Asking for Money

It's easy to fall into the feeling that you are bothering people when you ask them to contribute to your cause, or volunteer to help you with it. And some of the time you might be, but you never know who might be waiting for you to call and ask them for help. In general, people don't go around offering money or help to others but that doesn't mean they don't want to give it. It could mean that they have a policy of only supporting groups who ask for their support. But that could mean that they are actually just waiting for you to ask.

After all, how does a prospect know you need their help? Maybe if they offer it to you, they'll take it not because you actually need it so much but just because you don't want to turn it down. I'm talking more about non-monetary support here, like volunteering or gifts in kind but the same thing applies to gifts of money. The way most people decide who to donate to is by waiting until someone asks them.

That's why the first rule of fundraising is, ask! Not ask and ye shall receive, as my old boss Ken Wyman used to say, but you don't ask, you don't get.

It's like being a door-to-door sales person. The job is to work your way through the people who don't want you to knock on their door until you get to those who are. Those are the people who want to do something about society's problems but are maybe not sure how to go about it, or they are too busy to take on the problem themselves. Maybe they don't know you exist. Maybe they have forgotten that yours is a cause they care about. Whatever the case, keeping asking until you reach them. They are out there.

As for those people who see your solicitations as an annoyance, you just never know. They might come along another day. Attitudes can soften over time and you might be surprised by who chooses to support you in the future.