Why I Ask the Turtle: The Power of Listening First in Nonprofit Fundraising
Gloria Steinem once found a turtle crossing a road and, wanting to help, moved it to what she thought was a safe location. Later, her professor explained she’d likely prevented the turtle from reaching its nesting ground. Her well-intentioned “rescue” had actually disrupted the turtle’s natural purpose. (Gloria Steinem 2015, My Life on the Road)
When I first read this story, it clicked; this parable aligns with how I have approached my work as a development professional throughout my career.
Too often in nonprofit development, we approach organizations and donors with solutions before understanding the reason for their journey. We see a challenge and immediately prescribe our playbook, our framework, our proven strategies. This urgency to take action is in our nature. Many of us got into development because we want to help solve problems we are passionate about. But like that turtle, every organization knows where it’s going. The question isn’t whether we can help; we can. The question is whether we’re willing to ask how to help first.
The Power of Multiple Perspectives
One of my first tasks during my time at Boston was to increase alumni participation from former student-athletes. The traditional approach would have been straightforward: analyze the data, create a targeted campaign, and execute. In this example, I would have implemented a “giving day” campaign that I had successfully led at the University of Tennessee. Instead, I chose to ask the turtle, or, in this case, three different groups, who our chosen path would impact.
First, I listened to University Advancement leadership. Their focus was clear: alumni participation among student-athletes was lagging significantly behind that of other segments and peer schools nationwide. This gap needed to be closed.
Then, I spoke with the Athletic Department staff and coaches. Coaches wanted discretionary funding for their teams’ specific needs, yet, as is the case for most organizations, staff focus was on unrestricted department-wide funds.
Finally, and most importantly, I listened to the former student-athletes themselves, especially those who were not donors. They told me the giving windows felt rushed and impersonal. Development officers they’d never met were asking them to give during brief campaigns, while their strongest connections remained with teammates and coaches who weren’t involved in the process. Lastly, they shared a common challenge for university development officers: young professionals were concerned that their smaller, participatory gifts wouldn’t create an impact at such a large organization.
Three groups. Three completely different perspectives on the same challenge.
When Listening Leads to Innovation
With this understanding, I collaborated with colleagues across University Advancement and Athletics to create a week-long giving initiative, where individual teams could raise funds for their own discretionary budgets, branded as “Support Your Sport.” During this time, coaches would have the full resources of Boston College University Advancement at their disposal.
We secured a $50,000 challenge gift for the team with the highest alumni participation percentage. We created outreach playbooks and shared contact lists with coaches. Most importantly, we empowered teams to connect with alumni in their own authentic way, with our guidance available throughout.
The results exceeded our expectations. In the first year alone, over 4,300 new alumni participated, enabling Boston College to exceed its overall donor participation goals while generating $1.3 million in new revenue. More importantly, the model has proven sustainable: every year since its inception has brought over 3,500 donors and generated more than $3 million annually.
We didn’t just increase participation; we created a model that honored what each group had told us they needed. Implementing decisions made after listening allowed us to align systems and departments that may have previously thought they had different priorities.
University Advancement got meaningful engagement from former student-athletes. Athletic teams secured discretionary funding for their specific priorities. And alumni heard from the people they actually wanted to connect with: their former teammates and coaches.
Why This Matters for Your Organization
Every nonprofit is crossing its own road for its own reasons. Donors, board members, program staff, and community partners all experience different aspects of your mission and understand different truths about your work.
When we lead with listening rather than solutions, we discover opportunities that predetermined strategies would miss. We find alignment between seemingly competing priorities. We build trust that sustains partnerships beyond any single campaign.
This approach doesn’t mean every voice carries equal weight in every decision. It means understanding the whole landscape before charting the path forward. It means respecting that the people closest to the work often hold the most valuable insights.
An Invitation
I founded Ask the Turtle because I believe the most effective fundraising strategies emerge from understanding each organization’s unique context. They aren’t recycled plans that worked well at other organizations. What works brilliantly for one nonprofit might fall flat for another, even when they seem similar on the surface.
If you’re involved with a mission-driven organization, I’d welcome the opportunity to learn about your direction. Not to tell you what you should do, but to help you discover what you already know about your most significant opportunities for growth.
Whether you’re considering working with a consultant or want to discuss your development challenges, I’m here to ask the turtle, because the most powerful solutions are inspired by where you’re trying to go.
Nate Warren is the founder of Ask the Turtle LLC, providing nonprofit development consulting services to organizations throughout New England and beyond. Connect with him at nate@asktheturtle.com or schedule a complimentary listening conversation through asktheturtle.com.
