settingsFirst, be curious. You know your donor has a passion for the program – they’ve been giving for X years, but maybe you’ve never really dug into why this issue matters to them. Get to know your donor on a deeper level. You could say something like, “David, you’ve given so generously to this program over the past X years. Would you mind if I ask, what got you interested in our mission to [provide housing for the homeless]?” (Of course, insert your own mission statement. This is important, as it’s a reminder to your donor about the problem they care about.) Then pause and listen to what they tell you.