Dear Kim Q&A Column Archive
March 2006
KNOWING HOW MUCH TO ASK FOR
Dear Kim:
I know that you and most other fundraising professionals advise
people to ask for a specific amount of money, but what if you
have no idea what a person can give, and you don’t want
to ask for too little or way too much? It seems like just saying, “Give
what feels good to you” would be effective.
-Feels Good to Me
Dear Feels Good:
Imagine this: you go into a grocery store to buy broccoli, laundry
detergent and milk. There are no prices on anything, so you take
your stuff to the clerk who says, “Just pay what feels
good to you.” Or, imagine that your neighbor is having
a garage sale. Early in the morning, you walk by as he is setting
up his merchandise, and you see a toaster. “I need a toaster” you
think, so you go over and say to the neighbor, “I’d
like to buy that toaster. What do you want for it?” The
neighbor says, “I’m not sure—what would you
like to pay?” What would you do? I think most people would
feel awkward. A toaster, laundry detergent, or milk actually
has market value. If it is hard to name a price for items that
actually can be priced, imagine how much more difficult it is
for the donor to hear, “Just give what feels good to you
to help us build a community center/save the environment/end
the war.”
When you ask someone for money, you don’t want them to
have to sit and wonder what an appropriate size gift would be.
Their job is to consider your request and say yes, no, or “here’s
a different amount than you asked for”. You know how much
it costs to be your organization, and you know your needs. If
a specific amount is a challenge, try a range. “We are
particularly looking for gifts in the $500-$1000 range. Is that
something you could do?”
Finally, keep in mind that what you ask someone for is partly
what you think they might be able to give based on their ability
and their commitment to your organization, but is also based
on what you need, and how many other donors you are involving.
For much more on getting major gifts, you will want to review
our free articles on the topic (www.grassrootsfundraising.org/magazine/collections.html)
and order our reprint, “Getting Major Gifts.”
Good luck!
-Kim Klein
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