A thank-you call can do much more than say thank you.

It can remind a donor why they care.

It can uncover the values behind their giving.

And sometimes, one thoughtful question can open a conversation that changes the relationship completely.

That’s exactly what happened when a fundraiser I coached called a 15-year $1,000 annual donor and asked a simple question tied to the school’s values. Within 15 minutes, the donor called back and offered a $100,000 gift. She later became a $100,000 annual donor — and eventually increased her gift to $200,000.

The point isn’t that one question magically creates a major gift.

It creates the conditions for one.

The Values Question Formula shows you how to use gratitude, curiosity, and shared values to deepen donor conversations without making them feel transactional.

What’s Inside

You’ll learn how to:

• Start with genuine gratitude — without rushing toward an Ask
• Identify the values that sit at the heart of your mission
• Turn those values into a natural, invitational donor question
• Adapt the formula for different causes and missions
• Listen for what the donor reveals about identity, memory, hope, meaning, and readiness
• Let the donor lead the conversation rather than steering too hard

Because the best donor conversations shift from: “What can you give?” 

to: “Who are you, and what matters to you?”

And that is often where deeper trust — and more meaningful giving — begins.