Review
"If you ever thought it was difficult or uncomfortable to ask for money, think again. This book empowers you to go out and do it again and again."
--Rachel Wawn, development manager, The Healing Foundation, London, England
"The Ask is a commonsense approach on how to ask anyone for money. It will enhance the skills of countless people around the country who need to ask for money so that philanthropy will grow immeasurably."
--John Burke, director of major gifts, The Passionist Missionaries, Union City, New Jersey
"Asking people for money is one of the most difficult ‘sales’ we can make, and no matter how noble the cause, having the right tools at our disposal can make the difference. This book provides all the tools necessary to complete the ‘sale.’"
--James Duffy, CFO and executive vice president, Vertrue Inc., Stamford, Connecticut
"Most of us, when put in a position to ask for a contribution for a worthy purpose, are uncomfortable making the approach. But when someone requests a donation from us, we do not think any less of them for asking. Insights offered here will help the reader bridge this gap and confidently ask the next time."
--Michael O’Reilly, vice chairman, The Chubb Corporation, Warren, New Jersey
"ASK and you shall receive. Get this book and you will be prepared for ANY ask, no matter the size or cause. It's the ‘go-to’ book for truly effective fundraisers. ASK for it today!"
--Sarah Holland, president, The Visibility Project, New York, New York
"With over one hundred sample dialogues, you can't afford not to buy this book!"
--William Bartolini, vice president for development, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
From the Inside Flap
Raising money face-to-face is an essential component of the health and vitality of any nonprofit or for-profit organization. However, most people have little, if any, experience asking for money and often feel out of their element when they try to do the ask. Even professional fundraisers, top administrators, board members, volunteers, and salespeople struggle with asking for money.
The Ask is a complete resource for teaching anyone—experienced in fundraising or not—how to ask individuals, in person, for a contribution to a local nonprofit, a special event, or a community project, as well as for an enhanced annual gift, a major or planned gift, or a challenging capital campaign gift.
Written by fundraising expert Laura Fredricks, The Ask shows what it takes to prepare yourself and others to make an effective ask and includes over one hundred sample dialogues you can use and adapt. Step by step, the book reveals how to listen, what to say, and how to follow up on each and every ask until you receive a solid and definitive answer. In addition, The Ask covers such topics as how to
- Examine your views on money before making an ask
- Learn the ins and outs of asking for money
- Work with others to make an ask
- Determine if you should or should not ask a friend, colleague, or peer for money
- Figure out how many asks you can do given your time constraints
- Deal effectively with all the responses you will get to an ask
If you want to develop the fundraising skills you need to achieve greater success and learn how to ask for money with confidence and willingness, this is the book for you.
