Inquiry Calls
The peer-to-peer principle applies equally, if not more so, when making an inquiry phone call. It’s unlikely that the grant writer will be able to get through to the head of a large foundation. Also, it might be interpreted as a breach of protocol for the grant writer, rather than an executive director, to call a foundation head about a proposal.
WORDS TO THE WISE
Be strategic about when you place an inquiry call. The day applications are due or the day before a board meeting will probably be particularly hectic for the program officer. If possible, determine when these events occur and avoid them. If you must leave a voice mail message, state your name clearly, explain the reason you’re calling, and repeat your phone number. Make it as easy as possible for them to pay attention to you.
Before you call, line up all your facts and put them down as a series of bullet points you can easily refer to. Go over what you plan to say with a colleague, asking her to try to anticipate what questions the program officer might ask. If someone else will make the call, give that person your bullet points and review them together to be sure any questions that might come up can be quickly answered.
You don’t, of course, have to have the answers to every question—you can always say you’ll get back to them with that information—but you should be prepared to respond to the obvious ones, such as who will run the program or what’s the total budget.
When you have the program officer on the phone, be professional at all times. Don’t try for a breezy or too informal manner, and don’t address the program officer by first name unless you actually know her. Keep in mind the things that should and should not appear in an inquiry letter, and try to stick to those topics in your call. Take notes on everything discussed. It will all come in handy at some point.
If your main purpose in calling is to arrange a meeting, be clear about that before you get into describing your project. The program officer might prefer to hear about it over the phone rather than in person, but give her that option.
If you’ve been sending your newsletter to the funder, I’d start by asking if she has received it and, if so, if she found it informative. If your inquiry call is following up an introductory letter (that accompanied a newsletter, for example) or an inquiry letter, state that right away to make a connection between you and what she should have seen or known about your charity.
Work to keep the conversation positive and general. You want to pique their interest in your proposal in hopes of gaining insight into how best to pitch it to the funder’s specific interests. If you’re told that the funder wouldn’t consider your project, ask if you can continue to send your newsletter and if you can call again when a different project requires funding. Try to get some positive action out of the call.
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