How to do 'the ask'

How to ask people for money

Phil Knox – Evangelical Alliance

Whether you find individuals/major donors/corporates/churches to give via post, at an event or face-to-face, it inevitably involves an ‘ask’. Some people might hear of your work and choose to donate without encouragement but for the most part, people will only give when they are asked. And the more personal the ask is (asking face-to-face rather than an appeal letter sent out to your mailing list), the intimidating it can seem.

So, I’ve asked Phil Knox of the Evangelical Alliance and formally of Youth for Christ, his advice on how to ask for money. Here’s his thoughts and advice:

We’ve all got a friend who is a bit cheeky.  My cheeky mate is called Dave.  One of his favourite sayings is, ‘Shy bairns get nowt.’  Dave is not afraid to ask for whatever he wants, his philosophy is that you never know what you might get unless you ask. 

A fundamental necessity of fundraising is ‘the ask’.  In 13 years of working for charities I have asked thousands of people to partner with me financially to achieve our charitable aims.  I have known great success and spectacular failure.  These are a few lessons I have learnt along the way:

1.       Mentality

You are not grovelling.  You are not begging for cash.  Fundraising is a genuine partnership.  You cannot achieve your vision and aims without the giver.  But here is the deal: they cannot achieve your vision without you.  And in almost every case, when someone gives it is because their vision is aligned with you.  You have to get to a place where you understand fundraising as an activity of genuine partnership and mutual benefit.

2.      Vision – go big or go home

Vision is a moving picture of the future that you want to see.  People give because they want to see the same future you do.  When asking people to stand with you, paint the picture vividly and speak with passion about why you do what you do.

3.      Balance information and inspiration – heart, head and hands

To get the hands moving into the wallet, you need to appeal to both the heart and the head of the giver.  The heart is moved by the vision and by igniting the imagination that what they give might make a difference.  Telling stories is the best way to move the heart.  Tell the story that illustrates best the vision you are pursuing.  The head is moved by information.  The giver needs to know that their funds will be well spent.  Establish the problem with facts and figures and rationally join the dots to explain why you are the solution to fixing it.

4.      Get real

Follow steps one to three and you have prepared the way for something to happen.  But that is all you have done.  Too many asks stop here.  Now is not the time for ambiguity or a loss of nerve.  Now is the time to explain in exact terms what you need to see the vision become a reality.  If you need £10,286 then ask for it.  If you need ten people to give £10 and four to give £50 a month then ask your audience to identify as one of these.  Go as far as to practically describe how they are to make it happen.  Wave a form, pass them a bucket, hand them a card machine.

We are wired to give.  The brain releases endorphins (happy chemicals) when we give of our resources or ourselves.  It really is more blessed to give than to receive.  Let’s not be afraid to give others the opportunity to be blessed, feel good and align themselves with a vision, your vision that could change the world.

Phil Knox works for the Evangelical Alliance (https://www.eauk.org/) as head of mission to young adults. Since leaving university in Sheffield, he has spent his whole career working within the Christian charity sector raising money for his salary and the projects he has worked on. You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/philknox.