How do I ask someone to consider a bigger gift than they consistently give?
I know that when people pose this question, they’re hoping and expecting that the answer alerts them to some control they have over how to ask an existing donor to do more – but some of this is dependent on things bigger than our own role.
When donors give consistently at, for example, $1,000 a year, it could be because:
1 - that is where they tap out financially,
2 - that is a comfortable amount for them and they’ve never been asked for more,
3 - the organization hasn’t communicated a vision that would require their consideration for greater support.
We don’t have a lot of control over point 1.
We have a lot of control over point 2, and we’ll work more on it below.
But point 3 is where we might need to get more involved at our organization than we may have considered.
Soliciting bigger gifts means there is something compelling to share that warrants an investment. There’ll be outcomes, an impact, and plans to achieve it all. This plan is probably born from a strategic vision – some kind planning process – that I hope has included something new for your nonprofit. You know, something bold, a bit aspirational, and exciting. We can’t expect to go back to donors who give us $1,000 a year, share that we’ve planned for 6-months to ultimately keep doing more of the same, and then ask for an increase to a $5,000 gift.
What we can do: make the planning process shorter, less laborious and very intentional. Make a goal of leaving the visioning period with a plan that allows us to grow, do something interesting, and requires funding. We know that some of our best ideas require spending, and as a part of the planning process, we can consider how we’ll secure that funding. Why do capital (or comprehensive) campaigns often trail a strategic planning process? Because a nonprofit has identified priority areas that need to be fueled to achieve the desired outcome – and strategically fundraising around them is a clean, energetic way to do just that.
The same donor who has given $1,000 a year for years might have a change of reaction when you approach her about a plan that will span a period of years, is clear, has a goal, and achievable outcomes. Now all of the sudden considering $5,000 or $10,000 makes sense: they’re investing in something. In this case, proactively and directly asking this donor for an increase to the specific amount you hope she’ll consider is key after articulating the details of the vision’s ‘why,’ cost and projected impact – even in exciting times, a reminder: we can’t assume donors know how much to give and what we’re expecting.
I know people say all of the time “you just have to ask.” And yes, you do. We can’t be disappointed by a lack of increased giving without directly soliciting. But asking just to ask isn’t enough – you need to back-up your bigger solicitation with support for why it’s needed, what it will do, and how you plan to get there. You don’t have to be in a campaign to do this; you need to have a seat at the leadership table where conversations are had about what’s next!
