GOOD NEWS: The Ask
Good News: An enewsletter for donors and nonprofits
on strategic planning, governance, fundraising, and executive leadership.
The Ask
Children who have been lucky enough to write to the North Pole and get a response know the importance of “the ask.” They don't sit idly by hoping that Santa Claus will know what they want or need. This holiday season, children are showing us how to get gifts, not coal.
Here are 5 takeaways for boards and chief executives - not just advancement offices - from children during this season of giving and asking:
Be Brave
Kids know to put themselves out there to get what they want. They are brave. For boards, chief executives, and advancement teams, this means get out of your offices. Do more than send emails. Call when the person you are seeking is likely to pick up. Don't over rely on social media. Get out from behind your desk and have the courage to teach people 1-1 about a cause that you believe in deeply.
Understand That You Are Offering the Person Being Asked an Opportunity to Feel Good
Kids see that loved ones feel good when giving to them. Continue to be brave and ignore the cultural noise suggesting that seeking support for important causes is akin to begging, strong arming or otherwise coercing people against their best interests. Understand that advocating for your organization is noble and necessary. Remember that more money should translate into more mission. Believe that fundraisers are offering donors an opportunity to feel good by thinking of something other than themselves and making the world a better place.
Be Worthy and Believe In Your Cause
All kids are worthy of having their wishes granted. Is your organization? Kids believe in their cause and themselves. Do you? Donors know when they are considering an ask that is necessary and truly matters to the person asking. Step one before making an ask is to be certain that your request is needed and appropriate. Assess if your team is passionate about their cause and energized to advocate for it. If a board of trustees and senior staff are asking for things not needed or don’t seem to care that much, why should donors? It should go without writing that a lack of energetic board giving is a red flag for donors.
Make It Personal
It doesn’t get much more personal than a child asking their parent or loved one for something from Santa Claus. The fundraising adage that “people give to people for people” is on full display with each Christmas list on its way to the North Pole. Does your organization rely too heavily on mass emails, direct mail, social media posts, giving days, manufactured competitions, and other gimmicky ways to enlist support? Consider maximizing 1-1 interactions, hand-written notes, phone calls, and other personalized communications as complements to less personal outreach. Encourage your fundraising team and volunteers to meet stakeholders where they are.
Do Your Homework, Follow Directions, and Don’t Be a Jerk
I’ve presented grant writing workshops with this title. The same guidance applies to donor cultivation and stewardship too. Research the people you are engaging. Watch for their cues, follow their leads, and always follow through on what you say you’re going to do. Say please. And thank you. And thank you again and again. Kids know that Santa is making his list and checking it twice, so their ask is backed by preparation and their best behavior. An instructive formula for your fundraising staff and volunteer success.
Stuff Steve Is Watching, Listening To, and Reading
Always be Closing! Kernels of Truth and Fiction About Sales with Ben Affleck (2 minute watch)
"Move around, get off your a$$. Motion creates emotion. There is no such thing as a 'no sale' call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client or he sells you a reason why he can't. Either way, a sale is made." Ben Affleck, Boiler Room
Watch Here (Pardon a few profanities, please)
To Sell Is Human (23 minute listen)
"Like it or not, we are all in sales. Managers, team leaders, educators, art directors... are spending an enormous amount of time convincing, persuading, controlling, and influencing others to do something. The view that sales is sleazy, smamy, and duplicitous is a view about the conditions in which sales have taken place for a long time rather than the nature of sales itself. More and more, markets have moved from information asymmetry to information parody. So now sales is much more about the high road." Dan Pink, author of To Sell Is Human
Listen Here
Cicero on Sales (3 minute read)
"Know what you’re talking about, know the lay of the land in your industry, teach your audience, be clear and focused in your presentation, and be the kind of person who’s easy to listen to." Courtney Tobin, Ancient Roman Marketing Tips & the Art of Persuasion
Read Here
