CEO Golden Hour, Part 2: Small Group Lunches

This is the second of three posts about the CEO Golden Hour, highlighting the top three things even the busiest CEO can do to impact donor cultivation and major gifts if they are willing to dedicate merely one hour a week to this critical process.

Host regular box lunches in the CEO's office or conference room with a small group of donors and a board member in attendance.

Purpose: CEO and board members become more comfortable with the donor cultivation process, while giving your loyal donors an inside, personal view of the organization

Preparation: Development director invites five donors for a special meeting with CEO and a board member

Suggested Agenda:

• Welcome and introductions:
  • CEO starts right out welcoming people and introducing the board member and development staff present (2 minutes)
  • Each guest introduces themselves, tells their involvement with the organization (8 minutes)


• While people are eating:
  • CEO talks about three things she is most excited about that are happening right now at the organization. (3 minutes)
  • Questions and discussion (5 minutes)
  • CEO talks about three greatest challenges right now (7 minutes)
  • Questions and discussion (10 minutes)


• After lunch:
  • CEO poses open-ended "focus-group" questions (15 minutes)
    • How do you think we could better convey our needs?
    • What advice do you have for us?
    • How could we be doing a better job of telling our story?


• Wrap up and thanks from CEO and board member:
  • Be sure to say the development director will call them for feedback in the next week (5 minutes)