By Alan Sharpe, CFRE
In the fundraising profession, the act of requesting funds from a donor is called “the ask.” When you are writing a fundraising letter and you arrive at the place where you must actually, ahem, request a donation, you have arrived at the ask. And the ask, as you probably know, is one of the toughest things to get right in fundraising.
Where in the letter should you mention money?
Early on in your letter you should let your reader know why you are writing. Somewhere “above the fold,” usually in the second or third paragraph, describe the reason for your letter. Here is an example:
“The people of Afghanistan have already suffered 20 years of conflict and three years without rain. One and a half million are dead. Two million are disabled. And now this: the UN is predicting that “the number of Afghans facing hunger and deprivation will soon reach 7.5 million.”
“Something has to give. Or someone has to give. That’s why I’m writing to you during this crisis. Will you give? You can save lives and avert disaster by sending a donation to Doctors Without Borders right now.”
How much should you ask for?
Ah, the perennial question. As fundraising letter expert Mal Warwick would say, “that depends.” How much money you request of each donor depends on many variables, including:
- size of the donor’s last gift
- size of the donor’s average gift
- amount that most organizations like yours ask for
- specific need that you are presenting to the donor
- size of your donor base
- donor’s capacity to give (assuming you know it)
- donor’s affiliation with your organization (is the donor a brand new supporter or one of your board of directors?)
- length of time the donor has supported you (is it one year or ten?)
As you can see, the amount of money that you request in your direct mail fundraising letters depends on too many variables for me to give you an average figure to aim for in every appeal.
How many times should you request a donation?
Ask for a gift more than once in your letter. At a minimum, bring up the topic early on, and ask again for a donation in your conclusion. Another good place to request funds is in your postscript (your P.S.). Some of your asks can be hard asks (“Give today”) and others can be soft asks (“Your gift will make a difference.”).
New Handbook shows you how
101 Compelling Ways to Ask for Donations with Your Fundraising Letters is the professional fundraiser’s guide to mastering the art of making the ask. Learn more here.