Solicitation & Negotiation of Charitable Gifts
Working with Individuals to Secure Nonprofit Funding
When it comes to soliciting charitable gifts, hockey great Wayne Gretzky’s wisdom holds true: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Preparation is Key to Successful Fundraising Solicitations
No solicitor should ask for a gift without first making his own gift of significance. Nonprofit representatives must be able to say honestly, “I believe so much in this work, I give to it myself. I invite you to join me.”
Prepare and practice making a convincing oral presentation. Don’t present the needs of the organization, but rather the solutions it provides. Include the benefits to the donor – such as recognition on a plaque displayed in a new building – but don’t overemphasize them.
Develop materials – charts, graphs, photos, architectural renderings, case statements – to use during the meeting, but these should be used only to support the oral presentation.
When the Donor is Ready, Set the Meeting
Fundraisers can know through the learning done during the cultivation phase when it is most appropriate to make the ask. In fact, a gift amount may have already been generally discussed before the actual solicitation. The most personal option for talking with the donor is always the best – in-person is better than by phone, phone is better that by email, email is better than by mail.
It is not uncommon for fundraisers to report that getting a meeting with the prospective donor is more difficult than getting a check. Often, the solicitor will first send a letter or email informing the donor that the solicitor would like to schedule a time to update the donor about the work of the organization. A follow-up phone call can then secure a date and time.
Making the Fundraising Ask and Negotiating the Gift
Ease into the meeting with appropriate “small talk,” but don’t let it set the tone for the meeting. Successful fundraisers exude energy and passion, and invite trust in themselves and the nonprofit organization.
Don’t deliver the prepared oral presentation as a presentation. Rather, use it as a guide. Listen carefully for objections or flags that the donor is more or less interested in certain aspects. Be agile enough to respond accordingly.
When the moment to ask for a gift has arrived, ask. Jerold Panas, in Asking: A 59-Minute Guide (2009), offers this effective phrasing: “I would like you to consider a gift of …” If the solicitor has already made a gift at the level requested of the donor, the solicitor might say, “I would like you to join me in giving …”
The solicitor should then stop talking. The donor must respond.
The donor’s response could be an enthusiastic “yes!” More likely, the donor will not want to make an immediate commitment and may even say something along the lines of “no.”
At this critical point in the meeting, you must find a way to answer Panas calls his “Four Magic Questions.”
- Is it the institution?
- Is it the project?
- Is it the amount requested?
- Is it the timing?
The fundraiser learns from the donor where the hesitation or objection is really coming from, he can gently work through it with the donor.
Taking the Solicitation to the Next Level
When concluding the meeting, the solicitor should always take charge of the next step. Even if the donor indicates a desire to think it over and call with an answer, the solicitor should respond positively and indicate he will be back in touch within a specific time frame. If possible, a follow-up time to talk should be put on calendars right then.
Learn more about the fundraising cycle.
Fundraising Solicitations Result in Donations
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In-Person Fundraising Solicitations Work
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Setting the Meeting is Often Challenging
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Philanthropy Makes Donors Happy
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Fundraisers Explain Nonprofit Investments
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