Strategies for Presentations

One of the things that program officers find daunting about presentations is that they often feel as though they are standing alone before the world. Indeed, one program officer clutching a sheaf of note cards does make for a rather solitary spectacle in a board room. Therefore, an excellent way to calm the jitters is to go beyond the usual “talking head” presentation. There are a number of ways to do this, each of which offers both great advantages and some risk of backfiring.

If the funding document under consideration describes a project that creates something tangible, and if a sample is available, it makes sense to bring it to the meeting for “show and tell.” Museum professionals have long recognized that physical objects possess an authenticity that can be only imperfectly described in print, and if the object can be handled, so much the better. For instance, if the project under consideration would dramatically expand the work of a center to teach entrepreneurial skills, and if one of the center's star students is already producing a product, you could share an example of this product as a tangible demonstration of the project's potential. A product literally in the hand makes an abstract request seem much more real.

This approach can backfire if you bring in too many products. An embarrassment of riches might raise the question, “If they are doing so well, why do they need our help?” Exercise caution if the applicant suggests making a gift of a product to each member of the committee or board. Most foundations place dollar limits on the gifts that employees or trustees might accept, but even if the product's value is under this limit, the recipients still may feel as if the applicant is trying to bribe them. All in all, it is probably better to refuse such offers.

Another approach to avoiding the talking-head syndrome relies on the bounty of modern technology. Slide shows have illustrated presentations for years, of course, but advances in technology make it possible for slide shows to include zooms, fades, and even motion, which will enliven any discussion. Videos can be made to illustrate the request, videoconferencing can bring the applicants right into the board room, and the Internet allows for real-time simultaneous communications around the world. In the not-too-distant future, it will be feasible to use virtual reality to spice up presentations. When used well, these technologies allow for committee and board members to experience the proposed project on an almost firsthand basis.

All grantmakers, however, should remember a simple correlation before totally embracing the electronic revolution in communications: the more complex the technology, the greater the risk of failure. A presentation built on a videoconference collapses whenever the satellite loses its signal. Even less catastrophic glitches can be troublesome, throwing the presentation off its pace. Human failure can plague these visually aided talks, as well. There are eight possible ways to insert a slide into a slide projector, seven of which are incorrect. A person can easily push the wrong button during any computer-controlled presentation, leading directly to chaos. Prior preparation, and lots of it, is essential to making the presentation go smoothly.

You should also be concerned about whether you are adept at simultaneously handling the speaking duties and operating the technology. Too frequently, fumbling with the controls disrupts the speech, or concentration on the talk prevents you from pushing the proper buttons in a timely fashion, either of which results in a disjointed presentation in which the cadence is erratic and the pictures are out of synch with your words. If you have any concern along this line, it makes sense to have someone else operate the machinery while you speak. Finally, it is well not to get carried away by technology. If the multimedia show becomes too slick, the committee or board members may well begin to wonder if there is any substance behind all the glitz.

Another highly effective strategy to banish the single talking head is to bring in multiple talking heads: one or more people from the applicant organization or from the population that the applicant is attempting to serve. Try as you might, you will never be able to fully capture the authentic voice of the project or to convey the energy and excitement it generates. Bringing in these leaders allows committee or board members to hear that voice and experience that energy firsthand, and this often has a profound effect on decision making.

Yet even this powerful approach presents many potential pitfalls. It creates an expense that someone must pay, and the expense could be significant if the applicants are at a great distance from the foundation. It also presents a risk, for you have no control over what the representatives might say. One grantmaker tells of an experience in which a guest unexpectedly chided members of the foundation's board for their stinginess in considering a grant of such a modest amount. There is also the danger that the grantseekers will seize the opportunity to make the most of their moment on the stage, and carry their presentation far beyond the allotted time. This, in turn, cuts into the committee or board members' time to ask questions, which might make some of the members wonder if the presentation amounted to an attempt to close off debate and force the request through without its being seriously examined. In fact, some members may feel that the presence of the guests precludes them from raising the tough questions they would like to ask, causing them to resent the whole situation. For these reasons, it may be wise to set aside discussion time with the committee or board without the representatives present, and to guard that time jealously.

For the sake of accuracy, it is important to note that only a minority of private foundations allow program officers to bring in applicants to present to a committee or a board. Even among these foundations, such presentations tend to be unusual events, typically reserved for exceptionally large or complex requests or for those that launch new directions in a foundation's programming.