Fundraising for Social Change, 8th Edition

chapter TENHow to Ask

Organizations need to spend time helping their solicitors become more comfortable with the idea of asking for money and discussing the cultural and psychological barriers that inhibit many of us from engaging in this strategy, as discussed in Chapter Eight. It is equally important, however, to focus on the sheer logistics of asking. Sometimes, after a discussion of the psychological and emotional challenges of soliciting donations, someone will ask, “But what do I wear to the meeting?” or “Do I have to pay for lunch?” or “Can I text the prospect to set up a meeting?” Often it is these details, rather than deep wounds from childhood, that hold people back from asking.

In this chapter we will walk through the details of a personal solicitation. This is a template and you will need to fill in the details of your solicitation based on the cultural, class, and personal variables of each individual prospect and, to a lesser extent, those same variables in yourself. When considering how to adapt the techniques in this chapter, try to sort out what may be coming from your own anxiety and what is actually rooted in culture or class. For example, in many parts of the American South and in a number of Asian cultures, graciousness and politeness are highly valued. As a result, it is considered rude to say no to a request. For that reason, it is also rude to ask someone for something to which they may have to say no. This attitude makes it difficult to ask for money ...