Your supporters want to help. Asking them for advice helps you and engages them at a deeper level. You’ll both be glad you did!
As you craft your essential stories, case document, and other key elements of your fundraising story collection, invite some of your close supporters to review these materials. To get the most from this review, be specific about what you want them to check:
- Is it clear/easy to understand? Even for someone who doesn’t already know about who we are or what we do?
- Are we asking for the right donation amounts?
- Does anything in this raise questions about us that might inhibit giving?
- Ask any other specific question you have about the piece you’re working on.
By asking for answers to specific questions, you’ll avoid responses like, “It’s great!” that don’t tell you anything.
Often, when you ask for advice, supporters will tell you exactly how they prefer to be asked for money. The transparency you show in conversations around how you raise funds invites them to also be transparent about how they approach giving.
This isn’t a trick to get them to give more. It is an invitation to understand each other and to come into a closer relationship.
One last step – report back to them and let them know how their advice helped!