Who should you ask for money?

Fundraisers, gather round!

Who should you ask for money?

The obvious answer: People who will give you money.

But you’re not sure who will give you money, so the next answer is: People who are most likely to give you money.

Ok, then who are those people?

Smart fundraising boils down to these two things:

1. Research: Finding people who are likely to give.

In other words, you should seek out and ask for money from people who want to give you money. But people aren’t born wanting to give money to you (or if they are, they quickly learn that’s not the most financially responsible way to live ones life).

2. Development: Creating people who are likely to give.

If you can’t find people who want to give you money, you need to convert people into
those who want to give. This is the bulk of fundraising. It’s creating relationships, telling stories, holding events, making visits, etc.

It’s a process.

Who shouldn’t you ask for money?

Answer? Everyone else. That’s right, don’t ask for money from people who don’t know you and believe in your mission. Don’t call strangers and ask for donations. Don’t hold events for the general public and beg for cash. Don’t sell something that has nothing to do with your mission and expect to create sustainable value. What do you think happened to the Girl Scouts when the low-carb diet craze hit?

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