329: How to Stop Making Assumptions About Your Donors and Asking Better Questions with Kyle Buchmann

Asking better questions and leaning into uncomfortable moments can help teams build real trust and connect deeply with donors! Kyle Buchmann, Senior Vice President at Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, shares practical lessons from his long career in higher-education fundraising. He joined the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association in 2012, moving up from leading the engineering development team to his current role as Senior Vice President. Drawing on his experience managing frontline fundraisers and leading large teams, Kyle explains how to guide people through big changes and train them to succeed. During the conversation, Kyle also discusses easy-to-use tools such as the "Ladder of Inference," which helps team members catch their own assumptions before making bad decisions. Moreover, he explains why fundraisers should focus on asking thoughtful questions instead of just memorizing donor data. Finally, Kyle covers practical communication tips such as using DISC personality tests to respect different thinking styles, clear up misunderstandings quickly, and keep everyone focused on a shared mission. In this episode, you will be able to:  Identify and interrupt implicit assumptions to make clearer, more objective organizational decisions. Frame insightful, open-ended questions for donor meetings rather than relying solely on lagging historical data. Guide teams productively through moments of change, discomfort, and uncertainty toward resolution. Apply tools like DISC profiling to adapt to neurodivergent styles and prevent workplace misunderstandings. Create a safe environment where team members can respectfully challenge each other's assumptions in real time. Engage donors by helping them author their own giving stories through active, non-judgmental listening. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Bay Business Group. Our friends at Bay Business Group really understand nonprofit accounting and financial management on so many levels. Focus on your mission while gaining complete clarity and confidence over your organization's finances. Partner with an employee-owned team built solely to support you, handling everything from bookkeeping and payroll to budgeting and fractional CFO guidance. Learn more at bay-biz.com/mallory. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point.