Today I’m going to share with you the best way to win a donation…
…and start a great friendship with your new donor at the same time.
I can promise you that this will be more fun and more effective than more silly fundraisers.
In fact, it’s a transaction that might save you dozens of hours.
That’s quality time that you can spend with your students instead.
There is a BEST way to solicit donations, and you should know what it is.
Imagine that after leading worship one night, you drop your guitar and the neck snaps cleanly, strings popping in every direction.
It’s beyond repair, but the cost of the thing puts it beyond replacement.
Sounds like it might be time to ask for a donation, and here are the steps that you should take to make it happen.
Talk to your senior pastor.
Your senior pastor might solicit these kinds of gifts more than you realize and he probably doesn’t want you to hit up the donor that he spoke with just a few days ago. Go in with a plan and make sure he’s cool with the person you’re thinking about talking to.
Choose someone whose passions match your need.
Besides choosing someone with adequate financial resources, you also want to choose someone who will be excited about the specific gift that you need – in our case, a guitar. It would be wise to choose a musician, or better yet, a guitarist!
If you can give people an exciting thing to fund,
they’ll share their money and thank you for taking it.
Next, offer to buy the person coffee or lunch.
You’re about to ask for several hundred dollars. Spring for the Panera yourself. When you make the invitation, be clear about your motives. Pretending like you want to meet just to catch up and then dropping the money question is icky and wrong.
Explain the need.
In an exciting way, talk about the ministry you want to start, the element you want to add, or the guitar that you absentmindedly destroyed. Talk about the positive outcomes that you expect to see when this project is funded and launched.
Clearly ask for a precise amount of money.
This is where people are most likely to mess up. We get wishy-washy and uncomfortable. In my experience, most of the time, people will give you what you ask for and that’s why it’s so important to ask for exactly what you need.
If you’re new to this whole thing, I understand how awkward it will feel, so here’s a weird tip to make it just a little bit easier.
Sit in your car and practice asking for money, out loud, to no one in particular, at least fifty times.
“I found a great guitar for $850 and I’m hoping you might be excited to purchase it for us.”
“I found a great guitar for $850 and I’m hoping you might be excited to purchase it for us.”
“I found a great guitar for $850 and I’m hoping you might be excited to purchase it for us.”
And on and on.
Follow up and be effusive in your gratitude.
Say thank you. Send a thank you card. Invite the guy to play the guitar, to help you lead worship. Record a ridiculous thank you song where you’re playing the new guitar.
Here’s the most important thing.
Offer to buy coffee again, maybe a month or two later, and this time, you’re just there to catch up. You don’t want to establish the precedent that you’re only going to call when you need money. You’re friends now, and you want to hang on to that too.
What is ONE THING you would buy if you raised $1,000 tomorrow?
