How to overcome a fear ofasking for money:

Advice from the Fundraiser Grrl community

Ronand Maryanne Herrema

Be clear in your own mind that you areasking for the people that are impacted byyour mission. You aren't asking for themoney for yourself. Keep a picture ofthose you help in front of you (when youare on the phone) in order to let themmotivate you!

Keels Marie

Stop thinking about it as "charity" , it'sabout social justice. The "Ask" thenbecomes an invitation to bearwitness to the real work being done.That work isn't in a database, or giftannouncement, it's at the front lines,at the grass roots.

Heidi Boyd

Know the donor and their passion for yourmission, and practice the ask ahead of time. Tapinto what they love about your org and its work,and make them feel that you're inviting them todo that very work with you.Then, seriously, practice practice practice - outloud, with a colleague, however works for you.

Andrea McKinty

If done correctly with the rightamount of involvement, cultivationand education, it's really not askingfor money, rather asking for aninvestment or impact.

Tanesha Ingram-Basnight

At The Star boutique,INC we always saythat the ask is not about us. It is about thegirls that we are serving. They are theones in need. Once we get out of theway, we are reminded that we do thiswork for them and we invite EVERYONEto be apart of that.

Sarah Vanessa

Think of it as if you are doing THEM(the donor) a favor by offering themthe opportunity to be generous, andto participate in the wonderful workof your organization!

Shannon Isaacs

Someone once said to me when I told them Iwas a major gifts officer, "so basically you are abeggar" and I said no, I invite people to changethe world. Remember that is all you are doingwhen you are fundraising! And, giving can beso meaningful and important, you are givingspace for people to express their altruism withtheir means.

Siobhan Aspinall

Ask them for permission to ask later:"If we have an opportunity in thefuture that I think would interest you,would you be open to looking at aproposal?" The answer is alwaysYes.

Margaret Clift McNulty

Best tip I heard was from Lorna Somers at McMasterUniversity - she went off an made a significant (forher) donation to a local dog rescue and thenwhenever she was talking to people about making agift she'd remember just how fantastic it felt to makethat donation. Not because of great stewardship (itwasn't) but just because it feels brilliant, making adonation. It's giving someone a chance to make adifference to something they really care about!

John Congdon

I do a fair amount of coaching for people raising money for smallreligious non-profits, usually parishes. The thing I tell them (especially ifthey express reluctance to ask or fear of asking) is, "It's not about YOU.This is not about whether or not they like you or whether or not you're agood person. This is about giving them the opportunity to be involved inmaking a difference. What's the worst that can happen? They say No?GREAT! If they say No, that means that you know that they don't want tosupport your organization, and you don't have to worry about askingthem any more! But if they say Yes...!"

I then usually add, "Actually, there is one thing that is worse than themsaying No. That's you deciding not to ask them. That means that theydon't get the opportunity to say either No or Yes, and frankly, that's notyour call to make."

Joan Hill

Think about you and funders have acommon interest. They are interested in,say, getting more children to read. You just happen to have a program thatdistributes books to libraries, or teachesyoung children to read.

Gunes Yildirim

Take out the word 'money'. We dont ask for money, weask for 'support to make achange.'