As any British person knows, a rather wonderful part of our culture is our awkwardness - especially  around having certain conversations. And what is more awkward than talking about, let alone asking for money? The thing is, if you’ve opted to be a charity fundraiser then requesting donations is literally the whole point. It’s one of the few times in life when you must ignore social decorum and get asking, however intimidating that is. Keep reading for some excellent tips on how to override the cringe and ask for money with confidence, ease and results.

The golden fundraiser rule of asking for money

The point that every face to face fundraiser should remember first and foremost is that; you’re not asking for yourself, you’re asking for those in need.

You’re not ‘bothering’ potential donors – you’re offering them an option to give to charity which could actually end up being something they feel fantastic about doing!

And while we’re myth busting - it’s a common misconception about face to face fundraising that the job is about convincing others to donate to charitable causes.

This trap sets the fundraiser up to believe that if they just explain enough about their organisation and the good work they’re doing, then a person will be motivated to sign the dotted line.

Wrong.

The real fundraisers job is to get the donor to realise why they’re connected to the cause. But to get there, we have a few great tricks up our sleeve that puts the fundraiser on the right track.

Here are our best tips and fundraising ideas for making requests for donations. Without a cringe in sight.

Learn about the psychology of donors

A brilliant fundraiser knows that to get the ‘yes’ from donation requests, there must be a ‘relationship’ of sorts. Essentially the donor must like the fundraiser enough to give them some of their time and hear what they’ve got to say.

More importantly, the fundraiser must use the opportunity to learn enough about the donor to see what might motivate them. Remember, to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail.

That psychology part is about understanding the donor ‘type’. This means identifying what aspects of donating money for charity appeals to them the most. For example, some people can relate to a charity because it deals with something that’s affected them personally. Others might be motivated to act because they feel a moral duty to do so. Someone else might like the idea of belonging to the charity as a member.

Knowing the different donor types is to know how to respond to them.

And the only way you can possibly establish that, is by asking questions and paying close attention to every detail.

• What do they care about – are there similar causes they’re supporters of?

• What language and words are they using – do these words show they care – or that they’ve got knowledge of your charity or cause?

• What stands in their way of giving? Do they have fears or concerns about the cause or charity?

These types of fundraising tools are advanced and something only really experienced fundraisers tend to use, but over time it’s a brilliant way to work out tailored communication with any particular donor.

Learn more about donor identity here

Practice makes perfect fundraiser pitches

Anyone that ever got great at anything practiced. Then they practiced some more – and then, yes, they practiced some more. Then they kept practicing… Well you get the point.

Every aspect of your pitch should feel natural, knowledgeable, confident and comfortable.

By the time you’re actually in front of your public, you should know your pitches like the back of your hand – note pitches (not pitch) because you’ll certainly need a few different approaches to accommodate all the vastly different types of responses, objections and characters you’ll meet (see donor identity above).

A great fundraising tip is to record yourself – both your script and your physical self and watch it back to get a feel for what your donor sees. Likewise, try standing in front of a mirror and tell yourself all the things you know about your charity. Do you look friendly? Are you engaging? Tell the stories of the animals or people that your charity helps. Know your facts and figures. And of course, practice framing your ask. 

Once you’ve got your basics under your belt, you’re not going to be thinking about what you need to remember – because you’ll just know it. Instead you can focus your energy on getting to know your donor and listening to everything they’re saying which gives you the best chance to know what direction to go with the conversation.

Identify the charity’s need

Now you’re feeling like you know what you’re talking about, remember to tell your donor too!

It sounds obvious, but first things first – what are you asking for money for?

Inspiring people to give money to charity means that, as a fundraiser, you need to be able to explain clearly about why your charity needs donations and how those donations will be spent.

Your introduction should always be warm and something that piques the interest:

“Hello there, how are you today? I’m John from Shelter and I’m hoping you’ll let me have a minute to tell you about Carly who has recently become homeless after a fight with her mum”

If they give you a positive response and their time, you’ve got limited time to pick out just 2 or 3 relevant stand-out facts about the charity that will help your potential donor understand easily and quickly about the cause.

It's important to have a clear understanding of the charities financial stance - the amount of money they need, and their sources of income and what they’re going to spend it on.

Stay transparent

Honesty and integrity is the number one feature of a great fundraiser and when you’re raising money for charity, there must be absolutely no reason for anyone to mistrust your intention or cause.

Fundraising is about showing up as an ambassador for your charity and to do well, you should feel passionately about your cause – it’s inspiring! Afterall, if you don’t feel motivated to want to make a difference, who will?

Any hint of manipulation or deceit does the polar opposite of what you want – which is to be liked and trusted.

Be specific

Avoid being vague like the plague - even if it’s because you’re feeling uncomfortable about asking.

By being specific, you can gain trust and clarity and you’re giving the donor assurance that you’re an expert in this field.

