How to Ask for Money So That People Say Yes.

The real task for fundraisers is asking in such a way that you hear ‘yes’ more often. The first step in doing that is to have a clear idea of what the money is for, and then you have to be able to articulate that in a couple of sentences. Dear Friend, Would you be willing to support our organization if you knew it would make a significant difference in the life of another person? That’s the basic fundraising question, but before you can ask it with confidence, you ought to have already helped at least a few people. If you’re an established group, that shouldn’t be a problem, but if you’re a relatively new group, establishing a track record should be a major priority. Fundraising is a lot easier when you can point to your successes and tell the prospective donor that what you are asking them to do is help make an already successful enterprise even more successful. The usual path for getting to that point is to apply for a foundation or government grant, and then implement at least one programme. Once your programme is underway, and you have seen some positive outcomes, then you can move onto more self-sustaining forms of fundraising, such as special events and direct mail.

This post is an excerpt from Issue 32 of Fundraising 101 and is also a chapter in my book, The Best of Fundraising 101.