How to raise more money by asking for it less frequently

The “ask” can be a controversial topic in fundraising, and it can be a big source of anxiety. In this article, we’re addressing the power of not just asking for money.

Every time you connect with a donor or prospective donor it is an opportunity to build a relationship — not simply execute a transaction. If every call feels like the latter, the person on the other end of the line is going to grow weary of giving. There are lots of strategies for scripting your call or framing your ask in a way that avoids this. But one of the most important things you can do is ask yourself this question: Do I only ever contact this person to ask for money? If so, you’re actually not fully maximizing the potential of your network.

Here are three ways you should be incorporating non-financial asks into your fundraising:

Ramp-Up Asking

Asking for something that requires a little (or a lot) less of the person you are soliciting is a great way to ramp-up to an eventual financial ask. This is most powerfully deployed on top prospects with which you have little or no existing relationship to start.

The focus should be on asks that provide you with more opportunities to excite them about what you’re up to. Some examples:

• Can I add you to our email list so you can stay in touch with major campaign updates? Will you follow the campaign on social media so we can stay in touch that way?
• Can I send you a prospectus, so you can take a closer look at our campaign? Can I call you in a couple weeks to get any thoughts you may have about it?
• Can you attend a campaign event?

Because the above requires a greater investment of the campaign and candidate’s time, its important to focus these kinds of ramp-up asks on prospects who could prove to be major donors. Software can help ensure you’re properly segmenting your prospects this way, leveraging artificial intelligence and automated donor research to score and prioritize prospects.

Sample language: It’s been really great talking with you, and I think you’re spot on about what it’s going to take to make sure our state is serious about climate change. We’re having a campaign even not too far from you in couple of weeks, and I’d love to continue the discussion with you there. There will be lots of other people from the community there who are also fired up about environmental issues, and it would be really great to have you there. You’d be my guest, so no need to contribute to attend.

Excitement-Capture Asking

Sometimes it can be so exciting to get a “yes” when asking for money, that we become almost apologetically grateful and feel the need to quickly leave the donor alone. This is a missed opportunity, and it misunderstands how many people feel when they decide to donate: also excited. Something you said or did just got them so motivated that they were willing to put their own resources behind your campaign. This may be the moment when they are most excited about and focused on your campaign — capture that by making a low-level follow-on ask.

The focus should be on asks that help you potentially connect with additional donors. Some examples:

• Would you mind sharing your donation on social media, so your network will know you’re getting behind this campaign? Can I list you as a supporter on promotional materials?
• Will you send out an email to some people in your network, encouraging them to learn more about what we’re doing?
• Can you make an introduction to 2–3 people in your network that might be interested in learning more about the campaign?
• Can you attend my event and bring one friend? Can you host/co-host an event?

Make sure you have a good system for easily logging all the various asks and commitments, so you can get the most out of your network without being bogged down by the administration of it all.

Sample language: Thank you! This is going to make a big difference. Before I let you go, I also wanted to pick your brain about one last thing: can you think about 2–3 people you know that may be interested in learning more about this campaign? I can circle back in a week or so, once you’ve had some time to think about it, but anyone in your network that is as passionate about these issues as you are could be a tremendous ally. I’d love any introductions you can make.

Major Donor Maintenance — No Asking

Some say you should always have some ask — even if it’s not strictly financial. But for your major donors, checking in with them from time-to-time with no ask at all can be quite powerful. Your top backers will appreciate a quick call, personal email, or text message that simply shares a quick update and helps lend insight into the campaign’s progress. If there’s any ask here at all, it might be for their advice or feedback on something.

The truly superstar fundraisers make this kind of maintenance such a regular part of their schedule, that they are able to leverage less urgent fundraising periods (such as election off-years), to have these kinds of brief, no-ask check-ins more often, and with a larger swath of their supporters.

Even without an ask, keeping track of these engagements is critical to nurturing an ongoing relationship.

Sample language: Hey! Just wanted to thank you again for all you’ve done to support the campaign — I’m excited to share that we’re about to launch our first radio ads. In fact, we’re still debating among a few final drafts of the script, if you wanted to take a quick peek and let me know any thoughts you have?