Consider this common major donor scenario . . .
You are about to go have lunch with a donor. The purpose of the lunch is to ask her for a major gift. You’ve done a good job building a relationship with this donor. She loves the work your organization does and wants to help.
Good job setting the appointment and preparing to ask her for a donation. And before you meet with her let me give you a powerful piece of advice;
Ask your donor for a gift amount larger than you think she can give.
Stretch her thinking. If she really believes in your cause she will do everything in her power to gift a gift at the level you are asking for.
Put differently, it is not your job to downgrade the donor’s gift. She will do that IF she needs to.
So many times you enter into these conversations and feel like you are bothering the donor, or you want to make it easier on you and the donor, so you ask for a smaller amount.
Stop doing that! You are taking the joy of giving away from your donors. It is your job to build genuine relationships with your donors and present to them the best opportunity to help.
Now go out there and make the world a better place by raising more money for your cause!
