Explain to the interviewer what your fundraising quota was for the fiscal year, and describe in detail the reasons why you failed to meet that quota. If you didn't reach the quota because of a mistake, be honest about that mistake and talk about what you learned as a result. Be careful not to blame others or avoid responsibility. Instead, illustrate how you rallied and developed a plan to account for the funding gap.

"In recent years, corporate giving has been decreasing in favor of in-kind donations and volunteer experiences. This means it has become increasingly difficult to meet fundraising quotas, and my team has had to get creative to do so. The first year we started to notice this trend, I fell short of my 150,000 goal by about 7,000. Since I am a person who strives to meet every goal I set, I will admit that I considered this a failure at the time. However, I was taught my whole life to learn from these situations and use them to propel me to a better version of myself. Therefore, I didn't allow my momentum to slow and proceeded to research unexplored avenues for giving. I redirected some of the time I would have spent on corporate giving into researching private foundations, and this strategy really paid off for us!"

"About five years ago, the federal and state governments made cuts to a grant program that we have relied on for more than twenty years to help us provide companionship to seniors living in isolation. The cuts happened quite suddenly, so I had to quickly adjust my fundraising plan to account for the 50,000 deficit. I was able to raise about 35,000 by investigating new grant options. I felt a sting of disappointment, of course, but I always try to maintain a positive attitude and optimistic outlook. I met with my supervisor, and we agreed to increase my fundraising goal for the next fiscal year by 15,000. From there, I began a strategic partnership with our city's Aging Commission, which agreed to sponsor annual expenses for our volunteers serving clients in their homes. This sponsorship accounted for the previous deficit, and I learned to remain persistent and focused in the face of perceived failure."