Future Fundraising Now

Four common asking mistakes in fundraising

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by

Jeff Brooks
in

Here’s a great reminder from Get Fully Funded, at What words should you use to get people to donate?

Three ways we often mess up the ask in fundraising:

  • Asking people to support your goal. Ask donors to make something happen, not to meet your budget or fund your program. Few of them give a rip about your goals. But they do care about what their donation makes possible.
  • Not focusing on those you serve. Ask them to make a difference, not fund a program.
  • No instructions for giving. Literally tell them what to do, as in, “Click here to give” or write a check and put it in the enclosed envelope today.” It’s not that they don’t know what to do; it’s about helping them move from inertia to action.
  • No outright ask. If you want a donation, you have to do more than hint.

    Comments

    2 responses to “Four common asking mistakes in fundraising”

    1. Ryan Avatar
      Ryan

      Thanks for this interesting and helpful information. Everything are on point especially on “No instructions for giving”. It’s very inappropriate to do this to those prospects. If they are willing to give they would give or donate by themselves whichever how do they do it.

    2. Ryan Avatar
      Ryan

      Thanks for this interesting and helpful information. Everything are on point especially on “No instructions for giving”. It’s very inappropriate to do this to those prospects. If they are willing to give they would give or donate by themselves whichever how do they do it.

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    The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It’s not about any technology, medium, or technique. It’s about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It’s already here. More.

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    Jeff BrooksJeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 35 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com. More.

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    The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It’s not about any technology, medium, or technique. It’s about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It’s already here. More.

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    About the blogger

    Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com.