Why you need a great ask at year-end

We’re heading into the year-end flurry of fundraising. What’s your ask?

Tis the season, and fundraisers everywhere are preparing. What’s your year-end ask?

It’s also the season for multiple “giving days”… like GivingTuesday or December 31^st.

I hope you’re already polishing up the last details of your year-end campaign. But before you mail anything or hit send, I want to remind you of a few things.

Why do you need that gift? Really…

Before you ask for a gift, you need to know why you’re asking. And some “reasons” aren’t really reasons.

📌”Because we need money” is not enough.

📌”GivingTuesday” is not an answer.

📌”Christmas” is not an answer in itself.

📌December 31^st and taxes are not, either.

I know. Sometimes, figuring out a simple, clear, case for support is hard. And because you’re much better informed about the work than most donors, your insider’s eyes can become dulled to the outside perspective.

So push yourself back a step or two. See it with your donor’s eyes.

And think.

Ask yourself some questions – the ones your donors will be asking:

• What is the problem that a gift will solve? And how does my $25, $100, or $1000 solve it?

• What happens if I give? What changes? And what happens if I don’t give?

• What’s the hurry? Why is my gift needed right now?

• Who does my gift help, specifically? Can you give me an example or two?

The more specific your request, and the more tangible the outcome of a gift, the more persuasive you’ll be.

Remember why we give

We give to feel good. And solving a pressing problem feels good. Is there some bandwagon effect to giving days like GivingTuesday? Some digital peer pressure? Sure. But I think those of us in the sector feel it more than your average donor.

And even if they’re reminded to give because of the publicity surrounding a particular day, they’ll still want to know why they’re giving. What great thing will their generosity achieve?

Donors give when they see a clear need. One that they can fill. “Meet our budget goals” isn’t very inspiring, is it?

That’s why clear asks like “$35 could feed a family for a week” are so powerful. It’s simple. It’s easy to understand. (We all need to eat.) And feeding a whole family for that sounds like a bargain. So… it feels great.

Tricky mission? Hard to quantify?

I get it. I spent most of my years in the sector at an arts organization or something like one. Tangible? Urgent? Those can be tricky. I don’t know that anyone has died because the show couldn’t go on.

So if your mission feels less urgent compared to homelessness, or hunger, or disease… it is.

But… that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. Or to be more specific… it matters to your people. The ones who love your theater, or your museum, or your park. They’ve already told you that by giving.

Ask yourself: why does your organization need money, now? To keep the doors open? Or to afford programming for young people? To underwrite an exciting new artist’s performance?

Be specific. Use the budget to find your answers. And please go beyond “to close a budget gap this year” unless that budget gap means the doors will shut. (And “fire sales” like that are not a technique you can use often before donors give up on you.)

Set aside the time to create a strong year-end ask… it will pay off

Give yourself a day or two to work it through, even though the to-do list for year-end is getting more pressing every day. This is important.

Because once you know exactly what you’re asking for, the ask becomes clearer – both for you and for your donors.