fundraising!
- You are ready to make an ask when:
You have had six to eight interactions or points of contact with a donor
You have established that the donor has sufficient means, and how much they are likely to give
The donor knows your larger mission, as well as current needs + projects
The donor is excited about what you’re doing. Emotional engagement is critical... See moreriver stone added 3mo ago
- When you interact with donors, most of the conversation should be listening to them, learning about them, and what’s interesting to them. 80% of the conversation should be listening to them; 10% conveying about what you’re working on, and 10% learning how they feel about it.
As a rule of thumb, aim to contact donors once every four to six weeks. Thi... See moreriver stone added 3mo ago
- hours) of receiving their gift. This can be as simple as an email or text saying that you received their gift, noting that you’ll send out a more formal acknowledgement letter within a day or two.
Research on fundraising at non-profits has shown that first-time donors who are thanked personally within 48 hours of their first gift are far more likely... See moreriver stone added 3mo ago
- Plan to visit donors in person whenever possible. The goal of each meeting is twofold:
Convey what you’re actually doing to funders. Help them to understand what you’re doing. Share the mission and current projects with people in a way that’s compelling, interesting, that they feel grateful for.
Learn what their interest level is through research and... See moreriver stone added 3mo ago
- Planning the Ask
A good ask has several components:
A vision of a better world that you believe in, they believe in, and your mission serves
An immediate need that you have (“We need a new X / Y”)
A specific amount, that they can give, which fits the need
A clear connection between their gift and the solution to the problem.river stone added 3mo ago
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