| by Terry Axelrod, Founder and CEO, Benevon
Ask from Abundance
Part Two
Most people do not like asking for money. Our society has
all sorts of cultural hang-ups about money. One of the biggest
is that it is simply not polite to discuss money. Add to that
the cultural hang-up that it is not polite to ask for anything,
and it is no wonder fundraising is more associated with dread
than with joy.
The key to easy, natural asking is two-fold:
- Ask people for what you know they have plenty of, since
whatever people have in abundance is easier to share or
give.
- Ask people to give when you know they are ready to be
asked, which removes any feeling of guilt or manipulation
from the process.
I call this asking from abundance, and with a little practice,
you can become a master.
Your first job with donors and potential donors is to discover
what it is they have in abundance, and then to ask them only
for that. You are no longer looking for sacrificial donations.
You want to know in advance that each donor can easily and
naturally say yes to what you will be asking for. This is
the only way people can contribute freely, rather than give
out of guilt. A guilt gift is often a scarcity gift—a
gift that requires the donor to sacrifice. A true contribution,
on the other hand, comes from abundance.
Even if you get less than you hoped for, you will have left
your donors with a positive experience of giving. That way,
they will look forward to staying in contact with your organization
as you deepen your relationship further before asking them
to give again.
The second part of successful, terror-free asking is the
answer to only one question: Is this person ready to be asked?
Another way of saying this is: "Have we gotten to know
this person well enough that it would feel natural to them
if we ask for a financial contribution to the organization
now?"
If your instincts tell you it is too early to ask someone
or that it would be awkward to ask now, trust those instincts.
Take the time to get to know the person better and cultivate
them until they are really ready to give. By the time you
ask, you should know the donor so well that asking is nothing
more than nudging the inevitable.
The lifelong value of a donor is so great; you should never
jeopardize that relationship. At every turn, ask the donor's
permission to proceed to the next level of courtship, letting
the donor at all times be the person who drives the pace and
timing of the conversation. Your ultimate objective with donors
is always to earn and maintain their trust and permission
to ask them for whatever you truly need.
Next week, we’ll discuss donor recognition.
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