Don’t Forget to Ask!

It’s the most basic part of fundraising, but many organizations don’t do it enough: Ask for money.

 My December bank statement showed up yesterday and I braced myself before opening it. Holiday gifts, travel, charitable giving… it all adds up fast at the end of the year. Still, I took a deep breath, dove in, and started scrolling. That’s when I noticed a nonprofit I meant to support was missing. Not because I didn’t want to give, but because they never asked. I hopped online and made the gift, but honestly, if I hadn’t caught it right then, that gift probably wouldn’t have happened.

That moment reinforced what years in the nonprofit world have shown me: passion sparks interest, but opportunity drives action. People don’t give just because they care, they give when we create the right moment to say ‘yes.’

Think about your own life: you may care deeply about sick children, endangered species, or a hospital that helped a loved one, but are you really going to stop everything to look up an address, find your checkbook and a stamp, and mail a check? Probably not.

But if you’re presented with:
• An appeal letter with a stamped envelope
• An email with a “Donate Here” button
• A social media post with a quick link
• A text with a secure donation link
• A peer‑to‑peer ask from a friend
• A QR code at an event

You’re far more likely to give. Not because you care more, but because the opportunity is right in front of you.

Your supporters are no different. They want to help. Your role isn’t to push, it’s to open the door by creating the touchpoints that make saying “yes” easy. Don’t hesitate - make the ask!