Seriously, Stop Asking. Just Tell Your Story

If you serve on a non-profit Board, chances are you are tasked to raise some money to increase awareness of the organization and broaden the base of financial support.

So what if you really believe in the organization, but raising money is not your talent. In fact, you hate it. You’ll gladly and generously give, but ask someone else to do the same thing? Well, that’s another thing entirely.

Asking for money is tough. Telling a story is easy; particularly if it is yours.

Hearing a potential donor say “No, thank you” after you have done your best to share organizational data points, perhaps a tear jerky video, and a spiffy new brochure happens.

It does?

Sure.

Look, everyone wants to have an impact somewhere, somehow in this world. The reason you are involved in your organization may not match the interests of the friend, neighbor, colleague or that potential donor in the community that you’ve been given the responsibility to contact, but if you do make contact with anyone of these folks, just relax and share why you believe enough in the organization you represent to put your hard earned money into it. The time for that dreaded “ask” will eventually come to the conversation. You may feel a bead or two of sweat falling from your hairline, (believe me, most of us do at this point), but that story you shared might just be the thing to move that person to give. Your story may have helped someone better understand the organization you represent. It will, at least, let that person know more about you.

Seriously, start with your story. Share why you believe in and support the efforts of the organization.

If there is a fit, you will know.

Now, all together, Once upon a time …