Getting a Donor Meeting: “Someone offered to introduce us, but nothing happened.”
This is one of the most common sources of stalled donor development — and one of the most frustrating, because you’re dependent on someone else to make the move. A board member mentioned a major donor they know. They said they’d make the connection. That was three months ago and nothing has happened.
What’s really going on
- “I don’t want to nag a board member.”
- “Maybe they mentioned me to the donor already and the donor wasn’t interested.”
- “I’m not sure it’s my place to push this.”
- “I don’t want to make the board member feel guilty.”
The board member isn’t avoiding you. They got busy. They meant to do it and it slipped. Or they did mention you casually and didn’t realize a formal introduction was expected. This is almost always a logistics problem, not a relationship problem.
What not to do
Don’t wait indefinitely. Three months is already too long. The longer you wait, the colder the introduction gets.
Don’t ask the board member about it in a group setting. A sidebar conversation or a quick note is better than raising it in a board meeting.
Don’t assume the introduction happened and go directly to the donor. If the board member hasn’t made the connection yet and you reach out cold, you’ve undercut the referral before it existed.
What to say
Make it easy for the board member — easier than doing it from scratch. Draft the introduction email for them and ask if they’d be willing to send it (or something like it).
To the board member:
Hi [Name],
I wanted to follow up on the connection you mentioned with [general description — “the donor you know from your professional network”]. I completely understand how busy things get, and I wanted to make it as easy as possible.
Would you be comfortable sending something like this? I’ve drafted a note you can use as-is or change however you’d like:
[Draft of the introduction email — see below]
No pressure — just thought it might save you a step. Thank you for offering to make this connection.
The introduction email you draft for them:
Subject: Two people I think should connect
Hi [Donor name],
I’ve been meaning to connect you with [Your name] at [Organization]. I think you’d find each other’s work interesting — [one specific reason]. I’ll leave it to them to reach out from here.
[Board member name]
Once the board member sends the introduction, keep an eye out — if the donor replies on their own, that’s a great sign. Either way, reach out to the donor directly within 24–48 hours. Don’t let it sit longer than that.
AI prompt
I need help drafting two things: a short note to a board member asking them to make an introduction they offered months ago, and a brief introduction email they can send on my behalf. Here’s the context:
- Board member description: [e.g., “Our vice chair, who has served for four years”]
- Donor prospect description (no real name): [e.g., “A local business owner the board member knows socially”]
- What the board member originally offered: [e.g., “They said they’d introduce us after the spring gala — that was four months ago”]
- My name and organization: [Your name, organization name]
Keep both messages short. The note to the board member should be warm, not guilt-inducing. The introduction email should be one brief paragraph they can send as-is.
Privacy note: Describe the donor generally rather than using their real name.