Asking is not begging. It’s a mutual exchange of value

If you struggle with fundraising, the problem might be the way you think about what you do when you ask people to donate.

Seth Godin’s Blog directly addresses this at Confused about donations:

Fundraisers can fall into the trap of believing that they’re asking for a favor or begging for a donation. But human beings, like all creatures, exchange time, money or risk in return for something. When that exchange is insufficient to cause action, we don’t do it. The fundraiser isn’t asking for a favor. They’re offering an opportunity.

If you can overcome that haunting feeling that asking people to give is an imposition on them, your work will be so much stronger. More realistic. More motivating.

Because that’s what you’re doing: Offering opportunities for people to be the people they want to be.