Fundraising's freshest thinkers take on the sector's toughest topics

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

TH: You’re so right. I’ve seen people make the ask and then get so nervous in the silence that they start undercutting the ask. “You know, if that’s too much, maybe we can talk to you about something else.” And they negotiate with themselves instead of leaving the silence there.

If we start with the premise that giving to a meaningful organization is something that’s going to make a positive difference in the donor’s life, then we should be proud to ask. And if we have board members who aren’t proud to ask, maybe they shouldn’t be board members. Or if we’ve got management that aren’t proud to ask, maybe they shouldn’t be with the organization if they’re not that proud of the organization and the work that we do.