The Anxious Fundraiser’s Guide to Asking for Donations

Do you ever take a long, hard look in the mirror and wonder how someone with as much social anxiety as you have ended up in a career like fundraising that revolves around making uncomfortable requests to people you barely know? 

Sure, the answer probably has something to do with the fact that you’re smart, hardworking, and possess a true passion for your nonprofit’s mission…but that doesn’t really make asking for donations any easier, does it?!

Well, we can help. For all you anxious fundraisers out there, we’ve assembled this quick guide to making the ask with plenty of tips, tricks, and strategies to steady your nerves and help you fulfill your destiny as a fundraising superstar. 

How to (Confidently) Ask for Donations

When you’re asking for donations, the ask itself is actually a very small part of the puzzle. It’s everything around it—the preparation and research, the supporting evidence to make your case, the rapport you’ve built with your donor, and your plan for following up—that makes or breaks the appeal.

For folks in fundraising who tend to get nervous, this should help! Elements prospect research and follow-up timelines are all well within your control. While you can’t always guarantee a “yes,” you can feel confident that you did everything right to solicit one.

Here’s the four-part process you need to follow to ask for donations:

#1: Prepare Your Pitch

The better prepared you are to make your pitch, the more likely you are the succeed—and the better you’ll be able to silence those inner doubts. 

Start by researching your audience—understand who they are, what causes they care about, and how they’ve engaged with your nonprofit in the past. If you’re pitching an individual major donor, do a deep dive into their specific background, giving history, and relationship with your organization.

Use donor management software (like Neon CRM) to collect, organize, and analyze all these data points. Not only will using this software make it easier to personalize your message (more on that in a second), but your analysis might yield insights into past donor behavior that will help inform your pitch. 

Next, set clear goals for your ask. Define specific outcomes, such as raising $5,000 from 25 donors by the end of the month. This clarity will not only help you stay focused, but it will help you communicate urgency and purpose to potential donors.

Finally, personalize your pitch. Use the donor’s name, reference past contributions, and emphasize the impact their donation will have. Here’s an example:

“Hi Jane, your support last year helped us provide 300 meals to children in need. A donation of $100 today could provide another 30 meals.”

If your appeal is going out to a group instead of an individual, remember that a well-formatted database can auto-complete personal details via tokens in your email message. That will help you personalize your pitch while saving you a boatload of time and effort. 

#2: Make the Ask

Okay, take a deep breath. Now, it’s time to make the ask.

Start choosing the right medium for your pitch. While email works well for annual campaigns, phone calls or face-to-face meetings may be more effective for major donors.

For more on how to tailor your ask to these individual channels, check out the next section.

Once you’ve settled on the ideal medium, it’s time to employ some psychological principles to help you really hone your asks. 

• Urgency: When people feel a sense of urgency to your appeal, they’re more likely to take immediate action. It’s not just about rushing the donor—it’s about emphasizing the urgency of the cause itself. You can create urgency by introducing time-sensitive elements in your campaigns, such as matching gifts that double a donor’s contribution if made within a specific timeframe. 
• Social Proof: People tend to follow the actions of others, especially when unsure about their own decisions. Including testimonials from satisfied donors can also strengthen trust, making others feel more comfortable and confident in their decision to give. You can leverage social proof by sharing stories of other donors who have contributed, displaying a rolling list of recent donations, or mentioning milestones reached thanks to past donors.
• Reciprocity: This principle is rooted in the idea that when someone receives something, they feel more compelled to give something back. In the context of fundraising, this could mean offering small tokens of appreciation—like thank-you notes, branded items, or even a personal phone call expressing gratitude for the donor’s support. Such gestures, no matter how small, make donors feel valued and appreciated, reinforcing a positive cycle of giving.
• Storytelling: Telling a vivid, emotional story is one of the most compelling ways to make the cause feel real and urgent. People are naturally drawn to the stories, as they allow us to connect emotionally with others. When asking for donations, leverage the identifiable victim effect and share personal stories of specific individuals or families whose lives were changed because of donor support. This will be much more effective than statistics showing your overall impact on the lives of many. 

For further reading on taking a psychological approach to fundraising, check out this article:

#3: Handle Rejections

Not every ask will result in a donation, and that’s okay. Rejection is a natural part of fundraising, but it’s also an opportunity to learn and strengthen the relationship. 

If a donor declines to give, respond graciously, thanking them for considering your request and for their past support, if applicable.

You might say, “I understand, Jane. We appreciate your support in other ways, and I’d love to keep you updated on our programs.” 

This approach keeps the door open for future conversations and reinforces that you value them beyond just their financial contributions.

#4: Follow Up

Following up is just as important as the initial ask. 

