Focus On: The Economy: Determining the Ask

“You really need to go through a rating-and-evaluation process,” she continues, “in which you look at each individual and try to find out what this person realistically is able to give.”

Matt Schatzle, development director of The Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C., agrees, adding: “Fundraising is all about relationships, and there’s also the science behind trying to figure out what a person is capable of giving. With the general donors that we deal with on a year-in, year-out basis, we know, based on their past giving, what they’re capable of; we know what their potential is. And we balance that with their interests and the needs of the organization. [We] usually determine the amount we’re asking for on a case-by-case basis.”