One of the most challenging parts of fundraising is the coveted ask. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re thinking about how you’d like to ask your supporters for a donation. How can you show supporters that you need their help without overasking? What’s the best way to build a passionate donor base? And which donors should you even ask?
Depending on the size of your organization and the types of resources at your disposal, you might not know where to begin. Maybe you’ve hosted a couple of events already or have launched a fundraising campaign, but have found that your messaging hasn’t resulted in many donations. This might be because of how you’ve framed your ask.
Your fundraising ask is equivalent to a sales pitch. It’s your moment to convey to your supporters why your cause matters and why they should support it.
There are lots of ideas out there about designing the perfect fundraising event or fantastic marketing materials, but a great event or campaign message must also include a compelling ask. So, we’ve put together our top 5 tips for improving your fundraising asks:
In the long-term, nailing your fundraising ask can also help you build up lasting relationships and encourage further engagement. Your ask is a great way to show donors that you value their individual contributions and their continued passion for your cause.
Strategizing your ask, taking the time to plan ahead, and streamlining your message can all go a long way to boost your donations. A coordinated strategy can not only ensure continuity across the way that your organization asks for donations, but it can also provide a framework for you to plan future donation campaigns.
Determining your strategy is not as difficult as it may appear. It’s best if you look at the goals you’ve set for your nonprofit and structure your ask strategy around them. To get yourself started, try answering the following questions:
However, while organizing your strategy is important, it’s also equally important to be somewhat flexible. As you launch your campaign, you’re going to learn things along the way. Rather than rigidly sticking to your original strategy, you should re-adjust to fit with what you’ve learned. The fundraising landscape is constantly changing — so you should adapt with it.
Multi-channel fundraising — or using multiple forms of outreach to connect with your donors — is a very effective way to reach your base. Broadcasting your marketing materials on several different platforms can ensure that your donors will see your message through at least one of the methods.
When you’re asking for donations, a multi-channel approach can help you to connect with as many people as possible on their preferred platforms, which can increase their likelihood of donating. Here are some different fundraising channels that you could try:
Using a multi-channel fundraising approach can ensure that you’re reaching your donor base on at least one type of platform. This way, you can also create more mileage for your fundraising asks so that they reach as many people as possible.
Keeping supporters engaged these days can be challenging, so that's why a creative ask or fundraising campaign can take you far. You want to encourage your donors to stay involved so that they can get invested in the fundraising process. This way, they will grow closer to your organization and might become more involved in the future.
Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box — the more creative you can be, the better. Here are a couple of ideas that you can incorporate into your fundraising ask:
These are just a few ways that you can make your fundraising ask more creative, but don’t limit yourself to these 3 approaches. You might have a better idea that’s more tailored to your nonprofit. This is exactly what your donors want to see — they care about what your organization is doing. So, customizing your ask to fit your work can engage supporters who already care about your mission.
Giving your donors a quick and simple way to engage with your organization is essential, and you want to be sure to convey this ease in your fundraising ask. The last thing that you want is for a supporter to want to donate to your organization and then be unable to find the place to send in their funds.
With so many activities and engagement opportunities available at the push of the button, you don’t want your donation process to get ignored because it’s too difficult. These are a couple of ways that you can make it easy for your supporters to donate:
Lastly, it’s also important that your donation process is transparent. In your fundraising ask, it can be reassuring to donors if you explain where their money will go, mention the security of your giving process, and keep the ask straightforward.
When asking for donations, be sure that you aren’t making your donors feel like a number in a database. They clearly care about your organization, but they also want to know that you value and appreciate their support. Taking a more personalized approach in your fundraising ask can help you to better connect with your donors.
What are some ways that you can implement this personal touch? Here are some ideas to get you started:
Building these relationships with your donors early in the fundraising process is a great way to encourage them to stay involved. If your donors feel like you value them, then you might even persuade some to set up recurring donations, which is ideal for long-term growth and development.
Crafting a strong and compelling fundraising ask is important for any nonprofit. You want to avoid spending a lot of time developing a relationship only for it to fall through the cracks with a poor ask. With a strong fundraising ask, you can not only secure a connection with a donor, but you can also use the funding to improve your nonprofit and continue contributing to the social good.
The bottom line: Your fundraising ask is a pivotal part of your relationship with a donor. Make sure you have a plan, make it easy for them to donate, and personalize your message.
About the Author
John Killoran
John Killoran is an inventor, entrepreneur, and the Chairman of Clover Leaf Solutions, a national lab services company. He currently leads Clover Leaf’s investment in Snowball Fundraising, an online fundraising platform for nonprofit organizations.
Snowball was one of John’s first public innovations; it’s a fundraising platform that offers text-to-give, online giving, events, and peer-to-peer fundraising tools for nonprofits. By making giving simple, Snowball increases the donations that these organizations can raise online. The Snowball effect is real! John founded Snowball in 2011. Now, it serves over 7,000 nonprofits and is the #1 nonprofit fundraising platform.
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