Have you ever dreamed of raising $3 Million at one fundraising event? This happened last month for a nonprofit that follows our Ask, Thank, Report, Repeat fundraising system. Here’s how they did it . . .
- They identified their top donors and top potential donors and sent them an invitation to attend a weekend getaway. The organization paid for the hotel room while the donor was responsible for paying for airfare.
- The goal of the event was to get donations. Current donors were asked to give more than they had historically, while new donors were asked to give a first time gift.
- The organization planned the entire weekend from start to finish to present problems for the donor to solve with their giving. Not to tell the donors how great the organization was, but to present donors with the ‘problems’ that the organization solved. Then invite the donor to solve those problems with a gift.
- They asked the donors to give generously. They talked about the power each person had — and the power they had collectively in the room when their gifts were pooled.
The result was amazing. The donors gave and they gave generously. The $3m goal was met. The largest gift was $1m while the smallest gift was $1,000.
This event proved that the simple act of asking donors with clarity and purpose can create amazing financial results.
Now, I realize that not every organization can raise $3 million in one weekend. But I am confident that if you are able to identify your top donors, create a plan to ask them to give more than they are currently giving, and ask them with clarity and purpose, you can raise more money than ever before. You can do it!
