March 21, 2011 | Read Time: 1 minute
Chicago
Eli Jordfald doesn’t believe in making cold calls.
But as senior major-gifts director for the University of North Carolina’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mrs. Jordfald says that much of the $3-million that she raised last year came as a result of donors she had engaged over the years through discovery calls—phone calls made to prospects who had a known connection to the center but who had not made large gifts.
Her experience interacting with potential donors, many of whom are former patients of the center, has taught her some unexpected lessons.
Some people, for example, are eager to discuss their illness and treatment plans. All of them appreciate knowing the title of the fund raiser who is calling.
But the biggest lesson has to do with the difference between discovery calling and cold calling. In the video below, she explains the distinction:
