It’s easy to get overwhelmed when considering how to ask your supporters for a donation. How can you show supporters that you need their help without leaving them fatigued? What is the best way to build a passionate donor base? And which donors should you even ask to contribute to each of your campaigns and initiatives?

Fundraising asks are like sales pitches. This is your moment to convey to donors why your cause matters and why they should support it. In the long term, nailing your fundraising asks can also help you build lasting relationships and encourage further engagement.

Let’s explore five proven tips to improve your fundraising asks.

1. Develop a fundraising ask strategy.

Donors have various preferences when it comes to communication and engagement. For example, a younger audience may prefer to be contacted via text message. Or, mid-level to major donors might enjoy attending a fancy event like a charity auction or gala.

A coordinated strategy can not only ensure continuity across the way that your organization asks for donations but also provide a framework for you to plan future campaigns. Look at the goals you’ve set for your nonprofit and structure your ask strategy around them. To get started, try answering the following questions:

• Who is my audience? Identify which audience(s) you plan to reach with each fundraising ask to design your messaging.
• Which previous strategies were successful? Look back to the fundraising strategies you’ve used in the past and see which approaches worked. Focus on strategies you’ve used with the specific audience you’re targeting.
• Which previous strategies weren’t successful? Simultaneously, identify which strategies didn’t work out as you intended. This way, you can avoid repeating the same mistakes.
• How do my donors prefer to interact with my nonprofit? Another way of thinking about this question is, “How should I ask my donors to give?” Determine what channels and opportunities engage your audience the most. 

However, while organizing your strategy is important, it’s equally important to be somewhat flexible. As you launch your campaign, you’ll collect and analyze data, refine your processes, invest in fundraising tools, and watch your fundraising approach evolve. Rather than rigidly sticking to your original strategy, be prepared to learn things along the way and re-adjust accordingly. 

2. Use a multi-channel fundraising approach.

360MatchPro defines multi-channel fundraising as a nonprofit’s efforts to “raise funds through various communication and donation channels.” In other words, it’s a strategy of using multiple forms of outreach to connect with your donors. 

Broadcasting your marketing materials on several platforms can increase the chances that donors see your message through at least one of the methods. As a result, you’ll connect with as many people as possible on their preferred platforms, which can increase their likelihood of donating. 

Here are some different fundraising channels that you could try:

• Direct mail: As one of the most time-tested outreach methods, direct mail allows you to communicate your most important information, including the date of an upcoming event, your text-to-give number, or fundraising updates.
• Email: Email provides an easy way to connect with donors and direct them to your website—in particular, your donation page. Because you’re already online, you can use emails to encourage online donations.
• Social media: With numerous platforms hosting different capabilities, social media provides various ways to spread your message. From posting to commenting to direct messaging, using social media’s wide range of features can position your message in front of many donors (and even new audiences!).

Although you’ll share similar messages across each channel, it’s important to remember that each channel has its own unique strengths, weaknesses, and audiences, so you’ll need to tailor your communications accordingly.

3. Offer mobile fundraising activities.

Keeping supporters engaged these days can be challenging, which is why a creative ask or fundraising campaign can take you far. Encouraging your donors to stay involved helps them become invested in the fundraising process. Then, they’ll grow closer to your organization and might become more involved in the future.

Mobile fundraising is a surefire way to accomplish this, as it offers a creative and convenient way for donors to give. This might include crowdfunding campaigns, social media fundraisers, or text-to-give, which Snowball recommends as a fundraising strategy to increase donations and donor engagement.

Here are five easy steps you can use to start a mobile giving campaign:

1. Evaluate your mobile fundraising logistics.
2. Choose mobile giving channels.
3. Select a mobile giving provider.
4. Incorporate mobile giving into your fundraising plan.
5. Track and adjust your strategies.

When planning your mobile giving campaign, choose channels and strategies that align with your nonprofit’s mission and vision. Customizing your asks to fit your work can engage supporters who already care about your cause and want to further your current initiatives.

4. Make it easy to donate.

Giving your donors a quick and simple way to engage with your organization is essential, and you must convey this ease in your fundraising ask. After all, when a supporter wants to donate, it shouldn’t take much work to find out how and where to make the donation!

With so many activities and engagement opportunities available at the push of a button, you don’t want your donation process to get ignored because it’s too difficult. Highlight exactly where and how your supporter can donate. That way, they don’t have to spend time figuring out the details of donating.

Additionally, reassure donors by explaining why their money is needed and how your nonprofit will use it. For example, incorporating data from your financial statements in your communications can provide context surrounding why you need donor support.

5. Connect with your donors.

Donors care about your organization, but they also want to know that you value and appreciate their support. Taking a more personalized approach in your fundraising ask can help you to better connect with them and steward their long-term support.

As you collect data about your donors in your fundraising software or CRM, you’ll have detailed information available about them that you can use to personalize your messaging. 

Here are some ways that you can implement this personal touch:

• Create an ideal donor profile: Imagine the type of donor who would be most likely to fall in love with your nonprofit’s mission and work. Then, craft your messaging around this ideal persona that would motivate such a donor to take action. 
• Show adequate appreciation: Donors who feel valued by your nonprofit are more likely to be deeply invested in your mission. After all, your supporters make your work possible—it’s your responsibility to show them the importance of their involvement! Send a donor thank-you email or letter to show your gratitude for their support. 
• Offer other involvement opportunities: Use what you know about your donors to suggest involvement opportunities that may align with their interests and giving capacities. For example, prompt those who are eligible for matching gifts to submit a match request to their employers upon making a donation. 

Building relationships with your donors early in the fundraising process is a great way to encourage them to stay involved. If your donors feel like you value them, then you might even persuade some to set up recurring donations, which is ideal for your nonprofit’s long-term growth and development.

Crafting strong and compelling fundraising asks is important for any nonprofit. Not only do they help you secure a connection with a donor, but you can also use the funding to improve your nonprofit and continue making a difference in your community.

The bottom line: Fundraising asks are a pivotal part of your relationship with a donor. Create a plan to make the best ask possible, and make sure your team is on the same page as you steward donors and further their involvement.