Congragulations — you've made the ask! (If you're not quite there yet, go back a step and prepare for any twists and turns your ask meeting might take. Be sure to read my post Why Maybe is the Best Answer When Asking for a Major Gift about how to respond when a donor says “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe” during the ask meeting. That post also … [Read more...]
How to Ask for a Major Gift: Who, Where, and What
Hopefully you spent some time in the Major Gifts Challenge cultivating your donors. If not, there’s always time to start now. So, you should be ready (or almost ready) to ask your major gifts prospects for a gift. Before you know it, it will be the end of the year, so you need to ask sooner, not later. Some people won’t be available to … [Read more...]
Why “Maybe” is the Best Answer When Asking for a Major Gift
There are three possible answers (and only three) that a person can give after being asked for a Major Gift: Yes No and maybe You need to be prepared for all of them. When a Prospective Donor Says "Yes" Let’s say you ask someone for a major gift, and they say “yes.” What do you do? First, thank them, of course. Then find … [Read more...]
Overcome Your Asking Anxiety by Using Your Asking Style
As we approach "the ask" in the Major Gifts Challenge, I've asked my colleague, Andrea Kihlstedt, to prepare a guest post for this week dedicated to Asking Styles. Andrea’s unique approach to asking could really help as you approach your asks. Asking Styles is also the name of Andrea's new book (pictured right), for which I had the honor … [Read more...]
Big Gift? Bigger Gift? Asking for the Right Amount
You may have heard the expression: Fundraising is an art and a science. As much as I wish there was an “ask amount formula,” unfortunately there isn’t. 5 Rules to Determine Your Ask Amount Determining how much to ask for could be the most confusing part of the entire major gift process. So here are some rules of thumb to live by: … [Read more...]
The Un-Blog Post: Countdown to The Ask
Are you committed to raising major gifts this year? Have you been keeping up with the Major Gifts Challenge so far? Or are you just getting started? Either way, this post serves one purpose... To make sure you DON’T GIVE UP! You're Almost There You really want to raise some major gifts for your organization this year. That means … [Read more...]
The Pre-Ask Meeting: Who, What, When, Where and Why?
The most important activity on every cultivation plan for soliciting major gifts from prospective donors is a personal meeting or visit. You will want to meet with all major gifts prospects, regardless of whether you already have a good relationship with them (board members and other volunteers), as well as those you need to meet for the … [Read more...]
Getting a Major Gift: Moving From Cultivation to the Ask
If you’ve been following the Major Gifts Challenge, we’re getting closer and closer to asking for a gift. And if you haven't been following along, it's never too late to start! Let’s take another quick look at the four stages of the fundraising cycle. 1. Identification Congratulations! You’ve already identified your top prospective … [Read more...]
Board Retreats: An Excellent Tool for Getting Major Gifts
Has your organization had a board retreat in the last 12 months? What about in the last 3 years? 10 years? If you’re like many nonprofit organizations, you fall into one of two common camps with regard to board retreats: You don’t have them nearly as often as you should (haven’t had a retreat for 3+ years). You have them … [Read more...]
The 4 Pillars of Major Gift Relationships
Looking for major gifts for your cause? The key lies in building relationships with your top 20 prospective donors. Don't have a top 20 list yet? Check out the previous posts in the Major Gifts Challenge to get yourself caught up. The Art of Building Relationships Fundraising is about relationships. The relationship-building stage of … [Read more...]
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