The Single Most Important Tool for Making Effective Fundraising Asks

Every month, board members and CEOs ask me for the "perfect" words to say when making an ask. You'd be surprised at what can be effective! I've even seen a major-gift ask on a Post-it note! A sincere ask from a person of integrity can often overcome the most awkward wording.

But in my experience, most people find a version of the following phrase works: "We'd like to ask you to consider a gift of [insert specific dollar amount] to [insert project or fund or the nonprofit's name]."