WE DON’T KNOW ANYBODY…

But if we did, we know they’d want to fund us!

This refrain comes up a lot in Cause Effective’s work – because we encourage nonprofits to think outside the box to find new donor prospects…new funder markets…new worlds to introduce themselves to and make their case.

How do you leapfrog over who you know to make connections to the world beyond? The short answer is: you invite someone to come think with you.

“Ask for advice, you get money. Ask for money, you get advice.” How many years has that old chestnut been bandied about? But it’s true – when you ask someone for their thoughts, you’re implying that you value what they bring to the table.

It’s flattering, and it certainly makes someone want to help more, if they think you’re really looking to grab ahold of what they have to say.

I often offer to take someone out for a meal – or for coffee, if I’m feeling tight – there’s something about breaking bread that relaxes people and makes them want to come up with something for you. Plus, they feel like they owe you a tidbit in exchange for the meal. Psychologically, it de-charges the encounter.

So try it: “I’m trying to understand what Neighbors for Trees might offer to the community banking sector, and as someone who really has his pulse on that sector I’m hoping I could take you out for coffee some time and pick your brain…” – sounds pretty innocuous, right?

It’s cultivation, it’s identification, and it might even be solicitation all wrapped up into one if you play your cards right (or, at the least, an invitation to proceed further with a conversation leading to solicitation). But at any rate, it’s putting the two of you on the same side of the table, problem-solving for the benefit of your organization.

To get back to the beginning question, what you’re looking for in this encounter is entry – to other people in their sector who might become fans if they knew about your organization and were introduced to it by someone whose credibility they trusted.

    …You’re asking your lunchmate for their network, and their name to help you get there.

                  …You’re asking for access.

And that – in a nutshell – is how you get beyond the folks you already know.