Ask for Funding the Best Possible Way

A few weeks ago, I was speaking at a conference in South Africa where I met Megan, a young lady experiencing fundraising fatigue. She began to share with me how much she loves meeting with people, building relationships, and even inviting them to give financially to the ministry. But she was frustrated by the lack of response when following up with people after the ask.

After digging a little deeper, I came to discover she was raising barriers to her potential donors' response. For example, after asking for a financial gift, she would immediately say things like, "l'll let you pray about it and get back with you. Or, "I'll let the two of you talk about it and I'll call you in a few days."

ASK IN A WAY SOMEONE CAN RESPOND HONESTLY.

In my experience, funding isn't flowing into a ministry for many numerous reasons. But occasionally, there's a simple tactical fix.

In essence, she was answering for them. This goes against a key fundraising principle. "Ask in a way someone can respond honestly." If someone cannot answer immediately (yes, no, that's too much, or I'll have to think about it), then you're not letting them give an honest response. Take a minute to learn more about different asks and responses; you won't regret it.

Now that Megan is asking appropriately, she's not creating more work for herself. And I know she will continue to see amazing results.

Russell Cooper, Co-Founder