Fundraisers should be assertive and clear about the exact amount they’re asking for – you’re not asking for some major gift here, it’s a few pounds a month. And they should also know exactly what it’s going to be spent on.

When you talk about where the money is going – instead of making a general statement like

‘donations will go towards helping look after dogs that can’t be rehomed’

Say

 ‘£10 will buy a blanket, a dog bowl and a toy for a dog like Barney when they first arrive at the rehoming centre’. 

Be interesting

However tempting it is to tell your listener everything you know, don’t be that person that drones on and on. This is one sure way to fail to engage your audience and it won’t get you the yes you’re looking for.

Try to provoke a good conversation by showing genuine interest in their answers. This enthusiasm will help stimulate a better flow of energy and if nothing else will keep your job far more interesting than just talking ‘at’ someone, only to be told no. Basically treat everyone like they’re a good friend that you’re really pleased to see and really interested in hearing about.

Ask lots of questions and get the donor talking about themselves – this way you’re getting the conversation flowing and you’re learning about what makes them tick.

Open ended questions that start off as ‘what do you think is … ‘ or ‘how do you feel about … ‘

Expect questions

Much like the prepared part, you should expect some questions from people if you’re asking them to part with their hard earned income.

It’s important to be prepared and answer in a completely honest way that builds trust and confidence in you and your charity.

Don’t speak

Another vote against just talking at someone. In fact, this one is pretty clever. Don’t just aim to fill every second of your time with noise – silence is not only okay – it can be a game changer.

Think of it this way – the more you’re chatting away, the less opportunity you’re giving to a potential donor to tell you something that might really be the information you need.

So imagine you’ve just asked a question such as

“Isn’t it awful when you think of the amount of dogs that get abandoned by their owners every year – is that something you’ve come across before?”

And the donor might respond with

“Oh yes it’s awful, I saw and advert the other day about having to give up your pet because of the cost of living crisis”

And the fundraiser might then say

“Yes I completely agree – that why our rehoming centres are so important because… etc etc etc”

And the donor didn’t get to dive deeper into why it mattered to them.

Now imagine the same conversation, but instead of the fundraiser pushing all the information about their dog charity, how about if they said nothing other than: 

“Oh no, tell me more?” (and looks genuinely interested).

 At this point the donor (feeling like they’ve got an open forum) responds with a whole story about their thoughts and feelings about what they’ve seen and who they know that’s gone through that and how sad it made them.

And suddenly, the fundraiser knows so much more about what is going to be the best direction, telling the donor all about how their cause does exactly that – stops people from having to give up their dogs because they have a foster programme.

The fundraiser has essentially allowed the donor the space to discover a pain point and offered up a real solution.

This tried and tested strategic silence is a golden tool which so many in sales just don’t know. It works perfectly (even though it can feel a bit awkward) because it’s uncovering a gold mine of useable information.

Show gratitude

Regardless of the outcome, it’s important to say thank you and show gratitude for anything people give you including their time, the ear or their compassion. It’s basic good manners aside from anything else.

A simple word of appreciation creates a bond of respect and even if the decision hasn’t gone your way, the whole tone of the conversation will go more positively.

For those that decide to become donors when you ask for money, thanks is even more significant. Research shows that the thank you that donors get is the single biggest influence about whether they carry on donating money to charity.

Be respectful

The whole ‘give me money’ thing is a pretty touchy subject for some, especially when they don’t have much. Be understanding that when you ask for donations, there will be plenty who just won’t be able to afford that.

As any fundraiser worth their salt knows, pressurising or guilt tripping someone with donations requests is never okay. Not only is it unethical, it goes against the code of fundraising practice, which could result in penalty points for a nonprofit organisation.

Learn more about the code of fundraising practice here

Tell the story

When  you want someone to donate money to charity, storytelling is not only engaging, it’s effective too.

The reason telling stories is so great for getting donations is because it creates an emotional attachment and this is far better in person than anything online or TV.

From attachment comes a sense of loyalty and responsibility which fosters the desire to act.

A short and sweet story about the beneficiaries of your charity lets people see the problem and solution in one go. The most useful thing is that most charities have plenty of case studies for you to share about those they’re helping.

From describing what life is like for those in need, to explaining what happens when they don’t get the help, to the transformation when they get help, stories are how to touch the heart.

Learn more about how storytelling in fundraising gets results

Be positive and don’t say donate

Much as it’s tempting to lay it on thick about the level of need and desperation – too much gloom and is a proven demotivator. To get the best result when asking for donation, professional fundraisers talk about what can be done, how things can be made better, and how the donor is the person with the key to making that happen.

Use words like join, support and partner because they invite people to enter a relationship with the charity rather than just become a contributor.  

Learn more about magic words in fundraising

So we hope you’ve been able to pick up some decent fundraising tips about how to prepare for and deliver the ask.

For more information on charity fundraising jobs, why not take a look at our job descriptions page where you can learn all about the role of the professional private site and door to door fundraisers, as well as the many benefits we offer here at Charity Link.