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The Art of the Ask: How to Get the Full Amount from Your Donors
❗ THE DONOR BEAT YOU TO THE ASK ❗
We’ve all been there.
You’re in the visit.
You’ve been planning this for months.
It’s finally time to ask Bob for the $100,000 gift!
The only problem…
Halfway through the visit, Bob blurts out, “I decided today I’m going to give you $10,000!”
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
In all seriousness, what do you do in a situation like this?
The comfortable, yet disappointing road is to simply say, “Thanks, Bob.”
But you know he could give a lot more, so here’s a better approach.
Of course, thank Bob, but then say this:
“Bob, we’ve actually got a significant opportunity going on right now that I was hoping to discuss with you. Would it be alright if I told you about it?”
Usually, Bob will say yes.
Once this happens, just regroup, share what you were originally going to share, and ask for the full amount.
I have done this every time a donor has beaten me to the ask.
No one has ever gotten upset.
They have all given more than they originally planned.
When you find yourself wanting to have a potentially awkward conversation with a donor, don’t just avoid it.
Ask for permission to have the conversation.
If they say no, great!
Unnecessary, awkward conversation avoided.
If they yes, fantastic!
When you ask for permission, you have much more productive conversations.
Kevin Fitzpatrick is the owner of One Visit Away, a consulting business helping leaders of nonprofits schedule more and better visits with their benefactors. Kevin’s goal is to help fundraising professionals constantly seek to deepen their relationships with their benefactors. After all, you’re just One Visit Away from growing your mission and your impact.
Related Resources:
- “One Visit Away” podcast
- Webinar: Scheduling Visits is Scary…but it doesn’t have to be that way.
- 10 Follow-Up Questions You’ll Need to Deepen Your Conversation with Major Donors (and One to Avoid)
- Dr. James Explains How Asking Permission Sets the Stage for “The Ask”
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Feeling like your job is getting harder because donor expectations have changed and competition for the charitable dollar is growing?
Finding that the old orthodoxies and conventions espoused by so-called experts in online echo-chambers and at conferences don’t work anymore?
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Then this book is for you.
Engagement Fundraising was developed from the perspective of a donor who discovered firsthand that the impersonal, spray-and-pray approaches of his beloved charity were not only offensive but also wasteful and ineffective. So he took action. And now, you can too.
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