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 meet right away, so begin scheduling your meetings now. Fall is the perfect time to make the ask.
Pick up the Phone – It’s Time to Act
If you truly accepted the Major Gifts Challenge and are serious about raising major gifts, then you’ve come to the moment of truth. It’s time to ask — now or never.
Action Item of the Week — 2 hours or less
Schedule your ask meetings.
If you have not already done so, call up your top three prospective donors and schedule “ask meetings” with them. (After you have meetings with them, it’s time to call your next three, and so on.)
When calling them, explain that you’d like to follow-up on your previous discussions, and talk specifically about how they might be able to help your organization, project, or program. It should not be a secret why you’re coming.
If they ask you if you’re coming to ask them for money – say yes! This is a relationship, and relationships are built on trust and honesty. The donor should not be surprised when you ask them for a donation.
Should they ask you if you’re coming to ask for money, here’s how to respond:
“Yes, I’d like to come discuss how you might invest in our organization in a bigger and more meaningful way.”
Once you’ve secured a meeting date, time, and place, you’re halfway there.
Who Attends the Ask Meeting
It’s ideal to go to the ask meeting with two people from your organization, preferably the executive director and a board member. However it’s critical that the prospective donor has already met anyone who comes to this meeting, preferably more than once.
Remember, this is about relationships, so the person who asks should have the strongest relationship with the prospect. At times, this is the development director.
In the best case scenario, a board member will ask. This is called peer-to-peer fundraising. That’s because the board member, or volunteer, has no financial stake in the organization, except what they have personally donated. They have already invested their time and money and are asking the donor to do the same.
Where to Hold the Ask Meeting
The meeting should be conducted someplace quiet. In other words, this is not a good time to have a meeting at a restaurant.
Hold the meeting at the donor’s home or office, or wherever is most convenient for them. Some will come to your office. But, it should be somewhere you can have a quiet, confidential conversation.
Preparing for the Ask Meeting
It’s extremely important to prepare, practice, and role play. Don’t assume that the asker knows what they are doing.
Know in advance, and practice:
- Who will open the meeting?
- Who will ask?
- Who will close the meeting?
And never leave the meeting without a follow-up plan.
What Language to Use to Make the Ask
The one question I get asked the most about face-to-face fundraising is, “How do you actually ask?”
So here’s some ask language for you to try. Practice it in the mirror, until it feels more comfortable. And, adjust it to suit your asking style and your donor.
“Mary, you’ve been such a great supporter of this organization, and we want to thank you again for that. As you know, the organization needs more funding to accomplish X-Y-Z goals that we’ve been discussing.”
(If a board member is asking, they should state at this point that they’ve given what they can, and then continue…)
“I’m here today to ask you to consider a gift in the range of $5,000 to support the After School Program.”
Notice the language:
- Consider a gift
- Range of $5,000 — a specific amount
- After School Program — a specific program or service
Be sure to include a specific amount to support a specific program or service (even if that specific thing is unrestricted operating — say overall support of the organization).
Lastly, know how to respond to “no” or “maybe”.
Still have questions? Let me know in the comments.
This post is part of Amy’s Major Gifts Challenge. Read the entire series to learn how to solicit major gifts by spending just a few hours each month.
some donors have potential for major gifts but what if they made their annual gift already (2 gifts totaling $7500), after almost 3 years of phone calls and emails I finally got a meeting where I didnt solicit but gave an update and got to know the donor a bit more, he did give $2500 unsolicited. My challenge is he told me he never meets with people, curious to ideas/suggestions for getting another meeting this year or wait til 2014 to ask for bigger gift.
Congratulations on getting a first meeting. If it went well, a 2nd meeting is more likely. In the meantime, be sure to cultivate well… invite him to programs, on a tour, and to volunteer. I don’t think I’d ask for a bigger gift this year given that he’s already given generously. But, start the conversation so he knows what your needs are. Ask him what he thinks of certain components of your program and how he might like to see them improved. How’s it going with other prospects? Keep me posted!
Ezra – Why do you think he finally decided to meet with you after 3 years?
I have been emailing him updates, videos, stories, i sent him a book I thought he might like etc
we had a baby girl in May and I emailed him (and other donors as well) letting him know and her picture. when he responded to this email I asked if I could stop by and he agreed but he said he doesn’t usually meet people in his office but since I had a baby and sent the picture he agreed
Amy, I’m reporting in that I’m behind because of a busy summer travel schedule. But, I jumped ahead to gain insight from this great blog for some late summer/fall donor trips I am scheduling. My visits will be with folks that I already have some relationship with. Some meetings will be for further cultivation, some will be for an ask. Your directions are excellent and empowering for me!
Hooray, Cindy! Thanks for sharing. Please let us know how those visits go!
