Here’s a quick snapshot of this article from Little Bean Group. It guides you to prepare thoroughly for stakeholder conversations by clarifying purpose, mapping interests, planning dialogue, and follow-up. It provides a framework to communicate confidently with donors, board members, or partners and strengthen relationships.
We’ve all done it. We show up for a meeting and then ask ourselves – or the other person – why are we here? What are we doing?
While this approach may be ok for a casual or social meeting, it’s not a good approach for a meeting with a donor, a board member, or key stakeholder. Here’s how I make sure I’m always prepared for an important meeting.
First, once the meeting is confirmed. I immediately drop a note into my calendar to remind myself of the purpose of the meeting. A short note like “update Stephanie on the new project” or “new board member introduction meeting” helps me remember why I put the meeting on the calendar in the first place.
Second, I carve out time to prepare for the meeting. I set 20 minutes on my calendar a few days prior to the meeting. I may make a short outline for the meeting or put a couple of bullets on the specific topics I want to cover. Once I cover the basics, I ask myself these questions:
- What is this person expecting from this conversation?
- How do I want them to feel at the end of the meeting?
- What am I worried about? How can I address it?
- What information do I need before this conversation?
- Do you need to build a relationship?
- Do you need to deepen a relationship?
Being thoughtful about what the other person expects and what I can do to make them feel comfortable and at ease means that I position myself to have the best outcome possible.
When I plan a meeting where money may be discussed – including fundraising goals and gifts – I consider an additional set of questions:
- Do I plan to ask for money? If so, what is my approach?
- How will I share financial information?
- What materials do I need to prepare? What follow up may be needed?
I hope this framing makes these conversations a bit easier!
Frequently Asked Questions
It means identifying exactly what you want to achieve from the meeting (e.g., update, ask, alignment) and what you hope the stakeholder takes away.
You research each stakeholder’s priorities, what motivates them, their concerns, and how they relate to your organization’s mission.
Sending a summary of the discussion, outlining next steps, assigning responsibilities, and scheduling the next check-in or decision point.
Stay calm, listen actively, acknowledge the concern, steer back to the purpose of the meeting, and offer to follow up if you don’t have the answer on the spot.
