.
Don’t lead with the mission pitch. You haven’t earned that conversation yet. The first meeting isn’t the pitch — it’s the start of the relationship.
Don’t ignore the shared connection if you have one. If a board member knows this person, that connection is the most valuable thing in your outreach. Use it in the first sentence, not buried in paragraph three.
Don’t ask for “a few minutes of your time.” It frames the meeting as a favor they’re doing for you. Frame it as something genuinely worth their time.
What to say
If you have a mutual connection:
Subject: [Mutual contact] suggested I reach out
Hi [Name],
[Mutual contact] mentioned you specifically and thought we should connect — which is always a good sign.
I’d love to introduce myself and hear a bit about what draws you to this kind of work. Would a 20-minute call sometime in [month] work for you?
[Your name], [Organization]
Put the referral in the first sentence. It’s the most credibility-building thing you have, and it signals immediately that this isn’t random.
If you don’t have a mutual connection:
Subject: Your work on [specific thing] — a connection I wanted to make
Hi [Name],
I came across [something specific they’ve done or been involved in] and wanted to reach out directly.
I lead [brief, one-line description of organization]. I think there may be a natural connection here, and I’d love to explore that in a 20-minute call if you’re open to it.
[Your name]
Do the research first. An email that references something specific they care about is qualitatively different from one that doesn’t. If you can’t find anything specific, you’re not ready to reach out yet.
If the mutual connection is willing to make the introduction directly:
Ask them to. A forwarded email from someone they trust is worth ten cold emails from you. Give your connection a short paragraph they can copy and paste:
“I’ve been thinking you two should connect. [Your name] leads [Organization] — they do really compelling work around [thing], and knowing you, I thought there might be some natural overlap. I’ll let them take it from here.”
Then follow up within 48 hours of the introduction.
AI prompt
I need help writing a short, warm email to reach out to a donor prospect I’ve never met. Here’s the context:
- Prospect description (no real name): [e.g., “a local business owner who has been involved in similar causes, in her early 50s”]
- How I found out about them: [e.g., “A board member mentioned she’d been at our gala two years ago and expressed interest”]
- Mutual connection, if any: [e.g., “Our board chair knows her professionally”]
- What I hope the meeting will accomplish: [e.g., “Introduction — I want her to know us better before any ask”]
- My name and organization: [Your name, organization name]
Write me a short first-contact email (under 120 words) that leads with the shared connection, doesn’t pitch the organization in the first message, and makes a specific and easy-to-respond-to meeting request. Include a subject line.
Privacy note: Describe your prospect generally rather than using their real name. Avoid including sensitive details about estimated wealth or third-party information shared in confidence.