How lucky am I to have wonderful people send me wonderful notes about their experiences, that happened 2 years ago....read on....
I'm writing to thank you for your part in our school's receiving $24,000 in gifts this year.
You and I met at a conference in 2009. I had just been handed my first ever grant writing assignment from my employer of 6 years, and came hoping to learn how to navigate these new waters. I took detailed notes at your keynote address, which was an excellent introduction for me into the fundraising world.
My first year in my new assignment, I applied for 6 grants. All 6 were rejected. This year I applied for 6 grants again, and our school received our first ever grant from a foundation--$20,000 for technology for our Foreign Language classrooms!
It was definitely helpful for me to attend the conference, but the most exciting thing that I want to share with you is that your keynote address on The Ask was really instrumental in bringing in the other $4,000. Our Department needed that amount for a project we're gearing up for in the fall of 2012. I had identified a local businessman and spoken briefly with him about our project and we had made an appointment to talk again. Shortly before going to this appointment, I went over the notes from your talk. A few things stood out to me specifically. You said to look the person in the eye, ask for the specific amount of money for a specific purpose and be silent. Before I went to see the businessman, I wrote the amount of $4,000 and the purpose it was to be used for on a piece of paper and had it with me. When the time came, I looked at the paper one last time to be sure I worded everything correctly. I literally felt like I was standing on the end of the diving board at the deep end of the pool. I focused my energy on looking in the man's eyes and doing exactly what you said. After I made the request, he said "Wow, you're really good at this!" Little did he know that it was my first time ever.
Of course, there were several more things you said that were beneficial, but I have shared the most exciting part. I am thankful to God for letting me find my notes (I "just happened" to find them in a notebook I had forgotten about that very week) and to you for all the valuable information you shared at the conference.
So dive in...the water's fine!!!
