Loving the “ask”…
Imagine putting months of work into planning and gathering donations for a silent auction fundraiser. You put in the leg work–collected great auction items, set starting bids, strategically planning everything according to a specific fundraising goal. You carefully invited guests and supporters to participate. The big day arrives and everyone eagerly arrives. Much to everyone’s surprise, there’s no way to bid.
Does this sound downright insane? The answer is most definitely a yes… because nobody does this!
Take this unbelievable scenario and instead say the event is a large fundraising gala. Imagine planning, strategizing and organizing this event for months. You carefully budget to rent the fancy venue, purchase catering, and book a fantastic keynote speaker. The night surprisingly runs very smoothly without any major mishaps. Guests enjoy a fun evening, learning about your cause and being inspired by your nonprofit’s impact. At no point during the event do you ever actually ask your guests for their financial support. Your guests leave with good feelings and more awareness, but you end the gala with no more funds to fuel your mission than you had before.
Can you picture this scenario?
.….yes. It’s nearly the same scenario, but this one is unfortunately more believable because it’s not uncommon.
Jim Dempsey, a veteran in the nonprofit world who’s served as Senior Development Director at Cru, states on his podcast that he suspects 85-90% of Christian nonprofits do this at some point. It’s not unreasonable to believe this number when you consider how many small, even medium-sized nonprofits, operate without designated donor development teams or even fundraising experts.
Still, why would an organization plan such an event with only high hopes for raising funds and not ask for donations? There are a few typical reasons behind the phenomenon of nonprofit organizations failing to make an “ask”, even when most people would expect one.
Behind the phenonemon
Uncomfortable with money talk
Discussing money or finances can be a hush-hush topic, especially in church. Scripture doesn’t actually follow this example, though. In the New Testament, Jesus and Paul are very comfortable talking about money–not as a means in itself but as a way to glorify God. If money is used to glorify God, it’s worth talking openly about!
Fear of rejection
The fear of hearing a "no" can paralyze even the most seasoned nonprofit leaders. They see a no as a permanent closed door or equate a “no” with absolute rejection. In reality, a person may love your cause but say no for a multitude of reasons. A no is not always a rejection.
Sometimes, a “no” is timing related and could be more a not-right-yet. Other times, the no is a moment of clarity for your donors. If after being asked for a major donation, they realize they truly don’t align with your mission and aren’t passionate about advocacy, that moment of realization is actually good. God may be using that moment to steer their “yes” elsewhere. That is okay for you and for them!
Inexperience in soliciting donations
There’s an art to making the ask–what to say, how to phrase it, when to ask. If you don’t feel comfortable in your fundraising experience or knowledge, you might avoid asking for donations if you can help it. Kimberly Lewis of Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc. says in this Forbes article that a main reason why donors don’t give is that they are not asked.
It’s common for nonprofit leaders wearing many hats, carefully growing and existing off limited budgets, to not yet have an expert solely dedicated to donor development and fundraising. In this void, organizations can lack a solid donor development plan or even just lose track of the last time a newsletter with a request was mailed. This can all result in simply not asking supporters to donate.
Why we embrace the ask:
Call us weird, crazy people, out of sorts.. Whatever you wish. At Compel You, we love making the big ask. We find joy in it! We like to remind nonprofit leaders that you are placed in positions of stewardship. Yes, using funds and resources within the organization is important for wise stewardship. But you are set in a unique position to also steward discipleship opportunities around generous living.
Extending invitations to partner with your organization by way of significant financial support is offering people opportunities to sacrificially give. It’s inviting brothers and sisters-in-Christ into steps of faith and surrender–allowing them to not only see the bigger picture of your mission, but experience being part of it.
The Three Asks We Make
Not every “ask” in the donor development world is centered on financial giving. When working for our clients, we reach out to donors on their behalf and typically have conversations around one of three types of asks that include:
1. Increased Giving: Encouraging supporters to increase their financial commitment, when appropriate, to the organization, allowing for greater impact and sustainability of programs or initiatives.
2. Referrals: An ask to share names or refer other like-minded individuals and organizations in their network that we can reach out to, expanding the reach and influence of its mission.
3. Advocacy: An ask for advocacy where donors almost operate as fundraisers to crowd-fund and rally people together, championing the organization and using their influence within their sphere.
Each of these types of conversations are crucial to building thriving, engaged donor bases. Neglecting the “ask” only hurts fundraising efforts, confuses your supporters, and limits your ability to sustain + grow your mission.
If you find yourself overwhelmed with fundraising goals and would rather bury your head in the sand rather than make these “asks”, it’s time to lighten your load with expert help.
Schedule a discovery call with us today to learn how Compel You can help you grow your Christ-centered mission and alleviate stress around fundraising. Our creative fractional approach to donor relations and fundraising strategies keeps donors engaged and giving to Christ-centered organizations–at a fraction of the cost.
If having conversations around financial support and increased advocacy stirs up dread inside, we encourage you to look at them through different lenses. View these requests as invitations into partnership and community. When your people catch a vision of how God is moving through your organization’s work, it’s a blessing to them when they’re asked to be included.