Donors are individuals who give funds to help your organization achieve its mission! Program/Grant Administrators/Officers are employees of institutions and represent the foundations’ interest. Typically, they are individuals who have extensive knowledge in the field of interest and carry a portfolio of grantees of which they advise and advocate for within their greater institutions.Donors are individuals who give funds to help your organization achieve its mission! Program/Grant Administrators/Officers are employees of institutions and represent the foundations’ interest. Typically, they are individuals who have extensive knowledge in the field of interest and carry a portfolio of grantees of which they advise and advocate for within their greater institutions. So now that we understand the difference between the two, what’s the magic secret to receiving sustainable funding from program officers? It boils down to two things: trust and engagement. There’s no real sorcery involved, but there are a few ‘magic’ truths in fundraising. Some include: those who don’t ask don’t receive (a squeaky wheel gets the oil sort of ideology); and if a program officer wouldn’t trust you with their own money, they’re probably not going to trust you with their foundation’s money either. Fundraising success is usually strengthened by two things: strong data and strong relationships. Relationship building in particular is fundamental. Yes, the collateral you provide to funders matter. The strength of your proposal, and the alignment of your work as it relates to the funder’s vision, matters. Your reputation in the community matters. AND one big indicator of long-term sustainable funding is the relationship you build with your program officer as an extension of the foundation. Relationships matter. And all of this brings us back to understanding how to build trust and drive engagement. Let’s start with engagement. There’s a working theory in fundraising called the ‘rule of 7’. Simple put, expert fundraisers (yours included) believe that you need seven quality touch points between requesting gifts. The majority of these engagement touch points should be thank yours and updates. This practice doesn’t just go for individual donors, it also is helpful for foundation program officers as well. An example of engagement timeline which may work for you could include: