TIPS TO GIVE BOARD MEMBERS WHEN MAKING AN ASK . . .

Asking an individual for a donation is never easy and may have you and your board members shaking in their boots a bit. When helping to guide your board members through the process of making an ask, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1) Not everyone was made to make an ask - This is probably the most important thing to keep in mind. If someone does not have the personality to make an ask, no amount of training is really going to change that. The last thing you want to do is have a board member hate being part of your team because of something like this. So consider giving that person a different task. Have them make thank you calls or ask them to be a "cheerleader" for the campaign. Find the right spot for those people and let them know they are valued, regardless of how they help.

2) Put yourself in their shoes - Ask your board members the last time they got mad at someone for a donation request. Sure they may have said no but were they angry? Chances are the answer is no. Remind your folks to keep in mind when THEY ask people for money. No one is going to be angry at them, even though we sometimes think that might happen.

3) Listen, partner, listen, partner . . . - This is probably the most important thing and the biggest difference between donors of this generation of the ones from past generations. Donors today do not want to just write a check and call it good. They want to know how their money is making a difference. They want to have a say in where their money is going. They want to do things that fit in their passions. So make sure when talking to donors that you ask them what they have passions for, listen to them, and then connect it with ways you can partner on a program. The great thing about this? Instead of your organization being excited about receiving a gift, now both the donor and organization are excited about the gift. It makes things fun for everyone. Want to know some more tips? Midwest Studies Group leads trainings for board members, on how to make an ask, both in person and on Zoom. Let us know how we can help your organization.

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Midwest Studies Group helps nonprofits to increase their resource development capacity by connecting people closer to their community by way of need assessment studies, community impact studies, feasibility studies, and EOS coaching. For more info please visit us at www.midweststudiesgroup.com