I’m new to this challenge, and relatively new to development in general. Your posts are very helpful – the perfect combination of inspiration and instruction!
A lot of our big gifts come in the form of sponsorships for our big fundraiser event each year. I’m wondering how to cultivate major gifts outside of that without cannibalizing our event sponsorships. I’ve also been told that many of our larger donors don’t want to be called, lunched, visited, etc. Should I try anyway? And I won’t be having a baby anytime soon, so that tactic is out. 😉
Hi Molly,
Are the sponsors of your event individuals or corporations? If they are corporations, there’s no conflict. If they are individuals, part of the cultivation and solicitation processes will be to discuss with them the fact that you would like them to continue as sponsors of the event, and get more involved by supporting other areas as well (it’s not “either or” it can be both!).
Who told you that your donors don’t want to be called or visited? It’s actually great to be new, because you can use that as an excuse (you don’t have to have a baby) – call them and tell them you’re new, and that you’re calling to introduce yourself – and request a meeting. See the posts on cultivation, but the key will be to ask them their advice about the organization in order to get them to meet with you.
Let me know how it goes!
We are just about to finalize our plan and put it into action. I think there is a type of paralysis that happens with SO much information out there and so many sources and references. There comes a time to pick a source and follow that plan to the letter. Thank you for providing such a great step-by-step process that is understandable and 100% doable!
Thanks for your kind words, Hillary. I’m glad to have helped. I really want to know how it goes once you follow the plan, so continue to let me know, and I’ll answer any questions you have along the way!
We are moving smoothly through the Major Gifts Challenge, and look forward to integrating more your advice into our work. We truly appreciate your clear, candid guidance, and especially value your loose scripts, which are wonderful training tools for our young staff members. Please continue the strong work, so we can do the same!
Thanks, Francesca. Please let me know how it goes, because I want to know if the Major Gifts Challenge actually works for you (and others).
Amy, I am interested in how to get stagnant board members involved in the major gift development process. What steps would you recommend for board members who think that they time is the only commitment that they need to do? I know that getting board commitment forms signed, and detail board descriptions presented are essential but what would you recommend for those who are too stubborn to move forward? Also, I loved your weekly posts. Thanks
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your kind remarks, and thank you for posting. As you say, I find that board member job descriptions and board member expectation forms help. I also do a lot of board training to help board members become more comfortable with their role in fundraising. I break down the tasks into simple, manageable tasks. For example, asking board members to sign five thank you letters one month, and make two thank you calls the following month. Then ask them to bring 2 new people on a tour. Break it down so they don’t feel overwhelmed.
If all else fails, some board members are never going to be great fundraisers. If you have a board member who is excellent in other areas, then I let the fundraising slide. However, I find that most board members who are truly resistant to fundraising aren’t adding any value in other areas either, and it’s time to move them off the board. Term limits come in handy for doing that, but also board expectation forms can be used for this purpose as well (showing a board member that they didn’t meet the expectations).
Hope that helps.
We are a small non-profit with a very small budget. I don’t have a lot of experience fundraising. I am learning a lot from you, and I hope to continue. Our customer base is growing but our donations are not. Thanks for the help!
Vanessa,
Thanks for writing. Fundraising is a process and doesn’t happen overnight. Keep at it and the money will start to follow. I recommend joining AFP (the Association of Fundraising Professionals). Hopefully there is a chapter in your area. Their monthly meetings can be extremely valuable for learning the basics and meeting colleagues and mentors in the field.
Thanks for all of these great posts that I just found today via your 6 Simple Steps article in the Guide Star enewsletter. Our Annual Fund is usually for unrestricted gifts. What is the best way to increase or get major gifts to something as intangible as unrestricted? We talk about teacher salaries, professional development and some tangibles, but it’s rarely specific. We are a small PreK-8 independent school. What do you suggest?
Hi Kit,
Yes, we all love unrestricted funds! Sometimes our biggest and most dedicated donors are the most likely to give us unrestricted gifts, because they trust us to do good things with the donation. However, there are many times when donors want to restrict gifts. Your challenge is to come up with a restriction that works well for the organization and the donor. Take a look at your budget and determine what needs funding. Teacher salaries is a perfect item. Another possibility might be arts programs, special events, or scholarships. Hope this helps.
Amy
WoW! Amy Eisenstein,
I love every thing shared here. It is great.
I am also just coming up with a plan of how to involve the board and staff in fundraising and I love your content!
I somehow stumbled across your website when i was looking for something on fundraising.
I love your expert, simple and practical advise.
Carol
When having board members do the meeting and ask, is it best practice to have some kind of pledge form for them to complete? I want to make sure I am providing the board members support for the ask but also for tracking the pledge/gift for appropriate follow up. Thanks for any advice.
Yes, you can send them with a pledge form or have them send it after the fact. Just don’t have it look like a bill!