Name Dropping?

It’s time for the board to come up with names of people with whom the nonprofit should make contact—for a request, for inside information about a community program, for any good purpose that benefits the growth and thriving of the organization. “Well, let’s go around the table and share some of the people you know so we can reach out,” suggests the development director.

 

The request is met with silence, people look down at their yellow pads or cell phones, it appears nobody knows anybody. Have your board members been living in a cave? Why aren’t they coming up with contacts?

 

There are several possible reasons why we don’t speak up in these settings. We might be embarrassed to admit that we know someone. We might be reluctant because the high-value contact has told you “enough, already!” We might offer a name of someone we don’t really know that well, then when we’re asked for an introduction, we have to admit our over-promising.

 

Here’s a game to play with boards and other insiders. Ask everyone to take a small piece of paper. On that paper, ask: “write the name of someone you know who is influential or important or rich or famous. Then write your name below. Fold the paper and put it in the bowl on the table.”

 

You’ve just invited a board member to make an anonymous identification of someone who might be able to help the organization. No one else knows what names are on what slips of paper. You, as the group leader, pulls the names and finds the ones you think might be most helpful.

 

Then, later, you approach the person who “dropped” the name to ask if she or he would be willing to reach out. If they say yes, great, the connection is made quietly. If they say no, fine, no one’s on the hook, no one’s exposed, no one’s embarrassed.

 

Experiences with this anonymous naming exercise have yielded U.S. Senators, mayors, wives of governors, celebrity chefs and others—all from board members who sat silent at a meeting. No guarantees that connections equal funding, but these links are certainly a step in the right direction.

 

Next time you don’t get any names or connections from your board, consider serving up a bowl of name drop soup.

 

 

Thomas Boyd is Chief Editorial Consultant for The Grantsmanship Center
and an independent consultant to nonprofit organizations.

© Copyright 2022, The Grantsmanship Center