If a potential donor doesn’t respond within a few days, send a friendly reminder. Include a brief update on the campaign’s progress and a link to donate. 

Ideally, you should follow up within 3-5 days after the initial ask, especially if there is no response. 

A gentle reminder like, “Just checking in to see if you have any questions about our campaign!” can prompt action without feeling intrusive. 

If there’s still no response, consider a second follow-up within a week or two, depending on the urgency of the campaign. 

Remember, the goal is to be persistent but not pushy, maintaining a balance that keeps the donor engaged without overwhelming them.

And don’t forget to say thanks! 

For successful asks, send a thank-you note that emphasizes the impact of their gift. This not only builds goodwill but also increases the likelihood of future donations.

Need help crafting an awesome thank-you note? Download these handy thank-you letter templates and get going!

Tailoring Your Donation Ask for Different Channels

Your approach to asking for donations should vary based on the communication channel. Here’s how to tailor your ask across five common channels:

Email

Emails are a powerful tool for making personalized donation asks, especially for annual campaigns or special appeals. The versatility of email allows you to craft detailed messages while still maintaining a personal touch. To make your emails as effective as possible, consider the following strategies:

• Craft a compelling subject line that grabs the reader’s attention immediately. Subject lines are your first and often only chance to hook the donor, so they should be concise, urgent, and relevant. Phrases like “Double Your Impact Before Friday!” or “Help Us Reach Our Goal by Month’s End” convey urgency and purpose.
• Personalize the email content by addressing the recipient by name and referencing their previous involvement. Personalization builds trust and increases the likelihood of engagement.
• Keep the message focused on a specific cause or goal. Rather than overwhelming the donor with multiple asks or projects, zero in on one clear objective. For instance, instead of a generic appeal, you could say, “Your $100 gift will provide 30 meals to children this month.”
• Avoid overly formal language: Donors respond best to a warm, conversational tone that feels like a genuine conversation, not a transactional appeal. Instead of saying, “We request your kind donation,” say, “We’d love to have you as part of this effort to change lives.” The more you sound like a real person, the more likely you are to build trust and connection with potential donors.
• Create a sense of urgency within the email body. Use phrases like “Only 3 days left to make a difference” or “Donate today to help us reach our goal by the end of the week.”
• End with a clear call-to-action (CTA) that is linked to your donation page. The CTA should be direct and visually prominent, using buttons or bold links to stand out.

In 2023, Neon One published a massive, in-depth report on nonprofit email trends and best practices, drawing on data from thousands of nonprofit organizations of all sizes. 

This report has a ton of great information that can help you better craft your email appeals. Download your copy of The Nonprofit Email Report today!

Social Media

Social media is a dynamic channel that enables nonprofits to reach a broader audience quickly. While social media won’t let you make in-depth appeals or personalize your ask, it’s still the best possible medium for driving broader awareness and those initial actions of support that you can then build on to create a deeper, longer-lasting relationship.

Your social media fundraising strategy will center on creating engaging, shareable content that your supporters can easily spread to their wider networks. While specific best practices will vary between the different social media platforms—what works on Facebook won’t necessarily work on TikTok—here are some general guidelines you can always follow. 

• Keep messages concise and visual. People scroll quickly on social media, so your message needs to stand out immediately. Use eye-catching visuals, such as images, videos, or infographics, to capture attention. All visuals should be made according to your nonprofit’s brand guidelines, as that consistency will help build trust in your content.
• Incorporate hashtags that are relevant to your campaign or broader cause. Hashtags help increase visibility and make your content discoverable to new audiences. You can use general hashtags like #charity, but make sure you also use more specific ones like #sustainability or #animalrescue that speak to your sector.
• Leverage storytelling through short videos or posts that feature impactful narratives, such as a beneficiary’s journey or behind-the-scenes footage of your team at work. Stories humanize the cause, making it more relatable and urgent. Remember, you’re better off sharing the story of how you helped one person than the story of how you helped 100.
• Include a prominent CTA with a direct link to your donation page. Social media posts should have clear next steps, encouraging followers to donate immediately. Just make sure that you have an easy-to-use, multi-step donation page waiting for them on the other end of that link. If they encounter any friction in the giving process, they’ll be unlikely to complete it!

One of the biggest days for social media fundraising is GivingTuesday. Want some ideas for how your nonprofit can mount an awesome GivingTuesday campaign on your socials this year? We’ve got you covered:

Phone Calls

Phone calls offer a personal touch that’s especially effective for cultivating major donors or long-term supporters. They also allow for the sorts of meaningful, two-way conversations that will form the bedrock of your most important donor relationships.

Of course, talking over the phone is going to be way more anxiety-inducing for most fundraisers than sending out an email or sending a text. Here are some ways you can help ensure a smooth conversation—and quiet those butterflies along the way. 

