How To Ask For Donations Or Money
It'south known past evolution directors throughout the nation equally, "the ask" — and it'south as elementary and excruciating as that. In society to get donations from both big and pocket-sized donors, you must know who to ask, when to ask, and how to enquire.
Understanding the art of request for donations isn't easy. It takes fourth dimension and strategy to exist successful, both in "the ask" itself and your mission's power to brand your community a better place.
Luckily, there are plenty of best practices and examples of how to ask for donations that yous tin can follow. This guide will outline tips for language, timing, and tone that tin can help you connect with:
- Individuals
- Corporations
- Foundations
The first stride for all of these audiences is a clear understanding of your organization's mission and measurable impact. You can't rely solely on emotions — although tugging at heartstrings can oftentimes loosen purse strings. Exist prepared with numbers that prove your impact too equally emotionally moving success stories near those y'all serve.
Table of Contents
- Asking for donations from individuals
- In-person meetings
- Telephone
- Social media
- Asking corporations and foundations to donate
- Sentry: How to drive results for your nonprofit with online marketing
- Set up to learn how to further strengthen your nonprofit's reputation?
Keep your organisation growing with expert communication and all the tools you need, all in one place.
Asking for donations from individuals
You probable already know that many people choose to donate to charities because they can receive tax write-offs, simply that's not the nigh mutual reason people give to nonprofits. Individuals are about probable to donate because they want to contribute to a cause that is meaningful to them and makes a divergence in their customs.
Nonetheless, rarely are people completely selfless. They consider donations to charity because information technology makes them feel practiced. It's your job to connect that skillful feeling with your nonprofit. This tin exist washed in a diverseness of ways.
In-person meetings
For major gifts and planned giving, it's all-time to run into one-on-one with an private. This intimate interaction, perhaps over luncheon, allows you lot to get an in-depth experience for their desires and interests. Just you can't just bound into asking for donations. Practice following the three Rs:
one. Enquiry
Before you meet with an individual, y'all need to have a good thought why they would want to donate to your cause. Do your enquiry to observe a direct connection to your mission and their lives, be it their family unit members or their ain past experiences.
You lot should too know an appropriate amount to ask for. What is pocket change to some people is a fortune to others. Research their giving history forth with their pet causes before suggesting a donation amount.
2. Relationship
It'south unlikely that you'll succeed in request for a large donation the outset time you meet someone. In fact, you shouldn't even bring upwards donations at starting time. Take your fourth dimension and cultivate a strong human relationship with the prospective donor. Invite them for a tour of your facilities. Introduce them to people who have benefited from your piece of work. Show them the impact they'll make by donating to your organization.
3. Refine
Your pitch should not be a one-size-fits-all approach. By the time you lot make "the ask," you should know exactly what your prospect cares almost. Ask them for a specific amount that can fund a entrada or project they can meet and be invested in. Retrieve virtually how you can connect that adept feeling to your organization. Would they like their name on a new building? Refine your request just for them.
Direct post is the near traditional arroyo to fundraising. "Snail mail service" is not a thing of the by! In fact, because about people communicate electronically, you have the opportunity to stand out. Follow these tips from the best sample letters asking for donations.
1. Fourth dimension your alphabetic character right
Most people don't think virtually those taxation breaks until the end of the year. If you're planning to ship an annual appeal letter, Dec is the fourth dimension to do it. The holidays remind people to be more than generous, and so they'll exist more likely to transport your organization a check.
2. Personalize your message
Always first your letter with a personalized greeting and write from the first-person perspective. As a communications director for a nonprofit, I served equally the ghostwriter for the executive director. She would sign the bottom of every letter — even if it was an electronic image that I'd add forth with other high-resolution photos within the body of the letter.
3. Tell a compelling story
When I worked for a nonprofit after-school program, I got to know some of the kids who came from challenging dwelling house environments and were at greater risk of dropping out of school and getting into trouble. In every letter of the alphabet, I shared one of their stories. After I'd share relatable details (we were all young once), I'd make a specific request for donations to be sent back with a render envelope.
Don't forget the P.S.! Studies show adding an extra line can make a big divergence.
Phone
Scheduling a phone-a-thon can exist another, contact-costless method of asking for donations, and you lot tin can get volunteers to help. Volunteers should have a personal story to tell about why they consider your mission so important. Aid them create a script to use that sounds natural and unique.
When request for donations over the phone, be certain to give a articulate reason why the person should give. Have a fundraising goal amount or a specific campaign, and then your prospect knows you're not going to be continually calling.
A mutual mistake that many development professionals brand is e'er asking for donations. When using social media, make sure the bulk of your posts are informative and fun.
For times similar #GivingTuesday, you tin use Facebook and other social media platforms to request donations direct. A better method is to add a donation tab to your page. Encourage your followers to concur fundraisers for your charity on their birthdays.
Think of your email marketing campaigns like your social media and direct mail combined. Part of your outreach efforts should exist educational, showing your stakeholders the touch on that you're making.
In one case your audience is accustomed to seeing feel-good content with enough of high-resolution photos and success stories, you tin send a donation request email. Be sure to:
- Kickoff with a assuming subject line, such as "Help us save a dog's life today!"
- Make "the ask" early on. Explain exactly why they should donate.
- Give a timeline for donations. Your campaign should concluding no more than a few weeks.
- Provide a link to your website's donation page.
- Ship cheers emails to those who donate, and retarget your ask a 2d time to people who didn't.
- Ensure your electronic mail template is mobile-responsive so recipients can open it on a mobile device.
Asking corporations and foundations to donate
Corporations and foundations are other important sources for donations, only it's often a completely dissimilar process. These organizations normally accept grant programs which you tin can find by searching their websites. There are usually forms you must fill out before specific deadlines to apply for this type of grant.
The motivation for these donations is largely the same as with individuals. Businesses like to use charitable donations for feel-skillful marketing efforts. Follow the same steps to be successful in asking for donations from a foundation or concern:
- Do your inquiry equally to why your mission is a good fit for their interests.
- Answer all questions fully with articulate, engaging writing.
- Follow up — if y'all don't receive the grant, ask why.
Whether you're request for donations from a person, corporation, or foundation representative, stay authentic and honest, and you'll exist more than prepared for an fifty-fifty bigger "ask" down the road.
Lookout: How to bulldoze results for your nonprofit with online marketing
Watch this on-demand webinar to meet how Abiding Contact makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to inform and engage customs members, grow, and bulldoze fundraising efforts – with all the marketing tools y'all need in 1 place.
From e-mail to automation, websites, social, integrations with other tools you're using, and more than. In this free, one-60 minutes webinar, you'll go an overview of the tools that Constant Contact offers and run across how you lot can drive results with online marketing.
Prepare to learn how to further strengthen your nonprofit's reputation?
Now that you know how to ask for donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, it'southward fourth dimension to further strengthen your nonprofit's reputation with a stiff online marketing strategy.
Digital marketing tools can play a big role in helping nonprofits gain the trust and respect of fifty-fifty the virtually distinguished community members. The most skillful organizations translate a not bad reputation into donations by ensuring their requests hit all the right notes.
To learn more than well-nigh building your organization'south digital presence, bank check out The Download. This gratis guide is designed to assist your nonprofit get more than donations and make a bigger deviation for those in need.
Source: https://www.constantcontact.com/blog/examples-of-how-to-ask-for-donations/
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