Meet and Greet Questions

Schedule one-on-one meetings with your board and staff to get their feel for the organization. Here’s a sampling of questions to use:

1. Tell me, in just a few sentences, about your role at XYZ Organization.

2. What led you to take on the position? What was intriguing about it?

3. What do you think XYZ Organization’s biggest strengths are? Weaknesses? What about opportunities, particularly as they might relate to fundraising?

4. How would our community be different if it didn’t have XYZ Organization? (describe a world without XYZ Organization’s services)

5.  If XYZ Organization had many more financial resources at its disposal, what might its programs and services look like? (I.e., blue sky the future)

6.  What barriers might XYZ Organization face in raising money from the public? What are the objections you hear about?

7.  Where have you seen some of the greatest fundraising success? What are you most proud of in terms of fundraising?

8.  Tell me about a fundraising initiative that failed, and why

9.  What about internal culture: are XYZ Organization staff and the board generally supportive of philanthropy and understanding of the role it plays at XYZ Organization?

10.  Do you have any ideas to share on potential funders (whether a company or individual)? Can you tell me a bit about them?

11.  What ideas do you have for future fundraising initiatives?

12.  Is there anything on the XYZ Organization horizon that’s particularly exciting and that we might be able to talk about in a case for support?

13. Where are some of XYZ Organization’ most powerful and compelling stories – and who might some of XYZ Organization’s most effective storytellers be? On social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok), what stories resonate the most?