Seven Steps to a Successful Ask

When nonprofits need support from donors ready to gift to great causes, making “The Ask” becomes a necessary process for creating change big and small. To make this easy, Laura Baltz spells out seven steps to making a successful ask.

“This is not about getting a yes or no,” Baltz says. “It’s about spitting the words out of your mouth.”

Baltz is Executive Director of Breakthrough T1D Indiana Kentucky, formerly JDRF, the leading type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization. With over 30 years of fundraising expertise, she's raised over a billion dollars, driving impactful change in numerous nonprofits.

Baltz loves getting to know supporters and telling the stories of those who will benefit from their generous donation.

Who Are You Prioritizing?

Prioritizing who you reach out to is the first step to making the ask.

If a potential donor has regularly given before, they may not fall into the top of the priority list. However, someone who has donated in the past but no longer is involved, a relapsed donor, or someone who is interested in your mission but has not gotten involved yet may be great options to target first for an ask.

Start with Research

Once a donor seems like a great option for your nonprofit, the next step is to research.

Always investigate social media. The digital footprint provides a general view on their passions, experience, family and friends, and what they might care most about.

After a general overview, it is important to research connections between a potential donor and your nonprofit. Have they donated in the past? Do you have mutual friends or a connection through your network? Have they been interested in similar missions to your cause?

Even looking at any news articles or researching a donor’s home on Zillow (without being creepy!) helps get an idea of who they are and how to approach a relationship with a donor.

Form a Plan 

Now that you have the donor info, it’s time to make a plan. Start by asking yourself questions.

What might you ask for? Is your mission to help children, animals, or purchase a much-needed copy machine? 

Who are you going to bring with you? Depending on who you are speaking with, it can be helpful to bring an expert, another donor, or someone who has benefited from the program in question.  

Where will you meet? A coffee shop or restaurant might be comfortable for one donor but their office or your facility might be better for others.

What questions will you pose? Ask them their story. Baltz recommends starting with the questions “tell me about a nonprofit you donated to, or why do you give to us?”

What kind of range are you looking to give? Determine if this is going to be a $5 ask, a $500 ask, or a $1 million ask.

Lastly, what story will you tell? Share stories about who your potential donor would be benefiting. Get them emotionally involved in the change you’re making with your nonprofit.

Tell the Story

“Hopefully you don’t have to make the ask in the first meeting,” Baltz says. Telling the story is all about forming the relationships. This is your chance to use your research and set your plan in motion. Meetings are about getting to know your potential donor and for the potential donor to get to know you and your organization. The ask will most likely not be made in the first few meetings with a potential donor.

The most important rule of the meeting is “relationships, not transactions.”

Listen to their Story

The best tool to building the relationship with a potential donor is to listen. Ask ‘why’ questions, then listen. Get to know your donor! Open-ended questions are best to keep the conversation going. Asking why they donate helps to know if they may be right to ask.

Just Ask

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Carefully craft your words to make a strong, positive statement. Instead of using the word “donate,” other options can have a better connotation and impact such as: “lasting impact,” “give,” “support,” and “make a change.”  Include your donor with "you.”

To get the picture, Laura Baltz includes a few examples of powerful asks:

“Would you be willing to help us make a lasting impact by contributing $10,000 over the next two years to ensure that our dogs are fed and cared for?”

Or...

“Would you be willing to invest $1 million to build a new hospital wing for elder care, providing seniors with the specialized care they deserve?”

Most importantly, after making the ask, be quiet. Let your donor consider and respond in their own time. Don’t dilute your ask by following up immediately with unnecessary words before the potential donor can respond.

Remember to Follow Up

Don’t forget to send along a thank you note! Keep building those relationships no matter the outcome of the ask. 

Conclusion

Now that you have seven steps to make a successful ask, it’s time to practice. Do you have a potential need filled or a donor in mind? Start by making your own ask using these new tools in your nonprofit tool box.

“Practice, practice,” Baltz says. “It should just fall out of your mouth.”

As intimidating as the ask can be, practice makes the process even easier, allowing your organization or nonprofit to find the right support for their mission.

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