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My one word plan for year-end fundraising success

With the calendar year-end barreling down on us, fundraising gurus are out in force with advice for making the most of the giving season. In the past week alone I’ve come across simple strategies for a dynamite fourth quarter, a 30-minute consultation that’s sure to double appeal results, 2-steps to getting the next gift, and 9 tricks to boost your social media traffic and engagement.

fortune_cookie_message_7951Lest I be deemed irrelevant by you, dear readers, here’s my word of advice for fundraising success at year-end.

Literally. One word.

Ask.

That’s it.

I can’t guarantee that my one word plan will result in a torrent of first-time or increased gift.  However of this I am certain. If you don’t ask, you won’t get — at least not at the level you want.

Strategies (if acted upon) are essential. Consultations are helpful. And a robust social media effort is great. But unless someone(s) is out there asking for gifts, everything else is pretty much for naught.

It’s as simple as that, year-end and year-round.

For more on the all important ask, take a look at:

Fundraising success guaranteed, almost

Perfecting the art of the ask

To see ourselves through donors’ eyes

4 thoughts on “My one word plan for year-end fundraising success”

    1. It is good to be back and all the more so knowing that there are readers who appreciate Generous Matters. Thank you, Ray, for affirming the importance of asking. It seems so obvious and yet too many development staff (and here I include the CEO) find it hard to do.

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