The old days of placing an envelope
on the table at your charity fundraising event or passing around a basket,
called “Passing the Hat” are long gone.
In fact, if you did that today, you would find 98% of the envelopes empty.
So how do you get people to donate
money and more importantly, large sums of money? This is a two-pronged strategy and approach. But first we must understand that society
today has changed to a “What will you do for me?” mentality.
In order to get more sponsors and to
entice more people to donate, we first must understand this:
#1 - Companies will donate or invest
in exchange for advertisement. The more
advertisement they receive, the more they will donate or sponsor.
#2 – Donors, that is people who will
or could make large donations, they too want something for their donations. What do these people want you ask? To be noticed or have their few seconds in
the spotlight.
Understanding the philosophy above is
half the battle or the way to uncover the “Secret” to get more sponsors and
entice more people to donate. Here is
the other half – the “Art of the Ask.”
Before I tell you or describe the “Art
of the Ask”, you have to recall the “Old Ways” of getting financial
donations. Sending out hundreds of
mailers or by getting on the phone and cold calling a long list of possible
supporters. Then getting into a lengthy
conversation with them about why you need their hard-earned money which
inevitably ends up as a “Telemarketer” approach.
Recently, I saw that a friend who is
very affluent attended a charity fundraiser.
Knowing he is wealthy, I asked him how much he donated to the cause, he
responded was “Nothing.” When I asked
why, he said “Because no one asked us to donate.” He further went on to say that after looking
at everything they had to offer in the silent and live auction, nothing
appealed to him so he didn’t bid on anything either.
The fact that no one asked to donate
is a simplistic and ironic with the argument being “He should have donated on
his own without being asked.” Today, everyone
wants to be appreciated and to be thanked.
When you place yourself at a higher importance than your donors, that is
a sure sign you are simply out of touch.
“The Art of the Ask” – Wouldn’t you
agree that this is a “What are you going to do for me” society? Absolutely it is. Both donors and sponsors need to know there
is value in their donations. What does
value mean? Simply put – what do they
get for their donation. That’s not a
question, it’s a statement. We have
already addressed why sponsors donate funds, however we briefly touched on why
people donate.
Before you burn me at the stake…yes
absolutely, people donate to help the mission of your charity, you’re
right. However, from my 25 years of
experience raising 100’s of millions of dollars for charities – we now know and
understand the power of simply asking them for a donation. You cannot, let me say that again…you can not
just expect it, you have to work for it.
To answer your question “What should
we do?” or “How do we do it?” First you
must hire a professional. Having “Bob
the Weatherman” or “Sam the local politician” who does a great job acting like
an auctioneer simply won’t cut it. If
you’re getting surgery, would you ask the same people to cut into your
skin? Absolutely not. Isn’t raising the maximum amount of funds the
goal of the fundraiser? You need a professional to get this done.
Whether you hire us, BW Unlimited
Charity Fundraising, or you hire one of the many professional charity
auctioneers across the United States, make sure you have a professional do
this. That in and of itself is the most
important aspect here and the reason is, they understand the mechanics of how
to ask, when to ask and how to do it successfully.
People at your fundraising event will
absolutely donate – BUT – they want to be asked and they want to be placed in
the spotlight when they do. It’s called “Pea Cocking”
or “Show Boating.” You may not like that or agree, but it's reality. They want others to
see them donating and love her applause when they do. Plus, they may want to donate to impress someone
else in the crowd. As an example, one of
your board members is someone of importance in your community. Another guest in the crowd wants to do
business with them so they will make a healthy donation simply to attract the
attention of your board member.
This “Ask” is also referred to as the
“Fund a Need” or “Paddle Raise.” You
would be amazed at how incredibly successful this is. We have raised as much as 1.8 million dollars
at one event simply by asking. But if
you do not know what to do or how to do it, consult the advice of a
professional.
The “Art of the Ask” is an art
because it has to appeal to your guests and not be a “Beg” instead of an “Ask.” Your guests can’t feel like you are putting
them on the spot, they won’t react.
If we can help you understand and
successfully accomplish the “Art of the Ask”, contact us at www.BWUnlimited.com. BW Unlimited Charity Fundraising is the
Premier charity fundraising company in North America in a convenient “One Stop
Shop” setting. What does a charity fundraising
“One Stop Shop” mean? We have everything
you could possibly need and want all in one location, staffed by the nation’s
foremost experts in charity fundraising.
Give us a call, we would love to help you. You can reach us at 443.206.6121. Call anytime, we are here to help you.
