Werth-It Fundraising Blog

I think that sometimes the people to whom I teach fundraising expect that there is some magic place where someone will send them all the money they need.  Stephen King, the horror fiction author, writes that people ask him where he gets his ideas, and he says something like “There’s a company in Maine that provides them.”  Which of course is a joke, but he says it because people seem to think that there’s some kind of magic in coming up with ideas. 

I think the idea of the outside funder is especially true when people first think about fundraising.  They seem to think that some foundation somewhere will send them money, if they only write and ask.  It’s not true.  Especially for start-up organizations, it is unlikely that foundations will fund them.  What is likely, however, is that the people you know, who know you, are much more likely to make a donation.

The expression “Inside Out, Top Down” refers to prioritizing people to ask for money.  “Inside out” means starting out by asking the people on the inside first.  For a new start-up, the first donors should be the founders.  Then the board of directors should give: if they know the organization best and they don’t give, why should anyone else?  Volunteers should be asked to give, because if they care enough to give their time, they’ll also give their money.  So ask those on the inside first.

The expression “Top Down” means to ask the people who can give the largest gifts first.  When I consult with my fundraising clients, I ask them to give me a list of 100 people who have given the largest gifts to the organization.  We sort this list by largest gift first, and then we start visiting these people.  These are the people with the greatest capacity to give, and the most interest, and they should be asked before anyone else.

I have found that sometimes people are hesitant to ask their friends to give.  However, these people know you and love you.  They want to support you in what you do.  There are probably many of them.  They are the most likely to give.  If you needed help in another way — like getting a ride at night if your tire was flat or your car broke down — these are the people whom you would ask to help.  If you can’t ask them for help for your organization, why would you ask a stranger?

If you have questions about fundraising or board development, please write me, Katherine Wertheim, CFRE, at katherine@werth-it.com or post a question to my blog at www.werth-it.com/blog.