• Start with a friendly, warm greeting and immediately acknowledge the donor’s previous contributions. For example, “Hi Jane, it’s [Your Name] from [Nonprofit Name]. I wanted to personally thank you for your incredible support last year.”
• Be clear and upfront about the purpose of your call. Don’t leave the donor guessing—let them know from the start that this is a fundraising call. The last thing you want is for a donor to feel like they got bait-and-switched into an ask. 
• Personalize the conversation by tailoring your message to the donor’s past involvement and interests. Mention specific programs they’ve supported and explain how their next donation could make an even greater impact. Tie both the past support and the gift you’re asking for right now to real, tangible outcomes. Let them know they’re making a difference!
• Use active listening to gauge the donor’s response. Pay attention to their tone and feedback, adjusting your approach accordingly. For example, if a donor seems hesitant, ask if they have any questions or concerns about the program. Take notes during your call and, afterward, enter them into your CRM for future reference. 
• Close the call with gratitude, whether the donor agrees to contribute or not. Always thank them for their time and reiterate your appreciation for their past support.

Using phone calls to ask for donations is pretty common, but did you know there are actually a lot of benefits in calling your donors to say thank you? You can read about that in this blog post:

Text Messages

Text messages have a lot of uses for nonprofits outside of fundraising—they’re a great way to send reminders or last-minute updates—and those same uses carry over to your fundraising appeals as well: Texts are perfect for delivering quick, urgent donation asks, making them ideal for time-sensitive campaigns or emergency appeals.

Here are some methods you can use to maximize text and SMS appeals.

• Keep the message short and direct. Who among us has received a long text from a friend and thought, “Nah, not today.” Well. text message appeals play by the same rules: they should be no more than 160 characters to ensure they’re concise and to the point. Avoid lengthy introductions and focus immediately on the urgency of the ask.
• Create urgency in the message by using phrases like “only 24 hours left” or “today only.” This encourages immediate action, which is critical for the success of text-based campaigns. Try adding a specific dollar amount like, “We’re only $500 away from meeting our goal!”
• Include a direct link to the donation page within the text. Make sure the link is short, easy to type, and mobile-friendly. We talked earlier about the importance of having an easy-to-use donation form, and that holds true here as well. And since it’s a text campaign, that form better be mobile-optimized to within an inch of its life. 
• Use language that feels personal and conversational. Even though the message is brief, it should still feel like it’s coming from a person, not a machine. Formal-sounding text messages only come from three kinds of people: dads, scammers, and non-scammers you still don’t want to hear from.

Read more about text messaging best practices for nonprofits in this article:

In-Person

This is the big kahuna! In-person asks are the most direct form of donation requests—and they’re also the most nerve-wracking. If you’re asking for a major gift, then in-person is the way to go. That’s one of the reasons they can be so anxiety-inducing!

Here’s the good news: Asking for a donation in person allows you to leverage all the tools at your disposal—including body language, tone, and storytelling—to create a compelling case for support. Here’s how!

• Establish rapport with the donor right from the start. A friendly smile, eye contact, and an approachable demeanor can set a positive tone for the conversation. Researching your donor ahead of time will help better get a handle on what kind of interactions are likely to connect for them. For instance, are they a hugger or a hug-hater?
• Maintain open body language, using gestures to emphasize key points. Nod to show agreement and understanding, and lean slightly forward to show engagement. And don’t just indicate interest through your body language—demonstrate it through your actions by asking follow-up questions and generally showing interest in your donor beyond their capacity to make a gift. 
• Be prepared to handle objections or questions with empathy and confidence. If a potential donor expresses concern about where their money goes, provide clear, specific examples of how funds are allocated and managed. If someone is a major donor, these kinds of questions should be expected. Instead of getting defensive, use them as an opportunity to demonstrate the awesomeness of your nonprofit’s work. 
• Close the ask with gratitude, regardless of the response. A warm thank-you, a handshake, or even a follow-up note after the conversation can leave a lasting impression. Even if you get a no, expressing gratitude can set you up for a yes down the line. 

In-person asks are tough, but they’re critical for securing major gifts. The sooner you start working on your in-person fundraising skills, the sooner you’ll start to improve!

Ready to Make Your Ask? Put These Templates to Work!

Fundraising is like anything else: The more you practice it and learn what styles and strategies work best for you and your supporters, the more comfortable, confident, and effective you’ll become!

We hope the tips in this article have been helpful in calming your nerves. But we’re not done yet! We also have these handy year-end fundraising letter templates that you can use to build an end-of-year appeal for the ages!

Just click the link below to download these templates for yourself. You got this!