Even the boldest fundraisers might blush at the thought of asking donors for significantly larger gifts. And for good reason too. Asked the wrong way, it can feel inappropriate, even downright rude and may damage carefully nurtured donor relationships.
The general assumption underpinning ask amounts is that individual donors make gifts more or less in line with their previous giving patterns. And over time as the relationship deepens they will hopefully give more. This makes sense for most donors. But what about supporters who may have the wallets and the wish to donate more, but don’t – simply because they haven’t been asked?
For a recent Barnardos donor campaign we did ask. We created an emergency appeal to highlight the funding crisis threatening critical Barnardos services in September. You can see the pack below.
Donors were asked to make donations which were ten percent or more above the value of their last gift. A brave decision in a year where people have less money in their pockets. In the hope there might be one or more donors who could make a really large gift to save a child’s place at a Barnardos project, the pack also included a heartfelt note asking for a large four figure amount.
It worked. The campaign results were astounding. Net income increased by 75% on the corresponding 2008 appeal (which had also increased income by over 50% on the 2007). Return on investment almost doubled. Average gift amounts also increased. And three donors made exceptionally large gifts. Previously these donors never made notably large donations.
Asking for more money feels daunting. But if you don’t ask, your supporters won’t know what you need. Being honest with your supporters and asking for their help when you need it only serves to illustrate the need for funds. Even if they can’t give you more, they’re more likely to give you what they can.
