Jeffersonian Dinners: Using Food and Conversation to Draw In Donors
Rhea Wong never felt comfortable using elevator pitches and slide decks to raise money for Breakthrough New York, the college-success program she leads. Instead she has turned to Jeffersonian dinners as a way to engage new supporters.
The intimate gatherings bring together eight to 12 people for an evening of conversation. Meaty questions that guests receive ahead of time guide the whole-table conversations. There are no fundraising requests at the dinners. The goal is to draw participants into the mission by eliciting their ideas on how the nonprofit can solve a thorny problem or better achieve its goals.
"It’s a way to get to know people on a deeper level than just superficial chitchat," Ms. Wong says. "It’s about connecting with people rather than pitching at them, rather than trying to extract something from them."
For Breakthrough New York, the results have been significant. Some guests have become regular donors. One woman offered internships for the young people in the program. One man persuaded his law firm to buy a table at the nonprofit’s annual gala — and volunteered to host his own Jeffersonian dinner for the organization. . .